Re: NANFA-- Hog sucker

Christopher Scharpf (ichthos_at_charm.net)
Fri, 22 Feb 2002 13:20:36 -0400

My experience has always been that they slowly decline in aquaria,
especially in community tanks. Even though they may eat like pigs, they
eventually waste away and die. My guess is they require lots of food that
normal aquarium feedings can't replicate. I also wonder if there's something
in their wild diet that's lacking in captivity.

Spawning occurs over medium gravel in early spring in swift water that's
about 14-18" deep. The larger female is attended to by up to 8 males. The
fish is seasonally migratory, and spawning is likely by increases in
temperature and daylength.

Chris Scharpf
Baltimore

> Last summer I caught two hog suckers in a small creek called Turkey Fork.
> Turkey Fork is near Ripley W.Va. Turkey Fork doesn't run year round and in
> late summer is just a series of small pools. The hog suckers there are always
> small, 8" or less. Does anyone know the breeding habits of hog suckers? How
> big, how old, and where and how? It comes to mind because one of my hog
> suckers came up missing tonight. I guess it must have jumped out of my 125. I
> still have the smaller of the two and I found them to be a very interesting
> fish with a lot of personality. Does anyone have any details about them?
> after they lost their shyness they were always first for a meal of frozen
> bloodworms or blackworms and only gave way to the elephantnose fish at meal
> time. Ok so I like ugly fish!

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