Re: Apisto maternal behavior

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

Alan W wrote:

> Most if not all apistos use their mouths for shuffling fry around as well
as
> cleaning them & crushing food for them.  I'm sometimes surprised at how
long
> my Apisto nijsenni keeps fry in her mouth - I've seen her hold six fry at
the
> same time for 27 minutes - I thought she was eating them but then she'd
chew
> them and spit them out into a pit she had dug with the fry in her mouth.
> Even at 4 weeks old she picks up (the now huge) fry then chews and spits
them.
>
> Can anyone comment on other apistos and how long they keep fry in their
mouth
> - is there a scale between non-mouthing and mouthbrooding in Apistos?
>
 This is impressive, considering that she's also passing up food while
shuffling them around in her mouth (a potential tidbit). I'd read/heard that
when mom gets in the mood for spawning again, fry will become food. Did you
remove the father from the tank? This one here (male) is getting lazy and
despondent without the company of the female, and he's begun to poke around
the pot, looking for her. I'm wondering whether he should be moved
temporarily, to another tank, either to keep him away from her/the fry or to
keep her focused on fry.

Thanks,

Sylvia




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