Good looking fish, no doubt.
While I have done no studies and read no research about this subject, this is purely me just thinking out loud basically, but I would be tempted to say that they go back and forth from the reservoir to a nearby stream. Are there any streams close to your cove? Perhaps the streams some of them reside in most of the year start to dry up a little during the summer forcing them into the reservoir. Once the rain starts to fall more often in the fall/winter/spring months, they can move back into the streams. They do like some slack water instead of always having current, so maybe they go into the reservoir for that slack water. All I know for sure is what I read in the book Freshwater Fishes of SC, that they do reside in reservoir shorelines along with large creeks and small to medium rivers.
Do you actually see them feeding? I've been out on some lakes where schools of shad and other bait fish have been hitting the surface of the water that could be perceived as feeding, but in reality they were being pursued by predatory fish such as bass.
Can natural behavior be observed in a community tank?
Started by
mattknepley
, Jan 10 2013 07:55 PM
26 replies to this topic
#22
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 15 January 2013 - 10:19 PM
Well if we are just going to speculate, I might speculate that they are trapped in the lake and are moving between different shallow areas (shore, sand bar, etc.). Cyprinella in streams do move into different areas of flow at different times of year. Also, since they are crevice spawners and don't really need the flow to orient for food or spawning substrate, I might speculate that they just move to an area with rip rap or even areas with tree bark crevices for suitable spawning surfaces.
My C. leedsi are in a 55 with a bunch of other fish, but almost no current and they are happy and color up and spar and everything.
Some of you may remember this video
My C. leedsi are in a 55 with a bunch of other fish, but almost no current and they are happy and color up and spar and everything.
Some of you may remember this video
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#23
Guest_keepnatives_*
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Posted 15 January 2013 - 10:30 PM
Here in NY in Moreau Lake State Park I used to catch tons of nice Spotfin shiners which are very similar to satinfins and greenfins. They seemed to travel around the lake or big pond shoreline there was plenty of wave action so though in a lake or pond they weren't really in still water. They would spawn on fallen trees and branches in the water dispersing the eggs into the bark crevices. There was a smaller pond attached by a short channel about 20 feet long with a definate current and spotfins were constantly active there passing through. Can't really be sure how far they traveled as they could well have just swum around in a limited area and I would just see them returning rather then new ones coming around. There were tons of them for sure as I would catch several in a small area move a bit down the shoreline catch more come back and more would be there.
Edited by keepnatives, 15 January 2013 - 10:31 PM.
#24
Guest_Auban_*
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Posted 16 January 2013 - 03:13 AM
the Carthage i mentioned is in north carolina, about an hour and a half south of Greensboro, near Pinehurst.
#25
mattknepley
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Posted 16 January 2013 - 05:25 PM
I wondered if maybe they went up into a stream somewhere, too, Tigerfan. But there aren't any close by of which I am aware. There are several channels for runoff to enter, but no real streams. If there is one, though, your idea is interesting. As you know our mountain & Piedmont SC watersheds haven't been slow in drying up over the summers lately! As for the feeding, yes we've observed them feeding. A few times we watched as the the surface ripple worked its way toward us, and there they were underneath it. Still haven't actually seen what they were eating. To be sure there have been several times when some predator(s) had them pushed up against the surface and were working them over hard, but the disruption on the surface was much more violent, with fish often breaking the surface. I'm sure there are other baitfish out there, but these are the only ones I've seen.
Michael, I would speculate you're right. Between various seawall constructions, docks (piers in the south), and the occasional fallen timber, there is much more spawning opportunity for them than I would have originally thought. That's a nice looking tank, btw, and those C. leedsi sure were neat to watch. That one boy seemed to have a particular dislike for anybody getting near that old Dardevle spoon hanging off that branch!
I'll have to try to keep an eye out this summer and see if there is a connection between lake surface agitation (weather, heavy boating, etc.) and the timing of these guys showing up.
And now I have to dig out my NC DeLorme to find Carthage!
Thanks again, everyone!
Michael, I would speculate you're right. Between various seawall constructions, docks (piers in the south), and the occasional fallen timber, there is much more spawning opportunity for them than I would have originally thought. That's a nice looking tank, btw, and those C. leedsi sure were neat to watch. That one boy seemed to have a particular dislike for anybody getting near that old Dardevle spoon hanging off that branch!
I'll have to try to keep an eye out this summer and see if there is a connection between lake surface agitation (weather, heavy boating, etc.) and the timing of these guys showing up.
And now I have to dig out my NC DeLorme to find Carthage!
Thanks again, everyone!
Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
#26
Guest_EricaWieser_*
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Posted 16 January 2013 - 06:51 PM
Oh hey, I was there last weekend. Part of the reason why I like this forum is hearing people talking about fish near me. I never would have suspected pretty fish like that were in the local waters without a group like NANFA pointing them outthe Carthage i mentioned is in north carolina, about an hour and a half south of Greensboro, near Pinehurst.
Edited by EricaWieser, 16 January 2013 - 06:53 PM.
#27
Guest_gerald_*
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Posted 16 January 2013 - 07:31 PM
I would guess they hang out around fallen trees in lakes when they're not in the shallow coves. Under logs, roots and branches in slow-flowing pools is where I usually find the most shiners and dace in winter. Or in crevices along rock-stabilized shorelines, as MW noted.
My greenfin that lived for years with the longear sunfish would display at and fight with filter bubbles if he couldn't get Otis (the longear) riled up for a battle. Anything shiny would get him going, whether in his tank or outside.
Matt - Hitchcock Creek near the PeeDee River SW of Rockingham NC (a little closer to you than Carthage is) has three Cyprinella spp: satinfin, whitefin, and fieryblack.
My greenfin that lived for years with the longear sunfish would display at and fight with filter bubbles if he couldn't get Otis (the longear) riled up for a battle. Anything shiny would get him going, whether in his tank or outside.
Matt - Hitchcock Creek near the PeeDee River SW of Rockingham NC (a little closer to you than Carthage is) has three Cyprinella spp: satinfin, whitefin, and fieryblack.
Edited by gerald, 16 January 2013 - 07:36 PM.
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