Nanochromis transvestitus

[Alysoun McLaughlin & Andrew Blumhagen <alysoun@patriot.net>]

I have a pair of these that have spawned several times, once producing
eight free-swimming fry.  Up until recently I've had no problems with
violence between the pair.  Now the male is becoming aggressive towards
the female, chasing her and keeping her confined to hiding among
floating plants.  There are also several glowlight tetras in the tank
but he leaves them alone.

I've added a pile of wood in one corner to supplement the large log in
the tank in hopes of providing a new territory for her to establish, but
it doesn't seem to have worked.  I'm also considering removing him for a
week or two to allow the female to establish territory, then
re-introducing him to the tank.  Will this work, or is there something
more sophisticated going on?  Any other suggestions?

Also, I'm curious as to the appearence of the fry between .5 and .75
inches.  They look almost like miniature adults and all have vertical
striping pattern on the caudal fin.  The stripes are wider than those on
the adult female and not as defined.  Is this a juvenile feature that
they'll grow out of, or is it an indication that I have all females?

Thanks much

Andrew


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