I may be way off base ... but ... I do not think so but in my
observation of the relationship between sunfish and welaka, the welaka
use the nest built and guarded by sunfish to lay their eggs in.
Where I have seen this behavior was in a creek on the north shore of
Lake Pontchartrain, that was clear with a gravel bottom where the flow
of water was medium and the pH was on the alkaline side (7.2 to 7.4) and
soft (about 44 TDS). the temperature was in the low to middle 60's.
The dominant male sunfish would be guarding "the nest" when some welaka
would swim by causing him to leave the nest chasing them, then more
males and gravid females would swim in rapidly spawn in the same
depression and then swim out. They did not-in-any time go to the bottom
and pick or eat anything. They always swam several inches above the
substrate, darting in and out in groups ... not singular fish.
The sides of the stream above the gravel area was silted over and had a
lot of aquatic vegetation in which were thousands of welaka fry from
several days old to weeks old. I spent some time trying to make sure
there was a "Cuckoo" type of relationship between the species and it
"appeared" to be so.
I hope this helps those who would like to attempt to captive breed
welaka.
Good luck and stay well,
Leo
************************************
Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler'
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