Is This Clown Courting or Dancing? (Movies)

[Vitaly]

I have had a pair of clowns for a few months; they were introduced seperately and I have not seem them breed. I assume the larger one is a female and the smaller one is a male (introduced 2 months ago).

This evening after lights out, I observed the larger clown headbutting/biting and shaking around a PVC return in the corner of the tank. Normally, after the actinics are off, both of the clownfish retire to this same corner, above the PVC.

I have posted a few, short movie clips (10 secs) of the behavior. The larger clown swims up and around the PVC, sometimes biting at it and shaking. Then she swims away, across the tank and returns to repeat the behavior. I have been watching this for the last 30 minutes.

Has anybody seen this behavior before? I have not tested parameters, but seeing as how all the corals (Xenia, Capnella, Acro, GSP, Ric) appear healthy and the other clown and two chromis appear healthy I do not believe anything is wrong in the system.

https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/stepensk/shared/Aquaria/Clown-Shake/1.MPG
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/stepensk/shared/Aquaria/Clown-Shake/2.MPG
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/stepensk/shared/Aquaria/Clown-Shake/3.MPG
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/stepensk/shared/Aquaria/Clown-Shake/4.MPG
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/stepensk/shared/Aquaria/Clown-Shake/5.MPG
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/stepensk/shared/Aquaria/Clown-Shake/6.MPG
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/stepensk/shared/Aquaria/Clown-Shake/7.MPG

Your thoughts are appreciated.

 

[GSMguy]

they are hosting the pvc as if it were a anemone normal behaivior

 

[Bones18]

This is not courting behavior. This is clear because the smaller clown would be the one shaking. As far as hosting the PVC, I can see that however I think that they are just playing in the current before bedtime.

 

[GSMguy]

no bones in courtship behavior and clown behaivior in general the clowns shake not just the males

 

[Aliie]

Playing int he current before bed time seems more likely. Just from watching you videos.

 

[Bones18]

GSMguy
I have had several pairs of True percs which produced offspring. Never in ym 15 years of keeping these fish have I seen the dominant/larger female perform the twitching dance. Its only the younger/submissive counterparts.

 

[Slakker]

Just because your clowns never did it, doesn't mean that none do. There are plenty of documented instances of the dominant female twitching, it's just a lot less common, and perhaps you should consider than clown fish encompass many many more species than A. Percula.

 

[Bones18]

Slakker,
Just curious as to why you said that " I should consider that clown fish encompass many many more species than Perculas??"

This thread is about them.......

 

[Slakker]

Be that as it may, your posts could lead to confusion for those who have other species, as it reads like you are making a blanket statement about all anemonefishes based on your experience with the Percula complex, when in fact there could very well be major differences from species to species. There could also be differences in courtship/pairing behavior depending on any number of variables in a particular tank or caregiver. I just don't think it's fair to discredit someone else's input based on a limited window of experience.

I'm sure that I've read more than one account of both clowns in a pair shimmying, so maybe there are variables here that aren't being connected...photo period, flow, rock work, substrate, feeding...there are a million things that could potentially make the difference here.

 

[petoonia]

Ive seen my female perc do the shaking thing every once in a while. It's usually just the male though.

 

[Bones18]

"I have had several pairs of True percs which produced offspring. Never in ym 15 years of keeping these fish have I seen the dominant/larger female perform the twitching dance. Its only the younger/submissive counterparts."

I see no way how after viewing the media and reading my post that one could bind themselves to the thought that this is for every species of clown..? I clearly did not make a blanket statement about all anemonefish.

Also I was not discrediting someone else's input based on a limited window of experience. The topic of discussion here is Percula clownfish, and I have kept multiple pairs for the past 15 years.

If both clowns were Shimmying....this means that they are attempting to establish dominance and the are close to the same size.( FOR PERCS that is..)

I agree that there are a million things that could potentially make a difference here....however with my devotion to this animal, being the only fish I have kept for the past 10years, I will stand by my prior statements.

Not to knock your knowledge of this fish....but it looks and sounds like your only experience is from books.."Saltwater: currently researching"