HELP! Picasso pair squaring off!

[mufflerguy]

I bought a pair of ORA picassos ( Grade A ) from an LFS a week & 1/2 ago, and they have been great buddies, hanging out, eating together, etc...
Just a couple hours ago I noticed that they were in a corner, squaring off, locking mouths together, chasing each other all over the tank. It was a pretty even battle, they are both about the same size, color, etc...
Are they jockeying to see who will be the female/male, or ar they suddenly incompatible?
They are juveniles, just starting to get the black beneath the white coloration. It seems the black highlights started showing today , could this have anything to do with it?
I managed to catch one & put it in the sump for the moment, so they wont kill one another, if that is what they are actually doing...
Any help would be greatly Aprreciated!!

 

[mufflerguy]

Here is a pic taken earlier today, before the battles started...

 

[Slakker]

sounds like the kind of fighting you'd get with two females...but if they're ora they are probably too young to have gone female on you.

very odd, indeed. How long were they going at it, or did you interrupt them to catch the one and separate them?

 

[mufflerguy]

I interuppted them during the fight, they are probably still not sexed yet, I would think...
Anyone else?
A friend tells me they may be figuring out the dominant fish, kind of like a ritual...
Then whoever wins becomes the female, not sure if this is correct...

 

[pgammon]

Mine did the same, squabbled for quite a few days, now they are back to just hanging out together, I think they are probably deciding who is dominant. Hopefully someone with more clown experience will chime in.
Phyllis

 

[Slakker]

I never experienced locking jaws, it's always been my understanding that this was a bad sign.

Maybe try introducing one in a separate specimen container or something for a few hours/days before letting them loose together. Seems to work for maroons.

 

[mufflerguy]

They have been together for over a month, between the LFS & me, so I think it may be possible that they are figuring out dominance... I just need to know from someone in the know....

 

[Arati]

I would like to know also, if this works out for people. I have never had two fish lockjaws or chomp the rockwork and then piar up. maybe I just gave in to easy.

Hope it all works out for you

 

[mufflerguy]

They have been acting like a pair for the last month, always next to each other. This aggresive behavior started today.
I have put them back together an hour ago, they fought for a while & are now back to hanging out together. Hopefully the person on these boards that works at ORA will chime in, I am sure that he/she has gone through this before.
It has to be the juveniles turning into one sex or the other, figuring out dominance...

 

[basser1]

I'm with Slakker....... Sounds like 2 females. Here is a link to one of the stickies near the top of this very page, look at number 2. It describes what is going on with your clowns. Will your LFS make an exchange with you? Good Luck and keep us posted.

 

[basser1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13734982#post13734982 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by basser1
I'm with Slakker....... Sounds like 2 females. Here is a link to one of the stickies near the top of this very page, look at number 2. It describes what is going on with your clowns. Will your LFS make an exchange with you? Good Luck and keep us posted.

Ooopps! Forgot to post the link, here it is:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=215098

 

[cartman5579]

Not sure about the clowns, but your acans are SWEET!!

 

[mufflerguy]

Thanks man, I just got a bunch in , a couple are nicer than those, here is a link if your interested...
http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=71274

 

[tomheo]

Hi mufflerguy,

I just got a mated pair of ORA misbarred from Live Aquaria last week and they showed the same behavior as what you described. I was a little concerned at first since they were supposed to be a mated pair. They were going at it in the acclimation bucket, and then when I put 'em in my tank, they were locking jaws, etc..

The next day, they were totally cool and now, more than a week later, I haven't seen them locking jaws again. I read it's normal behavior (do an internet search for clownfish mating behavior).

Hope this helps, and good luck,
Thomas

 

[sdietz2469]

it sounds like the less dominate is trying to become the female but if they have been together that long without problems I would just let them sort it out, if you keep them seperated too long you will end up with 2 females and then you really will have problems