| Virginia
Journal of Science.
2001. Vol 52 (4) : 273-278 |
| Spawning
Behavior in Hemitremia flammea
(Actinopterygii: Cyprinidae) Eugene G. Maurakis, Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 W. Broad St., Richmond, VA 23220 and University of Richmond, VA 23173, Ray Katula, North American Native Fishes Association, 308 16th Ave. North, Onalaska WI 54650, and William Roston, Roston Family Practice Clinic, Forsyth, MO 65653 ABSTRACT
Spawning behavior in Hemitremia flammea (Flame chub) is
described from observations made in the field and laboratory.
Spawning in the field occurred over clean gravel (size range=18-25 mm)
at water temperatures from 12.8-14.4 C. Spawning in the
laboratory occurred over clean gravel (11.3 mm) at water
temperatures from 18.3-20 C. Males often pursued females and
nudged their vents with their snouts. When the female settled to the
substrate, a male moved forward and aligned himself alongside her body.
Then the female moved slightly forward accompanied by the male and the
pair vibrated their caudal peduncles and tails. The spawn ended
as the male quickly flexed his caudal peduncle and caudal fin laterally
toward the quivering caudal peduncle and caudal fin of the
female. The male’s flexed caudal area did not cross over but
contacted the side of the female’s quivering caudal peduncle, which
sometimes became arched slightly upwards. Aspects of spawning
behavior (males pursuing and nudging vents of females, females
selecting sites for spawning, pair alignment, males vibrating caudal
fin and peduncle) in H. flammea
is similar to that described for Couesius
plumbeus but differs significantly from that of Semotilus atromaculatus, a species
in the hypothesized sister group of H.
flammea. |