Young Scarlet Shiners Eat Ants & Emergent Flies

The title is probably not breakthrough research. But Sandi and Daniel have found more interesting gut contents in our February collection of scarlet shiners from Limestone Creek than was found in January's collection. A few fish from January had indistinguishable goo in their guts, and maybe one identifiable arthropod fragment. More fish from February had obvious small flies or ant parts in their guts; these fish were usually ~45 mm long and probably Year 2 fish rather than the ~30 mm fish that are Year 1 fish. It makes sense that more food is available at the end of February in local 'bama streams since winter is ending locally at this time.

Today James, Andrew and a new participant, Steve, did another round of DNA extractions on the one stippled studfish we found at Elkahatchee Creek, and several longnose killifish that I collected at St. Joe Beach in Florida 3 years ago. I think they got some product; we'll know once we have access to the UV spectrophotometer. Our next trip to the Tallapoosa region is still on for March 29.

Tomorrow is the first field day surveying possible habitat for slackwater darters (Etheostoma boschungi) in the upper Flint River system in Madison County, AL. Hopefully it won't thunderstorm in the morning, although recent rains may help to identify good spawning areas. This fish typically spawns in seasonally flooded forest floor along creeks in late winter, so seeing where water is standing or flowing above creek beds will be of interest. I have no idea what to expect, I guess that's why it's real research.