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Potential Darter Fry?


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#1 sbtgrfan

sbtgrfan
  • NANFA Member
  • Charleston, SC

Posted 04 April 2017 - 02:40 PM

Here at work, I had a tank that was full of blackbanded darters (about 10), 2 tessellated darters, 1 dollar sunfish, and 1 juvi spotted sunfish. Recently all fish were moved out of the backup tank and onto exhibit. 4 Days after the fish move a water change was done on the backup tank and it was noted that there were 20+ fry swimming around the tank. All were in the water column and more towards the surface. Is this behavior of darter fry? Unless the two sunfish hybridized, the only thing they could possibly be would be darters (likely blackbanded). I've never hatched darters before, so I'm unaware of if they would swim in the water column as fry and then later move to the bottom of the tank. Another reason I suspect darter fry rather than hybrid sunfish fry is they are extremely elongated fry, much more so than any sunfish fry I've ever seen.

 

If anyone has any info, I'd appreciate it. There doesn't seem to be much out there on blackbanded darter fry. 

 

Thanks!


Stephen Beaman
Freshwater Aquarist
South Carolina Aquarium
Charleston, SC

#2 mattknepley

mattknepley
  • NANFA Member
  • Smack-dab between the Savannah and the Saluda.

Posted 05 April 2017 - 05:31 AM

Congrats, whatever they are!
Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."

#3 gerald

gerald
  • Global Moderator
  • Wake Forest, North Carolina

Posted 05 April 2017 - 08:57 AM

Yes, many darters (especially Percina) are mid-water swimmers for the first few weeks or months before they settle down to benthic life.


Gerald Pottern
-----------------------
Hangin' on the Neuse
"Taxonomy is the diaper used to organize the mess of evolution into discrete packages" - M.Sandel


#4 sbtgrfan

sbtgrfan
  • NANFA Member
  • Charleston, SC

Posted 05 April 2017 - 10:27 AM

Good to know, thanks! They're eating brine shrimp nauplii like champs.


Stephen Beaman
Freshwater Aquarist
South Carolina Aquarium
Charleston, SC

#5 sbtgrfan

sbtgrfan
  • NANFA Member
  • Charleston, SC

Posted 22 April 2017 - 11:35 AM

Pictures of the fry...starting to look like darters! I lost count at 50 in the tank...

 

Attached File  darterfry1.jpg   105.61KB   1 downloads

Attached File  darterfry2.jpg   101.65KB   2 downloads


Stephen Beaman
Freshwater Aquarist
South Carolina Aquarium
Charleston, SC




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