Interesting Mandarin Gobys.... fighting, love hate relationship, or...?

[JohnnyAirtime]

I've had one Mandarin for months in one of my first tanks, moved it to my 125gal last year. Then, I acquired another Mandarin and put them in the same tank. I know there could be some conflict... and there was, but only a chase here and there. How often? Once a week that I saw, nothing to worry about.

They've been in the same 125gal tank, thriving for months... and now they are in my 240gal. What's odd, is this AM I was checking out my new moon lights... and was watching them "go at it". First time ever that I've seen.

If I can describe; They both were head to head yet side by side. One had the others front fin in his/her (I don't know their genders) mouth. And they looked like two wrestlers in a ring, with their arms locked over each other. The most peculiar dance/fight I've seen yet.

... when they are near each other after their quarrel, they just seem to chill. They aren't more than an inch apart... maybe circling each other, but not really biting one another. And each time they were together, it wasn't one winning over the other. They seem to take turns of who had the other's fin... or every now and then, together they held the others fin. :crazy:

If you can click on these, it'll hopefully show you (sorry for the blurry hard to view pics) what was happening once I got the camera;



... so what'cha all think? Fighting, or loving each other?
(my vote is more or less arguing... fighting seems so harsh )

 

[JohnnyAirtime]

Found this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY23iJ7rcU8

These are MUCH more aggressive towards each other (mine are sooo much more mellow)... but, notice the fin grabbing by mouth at minute :34 on. Same as what mine are doing


And these... looks much more like love to me (must be the music!) LOL!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEf85Soqnxo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b2sNrrfJT0

 

[davocean]

Hard to tell from pics but are you sure they are male and female?
2 males will fight.

 

[JohnnyAirtime]

Hard to tell from pics but are you sure they are male and female?
2 males will fight.

I actually think it's two females. I'll have to look closer, as I've never noticed the male "spike" trademark on either fish.

 

[Gill_bucket]

The top fin will be elongated on males. I can see from the pics that you definitely have at least one female, but I can't tell if the other is a male or not?

 

[davocean]

It could be two females, but I haven't heard of females fighting so much as males.
Courting is very obvious, usually at end of light cycle/during actinics, swimming to top spiraling around each other then hit surface and swoop back down, kinda like the opposite of what hawks do.
I'm curious if it is two females bouting.

 

[snorvich]

Two males will fight. Two females can fight but it is normally less serious. It looks more like mating behavior with the little information provided.

 

[snorvich]

But if this happens primarily at "sunset" (moonlights or . . .) it is likely to be mating behavior. If it happens during the day, it is more likely fighting behavior.

 

[JohnnyAirtime]

It's definitely two females.
... and thats the first time I've ever seen them do such a thing.

(and I stare at my tank for hours on end)

 

[davocean]

I need a female for my male if you ever decide to swap them out, and if it's fairly small.

 

[snorvich]

I need a female for my male if you ever decide to swap them out, and if it's fairly small.

The females are difficult to find. Be careful you don't get a "circumcised female" where the dorsal fin has been snipped.

 

[davocean]

In person I can tell fairly easy usually.
We're pretty lucky to have a good selection of LFS around here that usually have them, but lately the females I've seen are pretty big, and my male is pretty small, looking for good symetry, and I prefer to start w/ small/young fish.
OP happens to be nearby.

 

[snorvich]

OP happens to be nearby.

Ah, opportunity knocks!

 

[JohnnyAirtime]

I need a female for my male if you ever decide to swap them out, and if it's fairly small.

In person I can tell fairly easy usually.
We're pretty lucky to have a good selection of LFS around here that usually have them, but lately the females I've seen are pretty big, and my male is pretty small, looking for good symetry, and I prefer to start w/ small/young fish.
OP happens to be nearby.

I'd be down for that! However, catching them is a different story. And being both of them are different sizes (it's how I tell them apart), you'd be able to pick of the two. As long as the male was similar size to the one left behind.

... PM me if you'd like to go further with this (relationship).

 

[MikeandNicole]

I have a male and female who have spawned for us many a time. We went away for a week and when we came back they were doing that fighting behavior. They are a clearly defined male and female, but when we are home we feed mutliple times per day with many different types of food, when we were away they were fed once per day with one type of food. Mandarins will fight if there is a lack of food regardless of male/female pairs. They are doing much better now, just something we noticed. We have had the female for over 2 years and the male for about a year and change.

 

[klepto]

Two females can fight but it is normally less serious.

I've seen a small female S. splendidus absolutely destroy other mandarinfish. She would not tolerate another female in the tank and killed multiple males that were twice her size. I realize, this fish could be an exception- but I thought it was worth pointing out that female mandarins can occasionally be ruthless and very difficult to pair.

 

[snorvich]

I have a male and female who have spawned for us many a time. We went away for a week and when we came back they were doing that fighting behavior. They are a clearly defined male and female, but when we are home we feed mutliple times per day with many different types of food, when we were away they were fed once per day with one type of food. Mandarins will fight if there is a lack of food regardless of male/female pairs. They are doing much better now, just something we noticed. We have had the female for over 2 years and the male for about a year and change.

I think that problem was lack of sufficient food for two in a smallish tank.

 

[snorvich]

I've seen a small female S. splendidus absolutely destroy other mandarinfish. She would not tolerate another female in the tank and killed multiple males that were twice her size. I realize, this fish could be an exception- but I thought it was worth pointing out that female mandarins can occasionally be ruthless and very difficult to pair.

My original observation was from watching them in the ocean for a total of about 40 hours. I never saw females fight but I saw males fight frequently especially towards sunset. Very interesting klepto.