26 replies to this topic

[Fleendar the Magnificent]

I have found stonecats dead in the river where I caught this one. River conditions perhaps? I know that the water quality has degraded as I find thousands of dead Asian clam shells and I find dead mussel shells in the river from time to time. So I can tell that the water quality has degraded as bivalves are a sentinel species that is an indicator of good water quality. Lots of empty shells and few living valves = poor quality.

 

That said, my stonecat( I call him zombie) DID survive the ordeal and somehow did come back to life as my son and I watched it die eating a darter, and has now grown from 3" when he was caught to 6". He leaves the spotfin shiners, bluntnose minnows and others alone, but every time I put in a creek chub or a silver shiner(3 in the past week) up to 4" long, they're GONE by the next day, and that's WITH small feeder fry in the tank as well. Time for Mr. Catfish to be moved to another tank....

[JasonL]

I have found stonecats dead in the river where I caught this one. River conditions perhaps? I know that the water quality has degraded as I find thousands of dead Asian clam shells and I find dead mussel shells in the river from time to time. So I can tell that the water quality has degraded as bivalves are a sentinel species that is an indicator of good water quality. Lots of empty shells and few living valves = poor quality.
 
That said, my stonecat( I call him zombie) DID survive the ordeal and somehow did come back to life as my son and I watched it die eating a darter, and has now grown from 3" when he was caught to 6". He leaves the spotfin shiners, bluntnose minnows and others alone, but every time I put in a creek chub or a silver shiner(3 in the past week) up to 4" long, they're GONE by the next day, and that's WITH small feeder fry in the tank as well. Time for Mr. Catfish to be moved to another tank....

Probably not a bad idea to move your green sunfish with him too. Just a matter of time until he goes rogue on your micro species.

[Matt DeLaVega]

Are Asian clams a good indicator species in North American streams?

[Fleendar the Magnificent]

I think that the green sunfish is due for a tank change. He should do fine with the catfish. However, I now have a tiny 1" long bluegill I have finally gotten to take blood worms. Once the sunnie and madtom move, I'll probably move him in with the micro species. He has a good while to go until he get's big and the spotfin shiners, being the greedy and gluttonous pigs they are won't bother him. Cripes, those spotfins demolish flake food and aggressive while doing it. They just tear the top water up.

 

Asian clams a good indicator species? Not sure. I was under the impression that all bivalves, native or not were an indicator of good water quality since they are sensitive to water pollution. I guess that's something to ask ODNR.

 

Chris M.

[gerald]

Around NC I see plenty of Asian Corbicula clams is urban-impacted streams too.  Their periodic mass-die-offs in summer are probably related to heat and low DO; not necessarily pollutants.  They are apparently more pollution-tolerant than our native river mussels.  Also they just don't live as long; hence the large numbers of dead shells in many streams.

[Matt DeLaVega]

And the shells last a long time, making it look like a larger event, I think.

[Fleendar the Magnificent]

And the shells last a long time, making it look like a larger event, I think.

Just got back from the river tonight, and yes, it looks like a massive die-off event. Tens of thousands of dead Asian clams and lots of large freshwater mussel shells litter the bottom. I think that they're Uniomeris Tetralasmus, or Pondhorn mussels. Regardless, and sadly, the river bottom and shoreline is littered with them. The Asian clams I understand are invasive, but still protected under Ohio law.

 

The Grumpy Old Man.