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Do you know if there's any sexual dimorphism in lepomis punctatus?


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#1 Jks76

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Posted 11 September 2015 - 02:23 PM

besides the normal differences in all lepomis is there anything in particular to look for when sexing punctatus?

#2 centrarchid

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Posted 12 September 2015 - 09:56 PM

Concentrate on pelvic fins.  Color and link should be scrutenized.  Differences not pronounced with smaller adults.

 

 

Spots on flanks likely to be different when fish not in breeding dress.


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#3 Betta132

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Posted 04 October 2015 - 05:56 PM

Is it possible to observe the fish in the wild and check for behavioral differences? 



#4 centrarchid

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Posted 04 October 2015 - 07:15 PM

Aside from those directly involved with reproduction I have not seen anything that is sex related.  For a while I thought bluegill "brats" where male only until size differences where taken out of the equation.


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#5 Matt DeLaVega

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Posted 04 October 2015 - 07:42 PM

Centrarchid, it would be great if you would expound on your posts just a wee bit so those of us not in the know, could understand a bit better. Often you are speaking over my head at least, and I want to hear what you are saying. Your post above was not too bad, but often they are hard to get. Remember we are all not your students, and don't get your wording, but would like to. I mean no harm, but you are speaking to another audience, and I want to learn from your experience. It is easy to assume others are on your level, but often we are not.


The member formerly known as Skipjack


#6 centrarchid

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Posted 05 October 2015 - 05:44 AM

The "brat" terminology may be restricted to my group.  Brats are individuals that take on coloration differences (dark spot in rays of dorsal fin most obvious) when they switch over to a mode of behavior where they very actively defend a territory.  In natural settings the discrete territories defended are less than a square meter (usually proportional to size of fish) and temporary last a few minutes or a little more.  Resource defended appears to be concentrations of prey  items associated with substrate.  In aquariums / culture tanks several brats will have overlapping territories that are maintained for much longer periods of time.  Resource defended is in latter setting is preferred position relative to where feed / prey is predictably introduced to tank.  In culture tanks brats seem to pull away from balance of population with respect to size.  Usually males are larger even at a young age so at first it looked as if only males do it.  When you set up monosex groups (male only or female only) brats still appear.

 

 

Brats have trouble securing best resources at high stocking densities.  Brats may suppress growth in others hence the interest in how it might impact food fish production.  Redspotted sunfish may do something similar although do not employ the same color scheme.  Green sunfish and fliers might use coloration for same purpose rather than to just confuse predators.


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#7 Matt DeLaVega

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Posted 05 October 2015 - 08:26 AM

Awesome! Thanks for that.

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