Lake Tahuya

Watch for nesting behavior between

May and July

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"Colonies of bluegills typically spawn on eight distinct days, between five and seven days apart, from late May until early July. For the first two or three days after spawning, a parental male must oxygenate the eggs by fanning freshwater across them with his pectoral fins; any slacking off and the eggs will fail to hatch. By the fourth day the young fry emerge, and the male's main duty becomes protecting them from predators: bass, catfish, perch, and other sunfish. By the tenth day the fry leave the nesting area and fend for themselves. Tending the young takes a toll; males do not forage while caretaking, and so they lose about 15 percent of their body weight."

Bryan D. Neff