Re: NANFA-L-- Flathead catfish

Mark (nanfa-in-jonahsaquarium.com)
Tue, 4 Apr 2006 09:16:34 -0400

Here's another thought -- I was talking to Mike Sandel, and I think
we determined that the fish I gave you originally came from him. Is
that fish from Ohio? If it is, it might be that it is adapted to
cold winters. I think that in the winter, the big cats stop eating
much if anything. If the water is cold, they can do this without
losing a lot of weight -- cold water = lower metabolism. But in
your North Carolina greenhouse, I am guessing, it stays much warmer
than an Ohio river bottom over the winter. If the fish is programmed
to stop eating in the winter (daylight cues, especially in a natural
light environment), it might lose weight in the warmer/higher
metabolism environment. You'd think a hungry fish would eat, but
maybe the seasonal directive overrides the hunger.

-- 
Mark
Conejo Creek drainage
California USA


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