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Sunfish Fry Behavior


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#1 centrarchid

centrarchid
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Posted 22 February 2016 - 10:33 PM

Saturday I went out to collect about a dozen Bluegill, Green Sunfish and Warmouth in the 2 to 4 inch range.  As part of process we captured a lot more less than 1" Lepomis spp. fry.  I tried to repatriate them but about a dozen remained in bucket.  Towing to rough treatment I assumed most would die.  None have died and all are on feed.  They are being fed various pond zooplankton and BS nauplii.   They appear to vary in respect to behavior along species lines.  Some also get gut fill much quicker and vary with respect to how much they move about.


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#2 Betta132

Betta132
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  • San Gabriel drainage area

Posted 23 February 2016 - 01:29 AM

The warmouths will undoubtedly eat those little guys if you get them together, and the greens probably will as well. In fact, keep a close eye on the greens, they can be mean even at that size. 

Greens and warmouths are lurk-and-gulpers who prefer to stay in hiding and are best fed by placing food right in front of them, so they might need some special attention in such crowded quarters. Sometimes they won't strike unless they're certain that their prey is within range, and enthusiastic feeders like bluegills could prevent that from happening often enough. 



#3 centrarchid

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Posted 23 February 2016 - 07:04 AM

All fish in tank being observed are less than one inch.  Larger fish are housed elsewhere to prevent such losses.  I have kept Warmouth and greens too many years not to be familiar with their capacities as piscivores.  Even the tank bred and raised are a pain.


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#4 wargreen

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Posted 23 March 2016 - 09:13 PM

Very interesting, could you keep us updated on their behaviors as time goes on?



#5 centrarchid

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Posted 23 March 2016 - 09:25 PM

Not a problem.  May try to video it.


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#6 wargreen

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Posted 24 March 2016 - 01:19 PM

Thanks, that would be very interesting, I have only kept one species of Lepomis at a time, and never as fry.






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