Re: NANFA-- blue pike

Bruce Stallsmith (fundulus_at_hotmail.com)
Tue, 23 Jan 2001 13:26:52 -0500

And maybe I was reacting to large amounts of resources being invested in an
attempted species rescue of "charismatic megafauna". Many species like the
Barrens Topminnow, Fundulus julisia, or the Slackwater Darter, Etheostoma
boschungi, still exist patchily but receive little in active protection
(with the exception of CFI!). As Jimmy Carter pointed out, life's not
fair... I know. I hope the blue pike still exists and will rebound, but it
seems likely that it's slid out of existence due to environmental changes
followed by genetic swamping of any survivors by interbreeding with
walleyes.

Or, I'm just in a devil's advocate mood today...

--Bruce Stallsmith
Huntsville, AL

>From: "Nicholas J. Zarlinga" <njz_at_clevelandmetroparks.com>
>Reply-To: nanfa_at_aquaria.net
>To: "'nanfa_at_aquaria.net'" <nanfa at aquaria.net>
>Subject: NANFA-- blue pike
>Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 22:26:06 -0500
>
>Bruce, any idea why the smelt were booming in the 50's? If the lake really
>is reverting back to healthy conditions, then does that mean that the smelt
>should be declining, therefore making it more "hospitable" for blue pike?
> Furthermore, many public aquariums feed frozen smelt to thier collections
>with no discernable effects of vitamin e definiency and have good longevity
>records. Sounds a bit unlikely that wild fish, which probably did not feed
>exclusively on the smelt, would decline for such a reason-unless it affects
>reproduction.
>
>Nick Zarlinga
>Aquarium Biologist
>Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
>216-661-6500 ex 4485
>
>"Fish worship... is it wrong??" (Ray Troll)
>

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