Apisto maternal behavior

["Sylvia Kohler" <skohler@entermail.net>]

I seem to have a successful spawn this time around. (A. viejita) I'm
wondering whether apistos will put the fry in their mouth to shuffle them
around? I've seen mouthbrooders keep the fry in their mouth for safekeeping,
but know nothing at all about apisto behavior. I suspect she may be moving
them as opposed to eating them, as it was only the ones visible to my eye
(towards the front of the pot) that she'd suck up. Then she'd disappear to
the back of the pot, so I wondered if she was maybe moving them there for
safekeeping (to keep them in the pot/nest. In fact, I wondered how she'd
gotten them from one pot to the other, as well, and wondered if she'd moved
them in this way, but had never heard nor read anything about this. So . . .
is she having a snack, or is this normal maternal behavior? Fry are approx.
1 wk. of age.

Thanks in advance,

Sylvia



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