Re: GSAS auction was Re: Tampa Bay Aquarium Society Meeting Notice

[Mike Jacobs <mjacobs2@tampabay.rr.com>]

>>> Dave Gomberg<gomberg@wcf.com> 04/07/00 01:24PM >>>
Dominic has it exactly.   See, it's not rocket science.

At 01:19 PM 4/7/2000 -0400, you wrote:
>With regards to Dave's questions, I cannot see any evolutionary advantage in
>forgetting how to parent, unless of course you had the unfortunate habit of
>eating your young. If that were the case, laying the eggs and leaving them
>would be far more advantageous for fry survival, wouldn't it? I know that we
>are not discussing parents leaving their young here, but that's the only way
>I can see any advantage in losing parenting skills. I don't think I'm into
>devolution.
>(I'm being kind of facetious here).
>
>More seriously though -
>
>As to the evolutionary value of eating your young, (after watching my
>roommate's dempseys demolish their 150+ fry in a 90 gal filled with
>other dempseys and giant danios), I suppose that, as
>a parent fish, if you had put time and effort (body-mass, really) into
>generating small reproductions of yourself, if you were convinced that they
>were not going to survive - for whatever reason - it would make sense to
>re-enlist the resources you had squandered (eat 'em!) so as to prepare for
>another, hopefully more successful attempt at reproduction.
>
>I don't know if i have figured anything out here - does it make any sense?
>
>Dominic Stones

.................................I really don't want to cause an argument that isn't here but aren't we working under the assumption that in Rams for instance, the "mothering" instinct, after so many generations of inbreeding is lost..............?????  I differ with that statement and conclude that the fish simply do not have conditions to their liking and will eat their fry until they have those perfect conditions.  For some rams it may be 83+ degrees as some of you have indicated....for my rams it is 78 degrees and all is well............and I have 200-300 some Rams around here (1/4" to full adult) as proof of 78 degrees etc.....after getting rid of an equal amount.  Some were pulled as eggs and some were left with the parents.  Some people say the mother does it all because of the likeness to apistos and some of you indicate that the male takes over at a certian point..................probably all true...............well, great...........no flames and we wil have a good weekend.  Are you folks all making plans for the ACA convention?

Mike



-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto@listbox.com.
For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help,
email apisto-request@listbox.com.
Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"!