Here is my experience with fish personality.

DARTERS: various degrees of climbing and hiding and puppy dog behavior. It also varies a bit from species to species and even individual to individual. I find that in general darters have the most individually varrying personality of fish.

DOLLAR SUNFISH: Highly aggressive, picks fights with everyone, may even kill other fish. T his species has way too much personality for its size and claims most of a 55 gallon as its own. This fish has too much personality.

SHINERS: Shiners in general mix placidity and a pecking order. If you want fish who will squabble from time to time but are mostly calm shiners are a good choice.

ROCK BASS: Sort of like shiners, they are calm and placid and accept most things in their terretory except other sunfish and goldfish. They also like to greet the person who feeds them. If you want a friendly peaceful and placid fish who may occasionally squabble but not wage war a rock bass is a good choice.

WHITE SUCKER: I had one once until a filter failure wiped out bottom dwellers in my 55. It's distinctly cowardly and runs away from more agressive feeders. I mainly fed it shrimp pellets and had to overfeed so it got any at all. A distinct personality but not necessarilly a good one for an aggressive tank.

I had two grass pickerels a few years back. They're really neat looking fish and exciting at feeding time, but they certainly don't fill a tank with motion the rest of the time. In terms of being ambush predators, that depends on what you're thinking of in "ambush". In my experience, they'd actively stalk slowly around the tank at feeding time, then make quick lunges. They don't just hang out under a log or rock and grab things that come within striking distance (like sculpin or maybe some catfish). At the same time, they don't do sustained high speed chases around the tank. More like how a cat hunts -- slow stalk, then quick pounce.

Edit: Just Googled for predation strategies. Of the following, I think grass pickerels (at least in an aquarium) are more stalkers than ambushers.

- ambush (hide + wait)
- stalk (long search, short chase)
- pursuit (short search, long chase)

Edited by jase, 05 February 2010 - 02:06 PM.

My pumpkinseed has the most personality, greeting anyone who enters the room with the hope of food and nipping at fingers. My River Chub is a little bit more shy but het's over it quickly if there is food involved.

Wow, incredible responses, Thanks alot!

Now I cant wait to go hunting in the spring time for some fish, I'll aim for some Grass Pickerel, but if I only end up with sunnies then I certainly will not complain!

Thanks for clearing up the whole ambush/stalking bit too, greatly appreciated!



Any chance the grass pickerel owners are from Ontario?