| Virginia
Journal of Science.
2004. Vol 55 (3) : 115-123 |
| Nest-Building
and Spawning Behaviors in Nocomis
effusus (Actinopterygii: Cyprinidae) Eugene G. Maurakis Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23220 and Biology Department, University of Richmond, VA 23173, and George E. Maurakis, Bettie Weaver Elementary School, Midlothian, VA 23113 ABSTRACT
Spawning behavior in Nocomis effusus
is described from direct observations and review of videotapes made in
Yellow Creek (Cumberland River drainage), Tennessee in 2003. Nest
construction (i.e., excavating a concavity, forming a platform, and
building a mound), and spawning behavior in N. effusus where a single breeding
male excavates a pit and spawns with females on the upstream slope of
his nest is like that described for Nocomis asper and Nocomis biguttatus. In
digging a spawning pit, a male N.
effusus reshapes and reorganizes substrate materials that
results in spawning areas on the upstream slope of the nest composed of
6.0 and 11.3 mm size-class pebbles. Aggressive behaviors (in
order of increasing aggression) observed between nest-building and
intruder male N. effusus were
non-contact head displacement, non-contact body displacement, chase,
circle swim, and head/body butt. Nest associates (i.e., species that
congregate and may spawn in a nest but do not contribute to its
construction) observed over nests of N.
effusus were Luxilus
chrysocephalus and Lythrurus
fasciolaris.Keywords: Nocomis effusus, nest-building, spawning behavior |