Re: Understanding Male Aggression In Harem Spawning Dwarf

["Nuno Prazeres" <nprazeres@vodafone.pt>]

I totaly agree!

I have a 100gal planted with very low stockage (4 otos, a couple of borellii and a aga trio).
The two aga females establish territories and the male patrols the whole tank. Funny enough the two females kinda ingnore each other when the male is around but when he is not looking they do fight (one has 7 day fry the other just ended rearing a nice group of fat big juveniles some days ago and looks ready to spawn). Last Saturday, I had the previlege to watch the male punishing both females for breaking the peace!

Another interesting thing is that the aga females atack the two borellii but the male only shows agression to the other male (borellii are much smaller).

Now the borellii female is caring for young (without any help from the male who just wanders around trying to avoid the agas) so agression is in the red line in that tank.

The aga trio was originaly in a very structured (heavy planted) 10gal and the fights were much more commun and one of the femmales almost died. It is very rewarding if one is keen to watch apistos behaviour to have a much bigger tank. There is no way around that!

-----Mensagem original-----
De:	owner-apisto@v2.listbox.com em nome de Peter Lovett
Enviada:	dom 29-02-2004 19:09
Para:	apisto@v2.listbox.com
Cc:	
Assunto:	Understanding Male Aggression In Harem Spawning Dwarf Cichlids.


Just because they do does not mean they will.

In the wild males from a harem spawning dwarf cichlids put a large
amount of energy is first establishing a territory and then keeping it.
In the wild there are usually lots of females ready to spawn and ready
to take up home in the males territory and any female that's is not is
not welcome in his territory. Why is this, well I feel it is because the
non spawning female takes up space, uses up valuable food which can be
used by the other females that has spawned and have fry? 

This also is shown in the aquarium. If two or more female are ready to
spawn a male will spawn with all of them in turn and keep the piece
between the females. On the other hand if one female is ready to spawn
and non of the other females are they will be chase away. This is
because in the mind of both the female and the male the other females
will only take up space and food. If a male wants to spawn and no female
is ready. He also feels that if he can remove these females from his
territory it will give room for other females that are ready to spawn.

There is one other interesting point I would like to add about
Apistogramma males. Once they have spawned with a female they are much
more accommodating to them even if they are not ready to spawn. 


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