RE: egg eating was

["Beaudry, Kyle : SEN" <KBEAUDRY@SEN.PARL.GC.CA>]

If (stress if, I know of no proof either) both wild and comm. raised fish
(rams, kribs, what-have-you) exhibit this behaviour exclusively in aquaria.
There are a couple things that could be at play.  Fish which generally lay
200-300 eggs has no choice but to lay eggs when given the proper conditions
(water quality, suitable mate, etc.). Now given that fish finds itself in a
small glass cage (compared to the freedom of a boundless river or lake),
could we not hypothesize that the fish has assessed its surroundings and
deemed the physical area not suitable for the survival of itself, its mate
and 200-300 young. I'm taking a bit of a liberty here assuming the fish has
that capacity but there are many other instances in nature which make
concessions for this type of behaviour. Take for example the Loon which will
sit by and watch its dominant young kill other fledgelings when there is not
enough food for both to survive (and that is in the wild). I am certain that
a baby loon can't make any type of intelligent assessment as to whether or
not the parents are competing with others in the area for food, it just
knows that its hungry and sister/brother is also eating, why not kill it and
get all the food. Could fish instinctually know what size of physical
territory they require to successfully raise whatever size of brood they
generally produce. Is it so far fetched to theorize that once they know
their surroundings won't be sufficient to sustain their reproduction they
decide that the clutch of eggs has to go before it hatches and they have to
compete with their own progeny? Especially when they parents are healthy and
strong... "as long as I survive, I won't be extinct".

I have no research to back up my ponderings, I am by no means an expert on
any type of fish and make no claim of the sort. I am simply serving up some
food for thought on a subject which intrigues me. Maybe this could spawn
some more discussion/research into the subject. After all, does ASG not
stand for Apistogramma STUDY Group. Maybe we could lobby for some research
grant money and start a research project into this. The Canadian Government,
last year, gave a $2500.00 grant for research into a device which can
communicate with grapefruit (no BS).

Thoughts?
Kyle

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Frauley/Elson [SMTP:fraulels@minet.ca]
> Sent:	Friday, April 07, 2000 5:51 PM
> To:	apisto@majordomo.pobox.com
> Subject:	egg eating wasRe: GSAS Re: Tampa Bay 
> 
> I have questions about a couple of the assumptions here.
> First, do we know egg eating is a problem in the wild? If not (and I've
> not read of it) then it is likely aquarium behavior, and can be blamed
> on aquarium conditions


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