Selective Breeding Darters

Has selective breeding ever been done or attempted with any of the darters?

For what purpose exactly?

Check out http://conservationfisheries.org, as they do a lot of work with threatened/endangered species.

We've had many articles in American Currents regarding breeding darters.

I was intrested in breeding my rainbow darters and thought it would be interesting to do some selective breeding for even more intense male coloration or even try to bring out some other good characteristics from certain specimens..

Edited by basssmaster, 13 October 2008 - 01:19 PM.

Also could someone tell me the specifics of breeding rainbows, Like the photo period, water temp, prefered substrate, raising the larva, ect, ect,???

It's not exactly something I'm well versed on, but that's not my understanding of coloration in male darters as it is in say guppies. What I am familiar with points towards it being behaviorally related to breeding, mate choice, etc. While many darters are colored throughout the year, color typically peaks when males are nuptual. Where are you more intelligent folks to further explain the mechanisms of pigments and genes?

As far as conservation geared breeding, 'selective' breeding is done to maintain genetic uniqueness and integrity. At the same time it has to somewhat avoid selection to bottleneck a population and potentially fix less fit traits.

Matt, it's all about sharply increased levels of 11-ketotestosterone in male fishes. Various factors trigger the hypothalamus to stimulate the release of various gonadotropins that in turn stimulate the expression and action of an enzyme complex, 11-beta-hydroxylase, that converts testosterone to 11-KT. And that, my friends (to borrow the phrase), is what jacks up male teleosts into breeding condition.....

Thanks for the info,

but what various factors?

I know that a rise in testosterone triggers spawing.. But what are the condition that promote that rise in hormones.. Like is there a photo period or water temp will triger that rise, What are the behavoires or courtships associated with spawning, what kind of substrate or water depth do they prefer???? The answers to those qeustions will make me one happy camper.....




Thanks

Just my unscientific opinion from observing rainbows in my own creek, and finding them in many others...

The best way to see what they prefer is to study where you find them. Typically, I will find rainbows in shallow pools in a cold (50-60 F), shallow creek. They can exist in other places, but that's where I find the best examples. In my own creek, I have two pools fed by a large spring that are chocked full of large, healthy, and very colorful rainbows. The big rainbows (3"+) seem to live in 6-18" of water, with the juveniles in shallower water. While I've found them in the riffles, that's not where the best ones come from. I have found scads of large fantails and banded darters in the riffles, though. I can accurately state that the rainbows in my own creek definitely prefer semi tranquil pools of 6-18" depth over riffles. I've tried deeper water, but haven't found any rainbows on the bottom of pools that are 2' or greater in depth.

Substrate? Flat rocks on top of creek sand, that's where I find the best rainbows. When I set up my current native tank, I filled it with sand from my creek, rocks from my creek, and water from my creek. So if you have a stream with a good rainbow population, you might want to outfit your tank with substrate, rocks, and water from that stream.

Check this out. It is old, but a decent read.

http://www.biolbull....int/14/1/35.pdf

Check this out. It is old, but a decent read

My brain would not process the dates on my first reading, but the lack of any metric measurements was a clue.

Published 101 years ago !

This gal knew Darwin !!!

And Noah !!!!!

Interesting how stable the structure of a scientific article has been.

Oh yeah, the article's very interesting too. Doesn't say if her wetsuit was 3mm or 5mm though, a one point deduction for that.

Edited by Doug_Dame, 13 October 2008 - 10:13 PM.