----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Flowers" <bloomin_at_indy.net>
To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 6:33 AM
Subject: Re: NANFA-- No luck on Heterandria formosa, but......
> A few years ago I was fortunate to witness Longnose Gars spawning in
> one of the streams near my home. I collected some of the eggs and took
> them home to see if I could raise them. Here is some of the things I
> learned.
> Longnose gar fry are able to eat Mosquito larvae right after hatching,
> they are also very cannabalistic. As they grew I kept feeding them
> larger and larger fish from the creek. (They really like Gambusia) I
> also found out no matter how much they have eaten, there is always room
> for 1 more fish. Finally a gar can grow from an egg to a 24" tank buster
> in 9 months. Hope this will answer some of your questions.
>
> Bill Flowers
> NANFA Convention or Bust
>
>
> PozSouthAlabama_at_aol.com wrote:
>
> >Hello,
> >
> >I've been lurking for a while, reading the posts from time to time
(wishing I
> >was
> >able to go to the convention since it's in state but not enough
time......)
> >
> >Anyway, two weeks ago I stopped at a roadside drainage ditch to see if I
might
> >be lucky enough to find a population of Heterandria formosa dwelling
there
> >(for a
> >fish that's supposed to be common here in coastal Alabama, they sure are
> >elusive). Taking my dip net I scrounged along the bank of the ditch,
coming
> >up
> >with a net full of hornwort, duckweed, ludwegia and......something long,
> >brown,
> >and thin which quickly slithered its way under and plant matter (instant
> >first
> >impression --- ah, a pipefish --- as I started pulling out the plants).
> >Another quick
> >glimpse of it as it slides below another wad of hornwort (hmmm.... too
stocky
> >for a
> >pipefish....a baby trumpetfish?....can they survive brackish water? ---
it's
> >really
> >amazing how many thoughts can pass through your head in just a couple of
> >seconds). I get to the bottom of the net, invert my find into my
collecting
> >bucket,
> >and just stand there staring at a 3" gar. How cool!!! I'm not big on
> >predators, but
> >have always thought gars and bowfins were fascinating and now here I have
a
> >gar
> >of managable size to observe. Of course, now I'm thinking, if I'm lucky
> >enough to
> >find one juvenile gar maybe.........
> >
> >So I start exploring this ditch very meticulously. In the course of the
next
> >hour or
> >so I find seven more gars but these were really babies --- all of 3/4"
long
> >(I was very
> >glad I was using my large aquarium dip net with the fine mesh).
> >
> >Over the course of the past two weeks all have done very well. The first
one
> >I caught
> >is now pushing 5" and I believe it to be a longnose gar. The seven
babies
> >are now
> >ranging between 1-3/4" to 2-1/2" and are now taking baby gambusia (which,
> >believe
> >me, after trying to satisfy them with enough live mosquito larvae for two
> >weeks is a
> >welcome change in diet). The growth rate of the babies is phenomenal to
say
> >the
> >least (and they all appear to be longnose gars as well).
> >
> >So, now it seems my primary interest is going from one extreme to
another ---
> >from
> >the tiny (Heterandria) to the monsterous (gars).
> >
> >Hey, but versatility is a good thing --- right?
> >
> >Anyway, I'd be interested in knowing if anyone else has had any
experience
> >with
> >raising post larval stage gars (any species). This week I have collected
30
> >gar fry
> >from another spot and these appear to not all be of the same species (but
> >then again,
> >these are also only 3/4" long yet and I've already seen how variable the
> >color patterns
> >on these guys can be --- my seven babies from two weeks ago show two very
> >distinct
> >color phases --- three are chocolate brown and cream colored and three
are a
> >dark
> >green and white --- and one is an overall pale white color with no
markings
> >or stripes
> >at all..... I'm watching that one very closely - no, it doesn't have red
eyes
> >- that
> >would be just too cool for words)
> >
> >Anyway, that's enough for my rambling first post to the group.
Eventually I
> >hope to
> >be able to post online plenty of pics of the growth and changes the baby
gars
> >go
> >through (and pics of a tiny gar wrestling with a mosquito larvae --- it's
a
> >surreal image)
> >/"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
> >/ reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
> >/ Association"
> >/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes
Association
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> >/ subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email
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> >/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page,
http://www.nanfa.org
-- > /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily > / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes > / Association" > / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association > / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word > / subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to > / nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to > / nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead. > / For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org /----------------------------------------------------------------------------- /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes / Association" / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word / subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to / nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to / nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead. / For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org