Re: krib fry!

[Frauley/Elson <fraulels@minet.ca>]

Jose J.V. Carvalho wrote:
> 
> Not exactly, but a pair that I've had many years ago, used to stay each with
> a group (~½ of them) and, when bored, steal more fry from the other : )
> 
> Zeco
> http://sites.netscape.net/zecocarvalho/
> 
> -----Mensagem Original-----
> De: <CarlHans@aol.com>
> >
> >Anyone else witness this behavior of the male tending with fry without the
> > female?
> >
> > - Carl ( a lurker who makes sure his subject lines are appropriate )

It isn't the same thing, but I'm having a grand time watching my
wild-caught macmasteri with their fry. I have 3 adults in a 30 inch, 23
gallon. There is the breeding pair, and a 3rd, small fish with enough
face colouration I've wondered if it was a 'sleeper' male. The female
walled herself into a cave, with no opening, for a few days, then
brought out a big gaggle of 100+ fry.
Now comes the similarity to Carl's kribs.
All three macmasteri spend the day with their own gaggles of fry. The
mother's is always the biggest, but the other fish lead around 20-30
fish each. When their paths cross, the adults posture and scrap, but
continue on with remixed bunches.
Now comes another twist. In the evening, half my lights click off 30
minutes before the room darkens down to a single bulb (which stays on
overnight). When the first bunch of lights go off, the male and the
mystery gender macmasteri bring their schools to the female, who takes
over the whole bunch in a large clump of java moss and algae in the
corner. In the morning, I've never seen the transfer back, but as far as
I can tell, the fry school spreads out and the three fish herd together
their own groups, depending on whose micro-territory the fry go to.
This is one of the most interesting things I have ever seen in an
Apistogramma tank. I had macmasteri before when they were commonly
available, back around 92-93, and I never saw behavior like this. When
spawning they acted like any other Apistogramma.
-Gary


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