Anyone seen this behavior with Anthias?

[bigzman]

Anyone seen this behavior with anthais before?




They all partake in this and they seem to be happy. have had them for 6 months and they have been doing this since.

 

[Travis1787]

I dunno but pretty awesome!!!

 

[ichthyman]

Yes, a typical dominance behavior establishing who will be in charge. These Anthias are protogynous hermaphrodites. They all start life as females and the most dominant fish will turn into a male. In this species, color and pattern will drastically change between the sexes. The male along with his dominant female will then maintain a harem of several other females.

 

[CrazyEyes]

Looks like they're trying to fight for dominance, sort of the same way clowns do. Are they males or females?

Edit: And John beat me to it.

 

[bigzman]

Thanks John,

6 All females. I have heard of aggression but not a ritual dance type of behavior but its really cool as they all do it and often. Yet it has been 6 months and not one has changed colors are become dominant. They don't seem to cause harm to each other. They are a blast to watch.

Z

Edit: Forgot to mention they school well and no chasing.

 

[sirrealism]

Wow. Very cool. When my big tank gets done I wanted a shoal of them. Now I want them even more. If you have 6 in a 210 I think I can put 8 in a 300g

 

[gambitcobra]

soon you will have a male ruling the tank

 

[St Pete John]

Super cool.

 

[anbosu]

Wow. Very cool. When my big tank gets done I wanted a shoal of them. Now I want them even more. If you have 6 in a 210 I think I can put 8 in a 300g

Yes, I think you could do at least that many. It's hard to tell from the video, but he has some of the largest lyretail females I've ever seen.

 

[bigzman]

They are large about 4.5 inch. And they eat pellets

 

[ichthyman]

Yes, I think you could do at least that many. It's hard to tell from the video, but he has some of the largest lyretail females I've ever seen.

Those aren't squamipinnis, lyretails, but more likely pleurotaenia, Square-spot/block/back from Central Indonesia and can reach a size close to 8" in length.

 

[bigzman]

Spot on John! Here is a close up

 

[bigzman]

I knew about 6 inch but not 8. Thanks John

 

[anbosu]

Those aren't squamipinnis, lyretails, but more likely pleurotaenia, Square-spot/block/back from Central Indonesia and can reach a size close to 8" in length.

Thanks John, that makes a ton more sense - I was starting to think I'd only seen midgets before Z's!

 

[bigzman]

at 4 inches and 4 more to go I think mine are babies