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<br />" <br />" .(- <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />9 <br /> <br />-'- <br /> <br />estimated 100 to 1 ratio and swarmed.in a mass within a meter of the <br /> <br />bottom in the center of the pool. Individual males generally faced the current <br /> <br />but drifted away from anyone locus. Females either cruised slowly in still <br /> <br />water near the sides of the pool or swam about quickly just above the males. <br /> <br />When moving slowly females were ignored by males or followed half-heartedly <br /> <br />by one or two. When moving quickl~ however, up to six or eight males <br /> <br />followed closely, staying below or to the side of the female with heads even <br /> <br />with or slightly ahead of the female's vent. <br /> <br />Spawning occurred when a female and her entourage of males dipped within <br /> <br />a few centimeters of the substrate. Acts lasted one second or less and eggs <br /> <br />and milt were only momentarily visible. As females spawned they arched their <br /> <br />backs with ~ents close to the substrate, gaped their mouths and vibrated. <br /> <br />Spawning males ducked alongside the female and vibrated. Spawners were <br /> <br />beseiged by a mass of darting males and all fish moved quickly away afterwards. <br /> <br />Females typically veered away downstream still followed by a few males. This <br /> <br />action usually took them out of th~ field of vision but on one occasion a <br /> <br />female was seen spawning three times at four to six second intervals in the <br /> <br />same general area. <br /> <br />Inspection of a site after a spawning' act revealed many eggs adhering <br /> <br />to the substrate o~ drifting into interstices. On further examination, eggs <br /> <br />were found.adhering in interstices up to 15 cm below the substrate surface. <br /> <br />Spawning fish were apparently unconcerned with divers but maintained a <br /> <br />discrete distance elf 2 to 3 m and drifted away if approached. Spawning <br /> <br />was observed on both clear and rainy days and activity seemed low until late <br /> <br />morning but continued at least until dusk. <br /> <br />Limited observations of behavior were made in the Clearwater River but <br /> <br />what was seen was similar to that observed in the St. Joe River. One <br /> <br /> <br />dilf~tenc. was spawning aquawfish in the Clearwater River mixed with <br /> <br />'-'.~ <br />