Mating Behavior

[Paul B]

I have always said that if your fish are exhibiting mating behavior they are in the best of health. There are as many varied mating behaviors as there are fish. My fireclowns just get next to each other and shake while smacking each other with their tails, my bluestripped pipefish kind of swim parallel to each other and occasionally wrap around each other. Bangai cardinals just stay next to each other as do seahorses and the male of these gobies drag the female around in their mouth. This male has been holding (gingerly) the female by the area just before the tail for an hour. She is playing hard to get and is probably not ready to lay eggs. This pair has been laying eggs for a few years now.

Here is the female tending an earlier spawning

 

[Chihuahua6]

Before I moved my fish to their temporary smaller homes one of my five Royal Grammas was trying to court some of the others. He tried with at least two that I know of. He started with one and she seemed to dig him but then ditch him. Then he started hanging around with another one. He even started carrying pieces of rock and sand and depositing them into one area.

I'm hoping this behavior gets repeated when they're back in a large tank again. It was great fun to watch.

Your Gobies look like they're so much fun to watch. How did you pair those in particular?

 

[Paul B]

How did you pair those in particular?

Those two were in the same tank and they looked friendly toward each other so I bought them. They were too young to mate then.
I have a few of those same kind. They start off yellow, then turn that color.
This is a young one of the same fish

 

[Jojoyojimbi]

Cryptocentrus pavoninoides?

 

[Paul B]

Cryptocentrus pavoninoides?

Am I supposed to look that up or do you believe I memorize the Latin names of all these creatures?

 

[Jojoyojimbi]

Am I supposed to look that up or do you believe I memorize the Latin names of all these creatures?

you don't?

 

[Paul B]

I was married for six months before I memorized my wife's name.

 

[Jojoyojimbi]

I was married for six months before I memorized my wife's name.

yeah but i've gotten away with just remembering to call mine Honey and Sweetheart for 7 years now... i'm talkin memorizing important stuff

 

[elegance coral]

:lolspin: Very cool. Have you ever thought about raising the offspring?

 

[Paul B]

I used to raise them when I was as young as the Capn, but I don't have time anymore, maybe in the future

 

[elegance coral]

You know Capn's gonna see that right? :lolspin:

I have a pair of Royal Grammas. Lately the male has been building a nest and fallowing the female all over the tank. Who knows? It may be the building of a love nest.:love1:

 

[Paul B]

You know Capn's gonna see that right?

Naw, he never reads any of this dribble :hammer:

 

[jason2459]

Even if he does read this he wont remember anyways. :blown:


Paul, besides stuffing your fish full do you find anything else helps the fish get into a breeding condition? Do you think tank temperature helps or lighting schedules? I hear mandarins really like to get a sunrise and sunset pattern and party down with each other afterhours.