Welaka, and hubbsi are said to be facultative co-spawners in Centrarchid
nests. Everything else would not make sense, as if a species only spawn into
nests of another this would cause a 100 % dependence upon the presense of
that species. And this would extend to a kind of coexistense which would be
a serious threat to the co-spawning species.
SRBD and others are also said to show this behaviour and my SRBD spawned
without any other nest present. As far as I know welaka, and hubbsi have
been reported to spawn solitarily in tanks.
>> As I prepare my pond for the bluenose shiners and dollar sunfish, I have
>> decided to make two sections that the dollars can't follow the welaka
into.
>
> This *may* not be necessary, depending on the size of the pond and the size
> of the fish. Although no existing research that I know of confirms this, I
> wouldn't be a bit surprised that the dollars ignored the welaka. Nature has
> a way of letting nest host and nest associate peacefully coexist (e.g., Ray
> Katula's observation of bowfin allowing golden shiner to use their nest).
> Both species theoretically benefit from the association. (I also remember
> the welaka B.G. brought to the 1999 NANFA convention. They were placed in a
> tank with big megalotis, and the megalotis ignored them.)
What4s the benefit for the putative predator to allow co-nesting? Have more
food afterwards? ;-)
> Anthony Terceira said it best when he noted welaka's increasing rarity in
> his 1975 spawning account: "I hope this fish does not become another
> fatality of progress, [for] it is simply too beautiful to lose."
Tony was terribly right, then. And still is.
Steffen
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
/"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