Clownfish ovipositor question

[AliciaP]

It seems as though I can see an ovipositor on one of my female clowns. Any suggestions? I'm not ready to raise fry if they do lay eggs, but I've seen it for two days now and I'm not sure if I should look into something being wrong with her or just be patient. I want to think I should just be patient because they are chasing away other fish now and also cleaning a piece of rock. Just can't find any information on whether or not it stays out for a period of time or "x amount of days before laying eggs"

Thanks in advance!

 

[worm5406]

There are a couple of video's (that I am sure you a waiting step parent have seen)

In those you can see some.

Are they still cleaning/protecting the same area they are cleaning?

 

[AliciaP]

Yeah, they are still cleaning and protecting. I actually think they killed my prized Moorish Idol He used to sleep at the same spot that was their home... And two days ago, he was gone overnight (clean up crew was top notch at cleaning up so well I almost couldn't find him at all!) His remains were found underneath their 'home'.

 

[phender]

The ovipositor usually only extends an hour, maybe 2, before egg laying. It retracts shortly after. If it has been out for days, there may be a problem. I may not be the ovipositor at all, but may be a parasite or part of the intestine.

FWIW, these things usually resolve themselves. No reason to panic.

I used to have a good ovipositor pic, but when they made a huge format switch several years ago all my loaded pics sent into the unknown void of cyperspace.

Here is a link to a pic of a pink skunk with her ovipositor extended.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8772140&postcount=4

 

[AliciaP]

I did see a small thing on the male as well, so I just assumed they were going to lay eggs. It's gone now. The males was gone yesterday and the females is gone today. Not sure what it was but I will keep a close eye on them to see if it happens again soon.

 

[Alex chang]

Help please

Help please

I got a male snowflake clown 1 week ago and 2 days ago i got a black and white clown thats a lot bigger and they are always together. The aggression is at 0 they have never been aggressive towatds one another. The male is having a seizure when he touches her and now she will do it to him umm they host the same anemone at night but my question is are they paired or becoming paired? I got an odd pair so if they ever had babies they would be black ice. The black and white is a lot bigger

 

[Tmoriarty]

That pairing isn't all that uncommon (I have one of those pairs as well), I also have a breeding pair that is percula (onyx) x ocellaris (black and white) that spawn regularly (black photon babies).

If they have only been together a while they are begining to pair up, they are not mated as they have not spawned but they will most likely continue to go back and fourth with the seizures. If you picked them up seperately there is a posibility you picked up two females and it may turn into aggression, but more information would be needed to pick that out, and since you claim zero aggression it is most likely not the case.

Just let them be and let them work it out, don't coun't on babies for up to a couple years as it usually takes a female of around 2-3 years to begin spawning.

 

[AliciaP]

A month later and they spawned! They laid eggs yesterday!!!

 

[weichenthalc]

What do you make of the female clowns ovipositor being down just a little bit like a little nub? Same with the male been that way for about 3 days... thanks for the help