Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations HSBs Full Of Eggs

Caught a couple of nice hybrids for supper tonight. They were full of eggs. Is it possible for a spawn.

HSBs have been observed exhibiting spawning behavior in ponds (Condello), so they certainly at least give it a try. IIRC, Dr. Dave Willis says they are functionally sterile.

See Dr. Dave, I was listening Sat. afternoon!

Thank you Theo, i missed the convention on saturday.

Here you go Big Don. Theo is dead on as he started this linked thread. My personal favorite.

From Topic: Long-Haired Hybridization --

http://www.pondboss.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=20;t=002154;p=1


Dave Willis
Lunker
Member # 267

Member Rated:
posted November 08, 2005 11:18 PMNovember 08, 2005 11:18 PM
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Ewest -- thanks ever so much for pointing me back to this thread. It's been a little hectic lately (i.e., pheasant season and guests). :-) I honestly have little background in genetics, and so am learning here, rather than being able to contribute. As Bruce said, I might be able to track down a little background on this sunfish chromosome number from one of our famous fish geneticists. No promises, though!

I am uncertain about some of the other hybrids mentioned. For example, we know that saugeyes can produce an F2 generation, and can also backcross with both parental species. However, I don't think we know if that's true for both crosses (e.g., male sauger or female sauger used). Similarly, I've always believed that HSB simply have a functional sterility (eggs are too heavy to act like striped bass egss, and too light and not sufficiently sticky to act like white bass eggs). However, they can backcross with the parent species. Again, I wonder if we know if that is true for both "directions" of crosses.

This long-hair stuff is good.

Ha! Theo and Ewest can handle my light work.

Yes, it's strange how long the "old wives tales" about all hybrids being sterile persist. Some have a lot of sterility, and others not much.

Big Don, in your pond you should not expect any successful reproduction, which is good, or you'd be overrun with hybrids?? Then you'd really need a food supply. Most of the few records of spawning we have in public waters probably occur when the male hybrids run with female white bass or female striped bass. So, not truly sterile, but not likely to ever reproduce in a pond.

Dr. Mark Cornwell's talk on hybrids summed it up quite succinctly: crosses within a genus are usually fertile (GSFxBG), crosses between genuses (genii???), like tiger trout, almost never are.