Re: a stupid question (tagert vs. dither)

[Randy Carey <carey@spacestar.net>]

I've spawned N. espie a few times.  I found that it scatters its eggs
about a plant, so I would designate it a scatterer.  I have not seen it do
any guarding.

However, the slant-swimming N. eques lays its eggs on the underside of a
flat leaf. I have spawned it a few times also.	While this species does
not eat its eggs (from my experiences), I have never noticed any guarding
of eggs.  Guarding is typical with the so-called "splash tetras"
(Pyrrhulina and Copella species).  These splashers tend to spawn on the
top sides of flat leafs or rocks, and the male guards until the eggs
hatch.

Regarding this guarding... I have witnessed a guarding Pyrrhulina sp. "red
fin" coming out to challenge a male apisto when the female was guarding. 
It was rather interesting seeing a characin challenge a cichlid,
face-to-face. (see article in TFH, upcoming August issue)

And regarding the aggression shown by a pencilfish...  Most hobbyists
might be surprised to learn that pencils and splashers had been grouped in
one of the predacious characin families: Erythrinidae, home of the wolf
fish.  Recently these fishes have been awarded their own family
(Lebiasinidae), but the body shape and other features are rather similar
between these families.  They are still rather closely related.   So
perhaps it should not be surprising that some pencils can be aggressive.  


--Randy



apistowise@fgn.net wrote:
> Mike,
> 
> Most Nannostomus are egg spreaders, but N. espei is a primitive member
of the
> genus. It's more like Pyrrhulina species. I think I read that they tend
to
> behave more like them too. Maybe Randy can fill us in on this.
> 
> Mike Wise
> 
> Mike Jacobs wrote:
> 
> > .........I sure didn't..........I missed that one!	Pencils will
protect the
> > egg/fry?????  I wouldn't have bet but a nickel on that one........nice
to
> > know!
> >
> > Mike
> >
> > Mike Jacobs
> > Center for Advanced Technologies
> > St. Pete, Fl.
> > Apisto sales:
> > http://www.geocities.com/mikefjacobs/
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Mike & Diane Wise" <apistowise@fgn.net>
> > To: <apisto@listbox.com>
> > Sent: Thursday, May 09, 2002 1:15 PM
> > Subject: Re: a stupid question (tagert vs. dither)
> >
> > > Mike,
> > >
> > > Did you check in the plants to see if the N. espei had eggs/fry?
They are
> > more like
> > > Pyrrhulina, rather protective of their breeding sites.
> > >
> > > Mike Wise
> >



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