Cooperative hunting between Lepisosteus osseus & Micropterus salmoides

screaminleeman

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Nov 27, 2009
1,445
10
38
Westminster, MD
I was unable to google any information as to the cooperation in hunting between the Largemouth bass and Longnose gar in nature.

I have now observed three times so far this year my ~ 30" longnose gar and at least one of the three LMB (12+ year old I stocked in my farm pond over a decade ago!) aggressively swimming side by side and keeping perfectly synchronized in an extremely clear hunting cooperation! The pond is between 100 - 150 feet in diameter. This is the LNG's third year in the pond.

This is the first year that I observed this behavior and have NEVER since I moved to this residence in 1979 seen ANY bass ever cooperate with any other species on a hunt, including other LMB!

I have also never witnessed anything that I would remotely consider hunt cooperation between any of LNG or Florida gar for that matter that I have grown out in my tanks/ artificial ponds.

I do not understand how this is possible. Does anyone have insight into this?
 

Lepisosteus

Potamotrygon
MFK Member
May 20, 2014
3,732
3,387
164
Ontario, Canada
In my pond which is also 100-150 feet in diameter the bass hunt in a little school of around 10. In an aquarium I noticed they will feed in an organized way. It seems that when one of the bass were full it would spook a minnow towards one that was still hunting. One of my buddies is a diver on simcoe, and he said that near the islands the bass are sitting on the bottom in massive numbers full of crayfish. I'd also enjoy hearing other accounts.
 

MN_Rebel

Blue Tier VIP
MFK Member
Aug 5, 2008
5,686
126
340
North Pole
Bass do cooperative hunting with other bass and occasionally other species. Its not rare, in fact its quite commonly behavior in the wild. Which that's why other bass just follows a hooked bass all way to the boat to see if there is a free meal.
 
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