About as early as I can remember I have seen water striders on the ponds and lakes where I have fished, usually hundreds of them. What I don’t understand is I have never seen a fish rise to take one. Why, do they taste nasty, or the poisonous or what?
I’m pretty convinced of two very likely possibilities:
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They congregate in water too shallow to hold a fish big enough to eat them and
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They can sense a fish nearby.
However, some species of water skimmers have a peculiar mating ritual. The mail will actually drum the water, threatening a female with death-by-fish if she doesn’t scurry off and mate with him. So maybe you and I have just missed the action!
I can rule out your No. 1, I have seen them in water several feet deep.
“Fish do not appear to be the main predators of water striders, but will in cases of starvation. Scent gland secretions from the thorax are responsible for repelling fish from eating them.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_strider
specific reference quoted from
Stonedahl, Lattin. 1982. The Gerridae or Water Striders of Oregon and Washington (Hemiptera:Heteroptera), Oregon State University, Pp 1-36
Cool always wondered about that.
Good info guys. I have never seen a fish take one either.
So striders are the brussel spouts of fish world, not what you really want but it will keep you from starving to death.
LOL it does sound that way :)
I love brussel sprouts
If we ever dine together, that’s more for you. I don’t hate them but way down the list of things I would like to have for dinner, or an other meal. At least they don’t resemble something I really like and get a mouthful before I discover what it is.