Re: NANFA-- Re: Thanks...

tony (anutej_at_loxinfo.co.th)
Fri, 12 May 2000 01:07:58 +0700

Since you keep and have experiences with Hydrophlox shiners I would like to
ask more [I think all] similar questions about keeping [and ability to hold color
in warmwater] and breeding of the rest of the group: rainbow, redlip shiners and
Ozark minnow [N. nubilis].
Dave, my mind had already been blown. I had snorkling in Conasauga river
with Casper last May [on my 2nd trip to Tennessee aquarium where I see Tennessee
shiners in full super red color and large, impressive and spectacular tangerine
darter]. All I can say is I wanna keep Albama and tricolor shiner [especially the
Albama shiner which is large [at least 5 inches] impressive red tail fish with
lots of blue-white tubercles on the face]. Unfortunately I and Casper did not
find any rainbow shiner at that time. Although I saw many greenbreast darters I
still think the shiners are showier. Too bad the blue shiner is threatened...
Also I had been to Missouri with Luke and collected Bleeding shiner[too bad the
color does not hold up well according to what everyone I know told me], Ozark
minnow [beautiful fish with yellow belly from mouth to vent], longear sunfish,
etc. Because of this I would like to keep NA fishes home but I have to check if
any beautiful one can make it in warmwater condition with color first, hence lots
of questions.
Since obviously you have seen fieryblack and bandfin shiners and rosyside
dace, do they do ok and show their colors in warmwater?
Tony

Dave Neely wrote:

> Tony,
>
> >but has anybody here keep and breed saffron and Tennessee shiners?
>
> I have had a pair of N. leuciodus in a tank at home for a year now; the red
> faded quickly (darn!), but in their normal coloration they develop an
> iridescent green stripe on the dorsolateral surface that looks particularly
> keen.
>
> >how many color form are there of rough shiner and what the normal and
> > >breeding color are actually like? Anything comparable to taillight >and
> >yellowfin shiners? Are there any other red minnow in the Southeast
> >region?
>
> There's evidence for at least two species currently being counfounded under
> N. baileyi; a red form in the SE part of the range, and a yellow form in the
> western parts of the range. They are broadly sympatric in the Bear Creek and
> Black Warrior systems. They also differ in head shape and lateral stripe
> pattern. I haven't gotten around to checking meristics yet. They do well in
> aquaria (eat flake food like little pigs) and play well with others, but are
> photoperiod/temperature dependent for nuptial color, which is fleeting in
> tanks.
>
> But literally, there are tons of NA cyprinids that have awesome nuptial
> coloration. I have a mix of Hemitremia and Phoxinus oreas in the tank on my
> office desk that everytime I look at them I'm in awe (Yeah, it cuts into my
> productivity a bit...). My office mate has a tank with Cyprinella
> pyrrhomelas, Clinostomus sp. cf. funduloides ("smoky dace") and Luxilus
> zonistius together- an awesome sight to behold (even if not representing a
> natural assemblage :)
>
> >About B.G. comment...well, well...if a lot of people in NA have an
> > >interest in tropicals then it is sooner or later people around the >world
> >[eg. me] will be interested in NA natives since many NA shiners >and
> >darters are among the most colorful freshwater fishes.
>
> Agreed. I will admit however, it's nice to find someone who is so impressed
> by published photos and illustrations of these things- if you'd see them in
> the wild it would blow your mind.
>
> cheers,
> Dave

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