NANFA-L-- Frankenfish.


Subject: NANFA-L-- Frankenfish.
From: Todd Crail (farmertodd-in-buckeye-express.com)
Date: Tue Aug 17 2004 - 23:46:46 CDT


Greetings folks... I guess it has been quiet around here :)

A week ago, I was dragging some kids all over the Maumee River watershed for
the Toledo Zoo. At one of the locations, we picked up a really weird
looking sucker. I couldn't make much of it there, and didn't want to stress
it, so into the bucket (sorry kids, no you can't take any home, you don't
have tanks setup) and into the magic 30 gallon sucker rehab factory. I'm
still batting 1000 with reasonable growth and robustness in all species kept
for their sizes (most of them starting with wounds, degraded fins and lost
scales) In fact the white sucker is growing too dang fast. Brought him
home in Feb-in-4" and it's now passing 7". Sand and high protein diet seem
to make all the difference.

Anyway... Our little misfit. It finally came out tonight where I could
really get a good look-in-it. I am 100% convinced it is a white sucker x
northern hog sucker hybrid. You can use either species to start with, and
then observe the characteristics of the other from that baseline. It's
still skittish, so pics won't happen for another week or so.

Has anyone else ever seen such a cross?

Dr. Ted Cavender had mentioned something about them trying to do it
unnaturally in captivity, but didn't elaborate much. I should follow up
with him.

As ugly as this thing is... Man is it cool! :)

I'll put together a trip report for the Zoo week too. A lot of it is
getting accounted for in a supplement web thingie I'm in the process of
putting together. But there are some stories I should definately share :)

Todd
The Muddy Maumee Madness
It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
http://www.farmertodd.com

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: Wed Sep 29 2004 - 12:24:20 CDT