Is this what courtship looks like?

[desx2501]

Earlier I saw my black clownfish "having the shake" like it was being electrocuted. He did this a few times in front of my larger (female) orange ocellaris. I took out the digital camera and I filmed some. Here is a link to a video I posted on youtube. In this video, the orange one is doing the "dance".


Is this what it looks like when they court?

 

[hvacman250]

If a clown is doing the twitchy dance, it means "I submit. You are the dominant one." If both of your clowns are doing the dance, they havent decided who is the boss. The both look about the same size. How long have you had them together?

 

[desx2501]

It's hard to see on the video, but the orange one is about... 30% larger than the black one. I've taken care of these clowns for slightly over a year now. Their journey has been the following :
* October 2010, my ex bought the orange one. (In a 55g tank)
* December 2010, she bought the black one.
* July 2011, she moved in her condo and we moved the fish there, but in a 40g tank.
* September 2011, I moved in my condo and started to setup the tank.
* End of october 2011, I started adding snails, crabs, etc. to the tank.
* December 2011 (about a week ago) I took both fish since she wants to get rid of her tank.

I've never noticed them doing that dance before.

 

[hvacman250]

Both of them doing the twitchy dance is weird. I'm not an expert, so who knows. I take all my experience from having 7 pairs of clowns. The only thing I can say from experience is my spawning pairs DO NOT do the twitchy dance.

 

[Joe S]

The vibrating and leaning behaviors in the video are exhibited sometimes as a form of aggression, a courtship behavior, and a pre-spawning behavior. Further, these behaviors are not limited to the subordinate member and are commonly exhibited by both fish even when male and female roles have been established.

 

[Joe S]

The only thing I can say from experience is my spawning pairs DO NOT do the twitchy dance.

Interesting. Though I have had the complete opposite experience. I have worked with nine pairs of actively spawning A. bicinctus in which both members of each pair have expressed the vibrating behavior prior to laying their nests.

 

[hvacman250]

Interesting. I'll have to pay more attention in the future. I will note that all my 7 pairs are Occy, Percs, or a cross.

The Occy pair in my 220 never do any dancing. Never fight; just a boring couple. They pick, then lay next day. The female was a return to a fish store, and the male was an Ora misbar. I dont know the females age, but she is full grown ~ 3 1/2". He is probably 18 months-2 yrs and about 2".