197 replies to this topic

[Michael Wolfe]

this s such a great report... I went back and re-read most of it and am still amazed at the process and the productivity.

[centrarchid]

If goes as plans we have expertise needed to tackle cavefishes.  I have resources in place that I think would be ideal for them.

[centrarchid]

Someone appears to be removing my edits to wikipedias file on pirate perch.  Party does not seem to like a particular citation.

[centrarchid]

Today we will start rounding up materials needed for getting Pirate Perch to deposit eggs in collection device.  We may also try to run a few embryos through a McDonald jar.   I have a set of hatching trays could run for fun.  With those it might be possible to actually rear excess fry not cultured in blue tubs.

[centrarchid]

Looks like collection of broodfish will occur near Poplar Bluff, MO this Saturday.  Five hour drive on both ends will be broken up by shortly after dawn sampling effort.  Fish will be taken by small seine and segregated by sex for transport in 5-gal buckets.  Do not want spawning to occur during transport.  This warm winter is messing things up.  Breeding setups will be constructed over next couple of days.  

[centrarchid]

Broodfish collected.  They will be held in transport containers overnight in cab of truck to keep them cool.  Tomorrow morning tempering will start and will likely take 36 hours.  Temperature of water was in the low 40's F.  More effort than usual required to catch fish.  Smaller fish and females scattered about while large males already stacked up under tree root wads.  In last year someone "renovated" ditch with grade-all transforming a mix of pool, riffle and run habitats into one run.  Pirate Perch abundance may not have suffered as that may have left exposed a lot more crayfish burrows that where simply more difficult for us to extract Pirate Perch from.

 

Species diversity high.  Also got into largest Siren I have ever seen pushing 18".  Bowfin not quite in breeding dress.  Many young pickerel already pushing 2".  Darters very pumped up.  Banded Pygmy sunfish also look really nice with some showing blue tinge.

[Matt DeLaVega]

Very cool stuff. I am looking forward to updates.

[centrarchid]

Fish looking good despite temperature at beginning of day being right at 32 F.  Tomorrow emphasis will be on acclimation to well water.  

[az9]

Ah the ol' Pirate Perch! Decades go in fisheries class I remember when we had to learn to identify 150 species of fish. The Pirate Perch was one of the easy ones due to the unique location of the anus. 

[centrarchid]

Broodfish released about 0900 today.  Evidence of one spawn evident by 2000.  Two females swimming about in a very deliberate and surprisingly active manner.  Males stacked up around breeding site provided and they are attacking females that approach.  Displays much more evident in this larger tank.

[centrarchid]

Dominant male is much darker than average while females appear yellowish.  During day dominant male hovers near spawning site in the shade.  He is an asshole to any fish that approaches.  Real actions appears restricted to night when fish actively swimming about..

[centrarchid]

 

 

 

 

Female nearly ripe.

[centrarchid]

Both males in the system hold station around the fabricated spawning substrate although on opposite sides. Hierarchy is clear.  Males nearly black and swim with fins fully extended.  Males much more active than females.  Only dominant male has sustained interactions with a female ready to spawn.  Females swim about tank and usually chased when they approach spawning substrate.  Exception is when a female is ready to spawn.  She approaches spawning substrate directly and does not retreat when displayed to by male.  She and male then begin probing substrate with head.  Male displays at female a lot and frequently orients so his belly faces substrate.  Female occasionally displays back.  Trembling may be part of display.  Apparent trembling bouts associated with both fish lining up with heads directed into substrate.  During the trembling bouts the subordinate male approaches their position although usually on opposite side of substrate.   Actual spawning like in video with very little variation.  It is relatively easy to predict once courtship gets hot and heavy.

[gerald]

Link to spawning video, please ???

[centrarchid]

It is on the net somewhere and linked on this site more than once.  If needs to be uploaded again, then I will.

[centrarchid]

Follow this link for now.  Person that did it is not giving credit and needs a talking to.

 

https://youtu.be/S5-NKVtV6sM

[centrarchid]

Got at least one spawn off in location where evidence can be seen from front of the tank.  Also witnessed a major battle between the two males in the big tank.  Major battle.  All females depleted so will replace spawning substrate with a fresh one.

[centrarchid]

Picture of evidence.  White eggs duds.

 

[centrarchid]

Embryos hatching.  Looks like all spawns that had embryos / prolarvae fall out while I harvested substrate were within about 3 days of each other with respect to conception.  Brood photographed above appears to have the highest percentage of bad eggs.  At least three discrete broods evident based on patches of dead eggs.  

 

 

No eggs or prolarvae were evident outside of substrate even though about 50 fell out during the harvesting.

[centrarchid]

It is hard to get over how little the pro-larval pirate perch move.  They move the least of any pro-larvae / sac-fry I have ever worked with which is a now getting to be fairly long list.  The small sample of about 10 eggs being incubated on desk effectively brackets the 3 days or so difference in conception.  Last should hatch today.