I was feeding earthworms to the larger of my bowfin yesterday, which is kept outside in a 40 gallon livestock tank (temporarily). I got this little fella when he was about 4" long and he is now about 7 to 9" in length. I dropped the earthworm in and peered down into the water to see if he ate it. A few seconds elapsed then I saw him easing up to within about 3" of the worm then suddenly nailed it! He shook that worm like a dog shaking a ragdoll, bit it into several pieces then leisurely picked each piece up and ate it. Really cool, viscous stuff! Then he did two more the same way. Have to make a mental note to myself to NOT put my fingers in the water.
I've also got about 25 young bowfin, about 1" to 1.5" in length, in a 300 gallon stocktank. These will devour 6 frozen bloodworm cubes in under 2 minutes, twice a day! Even at this young age, they're very aggressive. Also quite curious as they will come up to the surface and hang there looking at me when I sit down next to the tank to watch them.
Chip in SC
I've also got about 25 young bowfin, about 1" to 1.5" in length, in a 300 gallon stocktank. These will devour 6 frozen bloodworm cubes in under 2 minutes, twice a day! Even at this young age, they're very aggressive. Also quite curious as they will come up to the surface and hang there looking at me when I sit down next to the tank to watch them.
Chip in SC