NANFA-- johnny darters spawn

R. W. Wolff (choupiqu_at_wctc.net)
Mon, 30 Apr 2001 12:29:57 -0500

Another fish specie spawns in the gar pond. I noticed an area where a fold
in the liner goes down to the deepest part, that the sand was cleared away.
There are roots and plants all over this area. What looked like a fathead
nest with a fathead in it turned out to be something totally different. I
seen a female johnny darter kept going in the fold, and thought maybe
fatheads spawned and she was eating the eggs since she was fat. Found out
she was full of her own eggs when the dark fish that came out to escort here
in after a display was a male johnny darter. I really doubt a darter could
take on a male fathead by itself, since I seen bull fatheads try to beat the
stuffing out of 3 -4 inch sunfish. I am not much up on darters, but didn't
think that johnnies nested. I thought they spawned like iowas where they
just scoot along the bottom sand or gravel and deposited eggs and milt to be
left on their own. Possibly the nest will be abandoned once the spawning is
complete.
Ray

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