Halichoeres wrasse behaviour

[Moort82]

I have had two Halichoeres leucoxanthus for a few years now. They were bought at the same size and as you'd expect one has matured faster and is dominant. It still has its dorsal spots but has most of the green on its face so isn't fully developed yet. The other is smaller and very similar in colouration.
They both swim around together and interact for most of the day apart from in the afternoon (lights on at 12 of 10pm and this happens at 5 ish each day), at this time he chases her until she is hiding. She is stopped from coming out and swimming but isn't forced into the sand. Then a couple of hours later they begin swimming around side by side happily again until they got to bed.
My thoughts are that it might be some for of spawning behaviour. In this case that he is ready and she isn't? what sort of time would they naturally spawn? is it dawn or dusk or more of a midday sun kind of event? I'd have thought that if it was simply dominance or aggression that it wouldn't be time related, but it seems to happen as regularly as clockwork everyday I've been around to witness it.
Any ideas?

TIA

 

[snorvich]

Sounds like the beginning of courtship/spawning given that it is time related. It does not sound like aggression.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Most courtship of reef fishes that I am aware of takes place in the evening. The behavior you describe sounds like it could be courtship behavior, but it also could still be social dominance to prevent the less mature fish from transitioning to a male.

 

[Moort82]

I've been lucky enough to bred a few marine species and they have all been dusk spawners and most of the ones I know are the same, which is why I'm not certain its that. I can't find any info on natural spawning for them so I will just have to watch them and take notes I guess.
Its only the time aspect that stops me from just saying its dominance, keeping her down the pecking order. I know they seem to have a very good inbuilt clock but can't see why they would a lot "dominance of subordinate 5-7pm" then "have a nice old swim together 7-10pm".
No harm has come to her. Its just a fast chase so she enters the rocks and then he patrols the water out the front and stops her from coming back out. Often she will pop her head out and he swims by without worrying but she is still reluctant to come out. I've seen no real courtship displays other than close formation swimming. There has been no flared fins or shimmering. I wonder if she is getting the brunt of it because it is an unnatural situation with her being the only female.
He isn't aggressive to any of the other wrasses in the tank (yellowfin flasher, lubbocks, whipfin fairy and Halichoeres biocellatus) so it is either related to dominance or perhaps immature spawning I believe. Guess I should just keep an eye on it.

Thanks

 

[Moort82]

It didn't happen today but did yesterday so I think I'm leaning more towards preliminary pairing/spawning behaviour.

 

[evolved]

The only time I've ever had wrasses spawn has been dusk, Halichoeres included.

I'm thinking it's a dominance behavior as well, but this will likely lead to a spawning behavior at dusk a few months down the road.

 

[Moort82]

Thanks for that, I'll keep an eye on them. It was back to putting her in the rocks today from 5-7. I could understand this being dominance or time related dominance if I fed at the same time each day or had a routine other than photoperiod but I don't really. I tend to just feed when I'm there to watch them.