NANFA-- sunfish/cichlid?

R. W. Wolff (choupiqu_at_wctc.net)
Sun, 30 Apr 2000 00:20:47 -0700

My Louisiana dollar sunfish ( Mississippi valley strain) has been gaurding
his last batch of fry in the 75 from two red warmouth, two orange spotted
sunfish and the two female dollars. Of course I siphoned out another batch
to raise, but many remained. A good number of these have been eatan by the
sunfish, but a dozen or so remain. The dollars spawned again the other
day, and there are fry from the last spawn sitting around the nest being
protected and mouthed ( cleaned and kept near the nest) by the male. This
is really wild behavior from the sunfish, since all those cichlid people
like to knock them saying they don't stack up to cichlids in behavior. So
far now these and the bantams have shown strange non-typical sunfish
behavior in their breeding/rearing methods.
In other news my male bowfin that is in a 48" by 32" by 18 high 110 gallon
seems to be considering building a nest. He has been hanging around a area
out front of the tank next to a cypress log, and not budging , and when he
does, will then return while I watch. This is odd since the trio has been
so skittish and doesnt like the looks of my, or anyone elses face, they have
hid in the back in the weeds and roots all along, just venturing out to
devour minnows and quickly retreat back with their full mouths to cover. I
hope it happens, that is one step closer to my dream of spawning bowfin in
an aquarium.
Ray

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