[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: NFC: Re: $ sunfish
Are you goin to post some more pictures so we can guess at it?
>From: "Chris Hedemark" <chris at yonderway_com>
>Reply-To: nfc at actwin_com
>To: <nfc at actwin_com>
>Subject: NFC: Re: $ sunfish
>Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 20:32:20 -0500
>
>Robert,
>
>Do you have a key for sunfish that can be put on the NFC site? I'm finding
>regional guides are useless with all of the non-native introductions.
>Hybridization doesn't make it any easier (and I realize a key probably
>won't help there anyway).
>
>My immediate concern is telling for sure if I'm finding dollar sunfishes or
>something else. A year ago you and some others "guessed" from photographs
>that they were PROBABLY dollars but I want to be able to tell conclusively.
> I'm also finding another kind of sunfish that does really well in my
>tanks but don't know what it is.
>
>Thanks
>
>Chris Hedemark - Hillsborough, NC
>http://yonderway.com
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: robertrice at juno_com
> To: nfc at actwin_com
> Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2001 7:14 PM
> Subject: NFC: $ sunfish
>
>
>
> The Dollar Sunfish (Lepomis marginatus) as an Aquarium Species
>
> Robert Rice
>
> Hiding in the back waters, swamps and small ponds of the Southeast is a
>seldom seen gem that is so beautiful , so pleasant to keep that it puts
>many tropicals to shame. It's behavior in captivity and ease of care are
>worthy of an entire book not just an article. It's life colors and habit
>remain basically ignored by the various professionals who have come across
>this shining star. It's size or lack of it (under 5 inches) relegate it to
>bait status and thus it is totally forgotten by the local sportsmen. With
>this ignorance comes apathy and sadly it is, quietly disappearing from it's
>traditional homes. The victim of our increasing pressure on the
>environment.
>
> Who is this you wonder, some unusual fringe species ? Some really cool
>orchid ? A hard to please environmental elitist? Nope this fella is the
>Dollar Sunfish one of the hardiest guys you will ever come across! I have
>yet to find a true species definition, the standard definition is see
>Longear description as they are so similar in appearance. My observations
>are as follows, the Male Dollar sunfish is a bluish hue with light colored
>vermiculations across the face, gill plates, and lips. The eyes can be
>encircled with colors ranging from red to white. Maximum size 5 inches
>typical size 4 or less. They display sexual dimorphism in the typical
>Sunfish manner. The males being more colorful and aggressive than the
>females. They are predacious feeding on insects and small fish. There is an
>extreme amount of color variation from location to location which leads me
>to suspect that the species possesses plastic genes. For the aquarist this
>is a terrific bonus, the chance to develop new color strains is always
>exciting!
>
> Collecting this species is the most time consuming and difficult problem
>that the Aquarist must tackle. For those outside of it's native range (
>Eastern Texas east to the Atlantic and South of Central Oklahoma) I
>recommend trading with Aquarist who already possess and are breeding the
>species. For starters I'd recommend that you check into the North American
>Native Fish Association which regularly posts a trading post section in
>it's publications or the North American Native Fish Echo (NANFE) on the
>fido net which has become an electronic gathering place for those of us who
>keep and enjoy Native Fish. NANFE has become the quickest place for people
>to negotiate their trades. Which ever is convenient for you I recommend you
>check them out first.
>
> For those of you within the Dollar Sunfishes Range who are bound and
>determined to collect a local strain, get a dip net, a fishing license and
>some waders because this little guy hides in some of the murkiest ,
>weediest off the beaten path places you will ever collect in. I've found
>them commonly in back washes, ox bows and swamps. You might as well accept
>the fact that you are gonna get sweaty , muddy and bitten by something
>before it is all done. Of course for me , that is the major part of the
>fun, for you it may not be. After I collect sunfish specimens there is a
>small problem with field identification. In areas where the Dollar Sunfish
>and the Longear Sunfish overlap you sometimes find juveniles of both
>species very hard to tell apart. I have found the simplest solution is to
>take home a few and study them at the house. You will find with a little
>time and effort proper identification will come to you. As the specimens
>grow the differences will become clearer. You can then release unwanted
>specimens back to their homes with no harm done.
>
> Once in the Aquarium they are a joy to keep They take a variety of foods
>without a problem. I feed mine frozen crawfish, raw oysters and a mix of
>worms and other live insects when available. They adapt very quickly to
>domestic life, they are not even a little shy as long as there is
>sufficient structure to make them comfortable.. Within a week you can
>expect to see typical Dollar Sunfish behaviors. The males will begin to
>establish a hierarchy for everything from feeding to breeding. The females
>will float between territories with little ill effects. One of the most
>pleasant things about the Dollar Sunfish is that it's small mouth allows
>you to keep a variety of darters, shiners and Madtoms in a community
>atmosphere. So instead of relegating your sunfish to single species tank in
>a back room you can put them up front in the main display tank and not
>worry about your latest catch becoming a sushi bar!
>
> For the Aquarist serious about breeding these fella's I have a tip, get
>an outdoor pond! I know many people who have successfully bred the Dollar
>Sunfish in an outdoor pond , but only a handful who have had similar
>success in an aquarium. They seem to be the perfect species for a small
>outdoor pond. They are aggressive insectivores, very tolerant of water
>conditions and extremely tolerant of temperature extremes. I have been
>fortunate enough to have observed a successful spawn in one of my tanks and
>can add the following observations. The Dollar Sunfish needs a chilling
>period to induce a spawn, like many temperate species without a season of
>cold (-60 F) the females just don't become gravid. They seem to be
>continual spawners when finally induced to spawn, at a temperature of 74 F
>my specimens spawned regularly for over a month until the tank temperature
>reached 80 F. Then suddenly the spawning ceased. During that time they ate
>HUGE amounts of foods of all types with relish.
>
> If there ever was the classic example of a species that needs the
>Aquarist help the Dollar Sunfish is that species. He has no advocate
>anywhere except a few of us collectors. We have collected and kept him for
>generations trying to learn as much as we can about this little jewel, with
>the hope we can contribute to it's continued survival. Those same
>collectors are many times not taken seriously by either our local
>Department of Natural Resources personnel or the local Aquarist we meet. We
>who know the species best are allowed to contribute the least. I believe
>that now is a time for change, a time for action. Imagine if a local
>Southeastern Aquarium Club in Atlanta for example, decided they were going
>to get involved in keeping, rearing, and studying the Dollar Sunfish.
>Keeping detailed notes on collection sites and breeding behaviors. With the
>sheer number of members and the added influx of time and resources they
>would make huge impact ! Detailed collection and breeding data would prove
>invaluable and even more the public awareness could be priceless. When
>someone said habitat for Dollar Sunfish was threatened people would care,
>people would react.
>
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com