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Re: NFC: Planaria (behavior v. predation)
Thanks Kristine,
I'm glad I asked... that is definitely positive proof of planaria being
eaten (and with obvious relish!)
Matter of fact, if you send me some of yours I'll send you some of mine :)
Although mine are smaller than yours (<3mm) ! Or, I'd be happy to pay
shipping to get a few of those potentially 1"ers. Contact me off list if
your interested.
The list of probable and definite EATERS of planaria grow!
So Far fish that do eat planaria:
Killis (probable)
Ciclids (angel fish do eat planaria)
Fat heads
damnbusia, (gambusia)
orangethroat darters,
redbelly dace,
sand shiner
central stoneroller
Fish that don't eat planaria
Neon Tetras (Jorge)
apistogamma (probable - thanks Scott)
It is possible, however, that some planaria species don't taste good. But
that leads to the same conclusion as before... why would they run away.. I
did read a post regarding a tank with fish that was inundated with planaria,
so obviously, not all fish enjoy them, or as I said, not all species taste
the same...or perhaps, there were simply too many to be eaten by the fish in
this particular tank. I wished I'd paid attention to the species mentioned!
Of course, thanks to Scott's post, apistogamma has been added to the don't
like side of it as a probable! (his post is below Kristine's)
Thanks to all! This has kept me pleasantly busy :)
Paul
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kristine Weisbrod Massin" <kwmprairie at hotmail_com>
To: <nfc at actwin_com>
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2002 3:11 PM
Subject: Re: NFC: Planaria (behavior v. predation)
> I'd be willing to bet it's a combination of planaria behavior & fish
> feeding. You're right that two days is too fast for that many to suddenly
> appear, but I've also definitely seen my fish eat them--they know every
time
> the top is opened they get fed so gather at the top for a feeding
> frenzy--very few planaria survive long enough for the darters to have
their
> chance but I've seen them get a few when they 'climb' branches up to where
> everyone else is.
>
>
> -kris
>
>
----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Olson" <olson7 at hotmail_com>
To: <nfc at actwin_com>
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2002 3:53 PM
Subject: Re: NFC: Re: Re: Re: Planaria
> This has been a very interesting thread to follow, especially in light of
> the fact that the apistogramma list to which I subscribe has contained
> anectodal evidence that planaria are shunned by fish. Some posters have
> gone so far as to claim that if planaria touch (slime?) any fish food, the
> fish will not eat the food.
>
> It looks like the NFC listers' observations are quite the opposite!
>
> A new live food staple is born?
>
> I do have to say that I once had a heavy infestation of tiny white (1-2mm)
> worms in a tank that contained a pair of apistogramma Nijsenni and their
> fry. It appeared to me that the fish and 'worms' happily ignored each
> other.
>
> I wonder if these worms were planaria or something else? I did not
observe
> the diagnostic triangular head on these things, although they were very
> small.
>
> tchau,
>
> Scott
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