What lives in the Lake?
Convict Cichlid, Zebra Cichlid
One of the few natives fishes left in Lake Atitlan. This moderately elongated, laterally compressed fish with an oval body shape has a grey head with 8 or 9 dark vertical bars across its body. They can grow to 5-6 inches, with the males being longer, and the females rounder and more colorful. During spawning season females develop a yellow belly to attract their young.
This cichlid, found within the lakes of Central America likes cover from roots, rocks and banks. It is very territorial and aggressive, and feeds on anything from worms and crustaceans to insects, fish and plants.
After a mating dance males and females form a strong bond. Both parents dig a pit in gravel at the chosen nest site. They lay 50-100 eggs when young adults, and up to 300 for older fish. Once fertilized both parents guard the young with the females fanning oxygenated water over them while the males patrol the outskirts.
After 3 days the eggs hatch, after a week they are swimming. The parents care for them for another 3-4 weeks, guarding them, retrieving the young if they stray from the school and stirring up leaf litter to uncover food items.
Black Bass, Largemouth Bass
The largest member of the sunfish family, the fish is bronze to green with dark blotches forming a stripe along the side of its body. The upper jaw extends behind the eye, giving it its “largemouth” name. They can reach 10 inches in length in one year and after two years have an average weight of 9lbs.
Surviving well in most clearwater environments they are widespread across the Americas and Europe. They spend most of their time concealed under rocks, docks, and ridges waiting for food to come along. With a voracious appetite they will feed on anything that moves and have been known to kill swallows, warblers and redwing blackbirds flying near the water surface. When younger they prey on small fish, frogs, snails, worms, insects and lizards.
In native habitats they contribute to the overall health of the ecosystem by controlling the bluegill population. Their introduction to Lake Atitlan in 1958 to promote sport fishing tourism has caused the elimination of many other species of fish, and the giant grebe, and endemic species of duck, now extinct.
During spawning season the male selects a sunny spot in quiet shallow water and courts a female until she deposits eggs in his nest. Females lay up to 40,000 eggs, with the male fertilizing and guarding them for up to 10 days. The hatched young feed on plankton and insect larvae.
Bluegill Sunfish, Bream
This deep, flat-sided fish with small mouth and long pectoral fins is another member of the Centrarchidae family. The ear flap, an extension of the gill is a blue-black colour. They have a black spot near the back of the dorsal fin and darker vertical bars along the sides of the body. They can grow to 16 inches, and specimens in the lake frequently reach 10 inches.
Bluegills prefer clear, temperate lakes with rooted vegetation. Native to North America, the fish was introduced to Lake Atitlan to provide food for the black bass. They feed mainly on aquatic insects.
They are a schooling fish, with schools up to 20-30 fish. They are nest spawners building nests in large groups in less than 1 m of water by sweeping out a saucer shaped area with their tails. Females lay from 10,000 to 60,000 eggs which are guarded by the males until the eggs hatch after 5 days. During the nesting period the males assume a bold colouration, although some males assume female colouration, to allow them to sneak into other nests and spawn.
Black Crappie, Calico Bass
Crappie is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae which includes many species of spiny-finned, freshwater fishes with deep, flattened bodies found throughout North America.
Crappies are the largest of the sunfishes, reaching lengths of up to 30cm / 1 ft or more. Black crappie have rounded bodies with a greenish back and silvery sides with mottled black markings. They have a life span of about 7 years.
They are a schooling fish living in temperate ponds, lakes, streams and reservoirs. Preferring fertile lakes with firm bottoms, lots of plants and underwater structures like logs and rocks. By day, they are less active and concentrate around weed beds and objects. They feed at dawn and dusk on smaller fish (including the young of their own species) insects, crayfish and tadpoles. The younger fish eat zooplankton such as mosquito larvae and water fleas and grow 2-3 inches in their first year.
Breeding temperature is from 14-20C and sexually maturity occurs after 2-3 years. The female spawns by sweeping out a nest in sand and gravel in 1-2m of water and laying up to 60,000 eggs before leaving the male to guard the eggs until they hatch after one week. The males stay with the young for a few days until they have developed mouths and have started feeding.
