Re: weird behaviour dept.

[Mike & Diane Wise <apistowise@bewellnet.com>]

Wow! John,

It reminds me of my dog. We picked him up off the sidewalk only a few minutes
after he was born. He's never been around dogs. He's only lived with 5 humans
and a cat all his life. When we rub his tummy he gives out a long low growl. I
guess that's the closest he can come to purring (poor confused mutt).

I don't know of any reports on cross species behavior mimicry in fish. You might
want to address this to Cichlid-L. The real pros might know more.

Mike Wise

John McCrone wrote:

> I put a pair of agassizi in a community tank with four keyhole cichlids. Now
> that the apistos have settled in, they are starting to display in keyhole
> fashion! Instead of the heads down threat display or the big tail swish
> display that apistos employ on each other, first the male, and now the
> female have joined in with the keyholes as they do their group "hanging
> vertically and shoving each other" display.
>
> For those who haven't seen this very attractive behaviour, the keyholes
> spread their fins and hang nose up. Usually one turns very dark and hangs
> vertically while the others nose around it. The stiller the bunch, the more
> intense it all gets. And they are at it for half an hour at the time. The
> winner usually has its nose almost to the surface. So this is a group
> display very unlike apisto behaviour (in my limited experience). And when a
> little female agassizi is pushing her way into the middle of the bunch all
> easily five times her size and hanging the stillest and most vertical, it
> really is amusing. Of course, when she lays eggs, its back to the more usual
> head-down threat.
>
> Has anyone any references or links to good articles on what controls display
> behaviour in cichlids - and even discussions of such mimicry of displays
> which would seem outside the natural repertoire?
>
> Cheers
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> from John McCrone
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto@listbox.com.
> For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help,
> email apisto-request@listbox.com.
> Search http://www.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"!



-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto@listbox.com.
For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help,
email apisto-request@listbox.com.
Search http://www.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"!