clowns do not school?

[inachu]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P48nDpeble8&feature=related

Not sure what you call that video then.

Herding?



lol

 

[kimsie]

From what I've read - only very young juvenile clowns will school - but only then and once they start to mature they will start to pair off.

I don't have personal experience with it though.

 

[SeaMunchies]

Well clowns up to around 4 months old will gather that way. When my hatches are born they act the same it is just there nature

 

[Slakker]

This behavior is never exhibited in the wild, and a phenomenon that to the best of my knowledge is limited to very young captive bred clowns.

This is not schooling. Schools travel, this is just a ball of fish.

 

[dartmti]

Thats at Disney.
I read they do this because of stress.
Heres another video of the same behavior: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAOvIbBBt58&feature=related

 

[davocean]

Cool video.
I've seen pics of many clowns in one nem in the wild, but not a school.

 

[a4twenty]

i can't believe you are even comparing this to your situation, the guy in the video is obviously breeding the fish, look at his tank.


your thread topic is absolutely correct, clowns do not school.

 

[NCSUsalt]

as someone else said, that is not a school. that is a ball of stressed fish, my guess is that it is probably brought on when they are stressed and attempt to retreat to their host. with no natural host available they just form into a tight ball. it is not a natural behavior and you certainly shouldn't use it to justify your attempt to keep a large group of clowns together.

take the advice from your first thread, come back in a few months and tell us what has happened. and when you end up killing a few fish I hope you feel good about yourself

 

[inachu]

I see the difference now and now agree. Yes they do not school 100% of the time but use schooling as a defensive measure.

 

[Slakker]

No. No, they don't. They don't school, and they don't shoal. Ever.

 

[Grunt]

Juvenile Ball

If you breeed clownfish it is a common occurance in most species. You will only see that phenomenon within the captive breeding process (tanks).

Documented in breeding clownfish books.

This is not schooling.

 

[inachu]

funny name to call it a juvie ball.
I am sure a better name for it will come along.

 

[Slakker]

That is the only name for it I've ever seen published.

Seriously consider buying Wilkinson's book on clownfish.

 

[Grunt]

I agree with Slakker, buy the book.

 

[phender]

Juvenile clowns don't show this behavior until they are well past metamorphosis. Usually after a month old.

In the wild, they spread out in the plankton layer after hatching and then find an anemone right after meta (about 14 days). They never have an opportunity or the need to form a ball like that. Once in an anemone it's every man for himself. They don't act cooperatively like a school.