Edited by Subrosa, 08 February 2013 - 03:56 PM.
Question about sympatric species
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, Feb 08 2013 03:54 PM
8 replies to this topic
#1
Guest_Subrosa_*
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Posted 08 February 2013 - 03:54 PM
I've been given the oversight on a 65 gal aquarium that my aquarium club maintains in a nature center. I've already decided to go PA native, but since this tank is in a nature center and I could probably arrange for the necessary permits, I was thinking about doing some species which are endangered in PA. There are several good candidate species readily available on AB, but I've pretty much decided on Banded Sunfish as my centerpiece species, and some Swamp Darters. The fact that those two are naturally found together gives me the idea of doing a straight up biotope. I'm wondering if anyone who has access to Bandeds in the wild could give a list of other species, particularly Shiners and Dace which you've encountered alongside them. Hopefully some of them are native to PA and available to buy or catch. Thanks!
#2
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Posted 08 February 2013 - 09:00 PM
There is a local zoo near me that has an endangered shiner species on display in a non-breeding setup. The shiner is only found in a single river basin in the entire world. When I looked at that tank and thought about how they must be going out and recollecting endangered fish every now and then to keep it stocked, it seemed wrong. I personally would not feel comfortable keeping an endangered species in captivity unless I was doing everything I could to breed it.
With that being said, here is an article about breeding the banded sunfish: http://www.nanfa.org.../acbanded.shtml
So if this is available on aquabid, does it mean that it's only state-level listed and not federally endangered? If so, that would be quite different from my shiner example. I can see why you would want to highlight a species that is flourishing elsewhere but not doing so well in your local waters.
With that being said, here is an article about breeding the banded sunfish: http://www.nanfa.org.../acbanded.shtml
So if this is available on aquabid, does it mean that it's only state-level listed and not federally endangered? If so, that would be quite different from my shiner example. I can see why you would want to highlight a species that is flourishing elsewhere but not doing so well in your local waters.
Edited by EricaWieser, 08 February 2013 - 09:05 PM.
#3
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 08 February 2013 - 09:46 PM
Yes, banded sunfish are actually considered to be rather stable in general. They are state listed in several states (I think mostly at the edges of their range).
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#4
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Posted 08 February 2013 - 10:28 PM
Ah, okay, that makes sense.Yes, banded sunfish are actually considered to be rather stable in general. They are state listed in several states (I think mostly at the edges of their range).
#5
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Posted 08 February 2013 - 10:38 PM
Most of the endangered species listed by PA, both plant and animal, are there because of edge of range issues. Species such as Banded Sunfish and Swamp Darters are found in the coastal plain region, and PA has only a little spit of the coastal plain within its borders, ergo many coastal plains species are considered PA endangered. Nevermind that most of neighboring DE and NJ are part of the coastal plain, and most of these species are rather plentiful there. I've kept numerous Swamp Darters over the years that were rescued from Ghost Shrimp tanks at lfss, even though doing so is strictly speaking illegal in PA. So anybody know any suitable Shiner or Dace species?
#6
Guest_keepnatives_*
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Posted 08 February 2013 - 11:47 PM
Eastern mudminnows, pirate perch (those could impact your swamp darters) and creek chubsuckers come to mind.I've been given the oversight on a 65 gal aquarium that my aquarium club maintains in a nature center. I've already decided to go PA native, but since this tank is in a nature center and I could probably arrange for the necessary permits, I was thinking about doing some species which are endangered in PA. There are several good candidate species readily available on AB, but I've pretty much decided on Banded Sunfish as my centerpiece species, and some Swamp Darters. The fact that those two are naturally found together gives me the idea of doing a straight up biotope. I'm wondering if anyone who has access to Bandeds in the wild could give a list of other species, particularly Shiners and Dace which you've encountered alongside them. Hopefully some of them are native to PA and available to buy or catch. Thanks!
#7
Guest_gerald_*
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Posted 11 February 2013 - 06:15 PM
There's just not a lot of blackwater swamp minnow diversity in blackwater swamps in the mid-Atlantic states. In NC, Enneacanthus occur with golden shiner, eastern silvery minnow, coastal shiner, ironcolor shiner, and dusky shiner. Adult banded sunfish will probably eat swamp darters (speaking from experience).
Erica - I think those Cape Fear shiners at the NC Zoo were probably bred either at the zoo or at Conservation Fisheries in TN. The public display tank is not where they breed them.
Erica - I think those Cape Fear shiners at the NC Zoo were probably bred either at the zoo or at Conservation Fisheries in TN. The public display tank is not where they breed them.
#8
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Posted 11 February 2013 - 06:38 PM
That's reassuring. They didn't have anything on the plaque about the source of their endangered animals on display, so I was concerned.Erica - I think those Cape Fear shiners at the NC Zoo were probably bred either at the zoo or at Conservation Fisheries in TN. The public display tank is not where they breed them.
#9
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Posted 11 February 2013 - 07:45 PM
Not what I was hoping to hear, but thanks much Gerald!There's just not a lot of blackwater swamp minnow diversity in blackwater swamps in the mid-Atlantic states. In NC, Enneacanthus occur with golden shiner, eastern silvery minnow, coastal shiner, ironcolor shiner, and dusky shiner. Adult banded sunfish will probably eat swamp darters (speaking from experience).
Erica - I think those Cape Fear shiners at the NC Zoo were probably bred either at the zoo or at Conservation Fisheries in TN. The public display tank is not where they breed them.
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