Re: RE: NANFA-L-- precocious Green Sunfish

swel0828-in-brockport.edu
Mon, 28 Nov 2005 23:57:41 +0000 (GMT)

YES - green sunfish are a very aggressive and hardy species of Lepomis...

They may be a major factor in the displacement / extirpation of the rare native longear sunfish of western/upstate NY (only 23 recorded in 2005 survey of 13 waters).

Greens are very abundant in the wild now vs 30+ yrs ago (DEC records).

Greens spawned-in-school here without any assistance last spring... while a limited attemp to rear longear was not successful in our laboratory during 2005.

Fish are wonderfully adaptive creatures when given the opportunity.

S. Wells, grad assistant
SUNY Brockport
Johnson & Tonawanda Creeks
of Western NYS

----- Original Message -----
From: "Crail, Todd"
Date: Sunday, November 27, 2005 12:29 pm
Subject: RE: NANFA-L-- precocious Green Sunfish
To: nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org

> Hi George,
>
> One of the adaptations of the sunfishes, and particularly
> graphic in the genus
> Lepomis, is to be able to produce small yet fertile clutches in
> stuntedpopulations (for whatever biotic or abiotic reason),-in-
> small body sizes. This
> is especially true in the green sunfish, which is a species that
> has a strong
> presence in headwater communities. While this is a small male
> who's just
> sewing his oats, and nothing serious will come of it... In the
> wild, in many
> situations, it would not be strange for a fish that size to nest
> and attract
> fertile females.
>
> That or he's just a real show off. ;)
>
> I was suspicious that the "other fish" was another species, and
> his behavior
> is that of newly introduced orangespots, I think you've nailed
> it. For
> sunfish, they're the shy guys. Very rewarding to keep though
> because you can
> stuff 'em in with all sorts of wimpy minnows and darters and
> they behave so
> danged well... Unlike those greens which you'll swear off as
> Satan's spawn,
> even in a tank with only members of their own genus! :)
>
> I trust the "keeper worship" has begun as well? The part where
> they're going
> "Oh oh! ME! Oh Oh! Food? Oh Oh! ME ME! Food? Yes? Oh Oh! Oh Oh
> Please!"
> Todd
> The Muddy Maumee Madness, Toledo, OH
> It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
> http://www.farmertodd.com
> /----------------------------------------------------------------
> -------
> / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes
> / Association (NANFA). Comments made on this list do not necessarily
> / reflect the beliefs or goals of NANFA. For more information
> about NANFA,
> / visit http://www.nanfa.org Please make sure all posts to nanfa-
> l are
> / consistent with the guidelines as per
> / http://www.nanfa.org/guidelines.shtml To subscribe,
> unsubscribe, or get
> / help, visit the NANFA email list home page and archive at
> / http://www.nanfa.org/email.shtml
>
>

Scott M. Wells
Graduate Research Assistant
Longear Sunfish Project
Dept. of Env. Sci. & Biology
120 Lennon Hall
S.U.N.Y. College-in-Brockport
swel0828-in-brockport.edu
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association (NANFA). Comments made on this list do not necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of NANFA. For more information about NANFA,
/ visit http://www.nanfa.org Please make sure all posts to nanfa-l are
/ consistent with the guidelines as per
/ http://www.nanfa.org/guidelines.shtml To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get
/ help, visit the NANFA email list home page and archive at
/ http://www.nanfa.org/email.shtml