SRAC 1203: An Indoor Hatching and Intensive Rearing Method for Fathead Minnows

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Spawning
Fathead minnows generally start spawning at 60 to 65 �F (16 to 18 �C) and cease at about 85 �F (29 �C). Males establish and defend nests on the undersides (or sides) of substrates. Female fathead minnows lay adhesive eggs that must �stick to the ceiling� to stay within the nest. Males will mate with a series of females, and nests have eggs in varying stages of development. Daily egg produc-tion per pound of brooders is highly variable despite the fact that fathead minnows spawn over a prolonged season and individual females may spawn every 4 days or so. In various studies, daily egg production has ranged from 736 to 4,872 eggs per pound (1,623 to 10,741 eggs/kg) of brood fish. Grading brooders to remove some males (typically larger fish) has been recommended as a way to skew the sex ratio and increase egg production. For spawning-rearing ponds, a five female to one male ratio has been recommended.