Also, the few I've collected preferred to hide in clumps of vegetation (Java
fern), not necesarily on the bottom. However, they've come out only at
night - not a lot of diurnal activity, even with feeding.
----- Original Message -----
From: D. Martin Moore <archimed_at_netdoor.com>
To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001 9:11 PM
Subject: NANFA-- Madtom myth put to rest
> "That's what I get for ASSUMING" department:
>
> I just wanted to share a brief observation with the list. I have on a
> couple of occasions collected specimens of Noturus leptacanthus,
> the speckled madtom. In all cases the fish were collected in
> shallow streams (<1 foot) in association with clumps of submerged
> vegetation. I had always thought that all madtoms were bottom
> dwellers. NOT SO! I collected a total of six individuals from two
> locations (and two distinct drainages) over a period of about a year.
> This consisted of two collections of three fish each. The first
> collection went into a 110 gallon tank with floating and submerged
> driftwood, and plenty of caves, etc. There were no plants because
> of my wife's beloved silver dollars :-P ALL of the madtoms found
> niches in a large piece of FLOATING driftwood. And they were not
> at all shy, especially around feeding time, when they would eat
> trout pellets as soon as it hit the water.
>
> The second collection went into an outdoor 20 gallon tank, with
> submerged plants and debris, and you guessed it, a piece of
> floating driftwood. Again all of them chose to make their home on
> the driftwood.
>
> So much for the bottom dweller assumption.
>
>
> Prost,
>
> Martin
> Jackson, MS
>
>
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