Use of Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque nests by Spawning 

 Notemigonus crysoleucas (Mitchill) (Pisces: Centrarchidae 



and Cyprinidae) 



David J. DeMont 



Department of Zoology, 

 North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27650 



ABSTRACT. — Golden shiners, Notemigonus crysoleucas, were observed 

 spawning in bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus, nests in a North Carolina 

 pond. Fifty-three percent of the larvae that hatched from eggs taken from 

 one of the nests were golden shiners. This spawning behavior may affect 

 bluegill reproductive success. 



Several cyprinid fishes are known to spawn in the nests of other 

 cyprinid species (Raney 1940; Lachner 1952), but cyprinid spawning in 

 the guarded nests of centrarchids has been infrequently observed. Latta 

 (1957) reported that common shiners, Notropis cornutus (Mitchill), 

 spawned in smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieui Lacepede, nests in 

 Lake Michigan. Similar observations have been made with regard to 

 redfin shiner, Notropis umbratilis (Girard), in green sunfish, Lepomis 

 cyanellus Rafinesque, nests (Hunter and Wisby 1961) and golden shiner, 

 Notemigonus crysoleucas (Mitchill), in largemouth bass, Micropterus 

 salmoides Lacepede, nests (Kramer and Smith 1960). Pflieger (1975) 

 mentioned collecting golden shiners over green sunfish nests "where 

 they evidently spawn." Recently, I observed golden shiners spawning in 

 bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque, nests in North Carolina. 



Observations were made from the dock of the North Carolina State 

 University Research Laboratory at Yates Pond, 10 km south of Raleigh, 

 North Carolina, on 14 May 1980. Water temperature at the time was 

 24° C. The bluegill nest affording the best view of golden shiner activity 

 was located 3 m from shore in approximately 30 cm of water. It occu- 

 pied a clear spot behind (inshore of) beds of smartweed, Polygonum 

 hydropiperoides and P. punctatum, which lined the shore to a depth of 

 1.5m. 



Small groups of adult golden shiners (12-18 cm total length) left a 

 large school that was milling about just beyond the smartweed beds and 

 entered the shallow water where several male bluegills were guarding 

 nests. In groups of two to five, the shiners entered a nest which was 

 temporarily unguarded, perhaps due to the presence of the observer. 

 Each group remained in the nest for several seconds and upon leaving 

 was quickly replaced by another small group. The male bluegill that had 



Brimleyana No. 8:61-63. December 1982 61 



