Killer Ocellaris

[DarwinTheDog]

I have two Ocellaris Clowns in a smaller bedroom reef. They are the only fish in this tank. They have been in the tank together for about two months. Initially the fish seemed to get along great, but lately there seems to be some serious aggression.

The larger of the two is chasing the little guy around the tank. She (the larger one) backs him (the lil' guy) into a corner, turns her body sideways, and shakes in front of him. Strange! I have seen them both do this, get in front of the other (almost perpindicular) and shake as if they were being electrocuted.

I have never known the False Percs to be aggressive. Is this common with only two? Would another fish help?? This isn't any kind of mating behaivor is it?? Any thoughts??

 

[scavdog]

Sounds like they may be pairing up? It seems that before mating clownfish go through three stages of pre-courtship rituals:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Vying for dominance
Hierarchy agreement
Pair bonding <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I have been reading Joyce Wilkersons "CLOWNFISHES: A Guide to Their Captive Care, Breeding & Natural History. Its a great read and privides a ton great info on clownfish behavior.

HTH

 

[Enkidu]

I've seen my roomates ocellaris do the "shake" thing, but in its case there are no other clowns in the tank. It was really weird when it happened.

 

[tanzy]

Don't worry, it's a bit of a bedroom brawl. My clowns still do it once in a while.

 

[JohnD]

Darwin,

Wilkerson's book is a fantastic read if you are interested in clownfish. She discusses each species' pairring, courtship and breeding specifics. She also rates the different clowns as to the ease of the bonding, mating and rearing of larvea.

I got my copy at half.com for about $22 with shipping.

 

[scavdog]

Yes Darwin, the quote was from Wilkersons book. Get a copy. It is well worth it.

 

[DarwinTheDog]

My initial thought was that it was some sort of courtship or dominance, but she really seems to have gotten rough. Guess I'll just let nature run its course and keep my fingers crossed.

ScavDog, who was that quote from?? Was it from the book you are reading? Does the book go into specific details as to the nature of the aggression (dominance)?? As to what are the dominant behaivors?? Sounds interesting!

Thanks everyone for your input!