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Nest-Associating Minnows Prefer Occupying Longear Sunfish Nests Over Green Sunfish Nests

Joel B. Corush*

*University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Prairie Research Institute, Illinois Natural History Survey. 1816 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820.

Northeastern Naturalist, Volume 31, Issue 4 (2024): 479–487

First published early online: 4 December 2024

Abstract
Many species rely on interspecific interactions during various parts of their life history, including when breeding, acquiring food, and seeking shelter. Here, I make an observation of minnows choosing to associate with one nest-building species over another. I found that when Lepomis megalotis (Longear Sunfish) and L. cyanellus (Green Sunfish) build adjacent nests, minnow nest-associate species were more abundant on the nests of Longear Sunfish. In addition, Longear Sunfish spent more time chasing minnows off their nests than Green Sunfish did. While minnow–sunfish nest-association behavior is well documented, there is little natural history information regarding host preferences. This observation is relevant in setting up hypotheses and formulating questions about these interactions.

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