Shots of the female with her fry. The fry just started moving around today. The femal had the lump of unswimming fry in a corner of the tank since Wednesday. Today when they started swimming...one would pop up or at least bounce away from the "nest". The mother would swim after it and pop it in her mouth...then swim back and spit it into the pit.
After a while a few would take off and the mother would go after them...snag them and spit them back into the same place. Pretty soon hundreds of them were swimming around...the whole time with the female gathering them up and spitting them back into the pit. After a while the fry had spun into the males side of the divider. (these fish spaned through the divdier).
Pretty soon the male was chasing after them, taking them over and spitting them around or through the divider to the female...who would grab them up and spit them out. Pretty amazing. The quickness of this entire event blows me away...the cooperation of the parents while never being together...being able to coordinate the endless job of coralling their kids.
One other thing...the male has always been "owner responsive" at the glass, but now with the breeding he has totally lost his mind. LOL. More photos to follow as they get bigger. Also, I shot video of the "snatch and spit" maneuver that I will be posting later.
After a while a few would take off and the mother would go after them...snag them and spit them back into the same place. Pretty soon hundreds of them were swimming around...the whole time with the female gathering them up and spitting them back into the pit. After a while the fry had spun into the males side of the divider. (these fish spaned through the divdier).
Pretty soon the male was chasing after them, taking them over and spitting them around or through the divider to the female...who would grab them up and spit them out. Pretty amazing. The quickness of this entire event blows me away...the cooperation of the parents while never being together...being able to coordinate the endless job of coralling their kids.
One other thing...the male has always been "owner responsive" at the glass, but now with the breeding he has totally lost his mind. LOL. More photos to follow as they get bigger. Also, I shot video of the "snatch and spit" maneuver that I will be posting later.
