Check out this beast jack dempsey

[Frank Castle]

If I could be sure my JD would turn out like that, I'd buy some tomorrow. The ones I've had don't get the blue spangling over their entire body like that, and they're not usually all dark like that.

That one's awesome! I'm gonna start keeping an eye on my LFS. They used to have JD's coming and going all the time.

JD's grow kinda slow don't they?

1.) it depends on the sex of the fish
2.) Best to buy a group and the largest usually ends up being a male
3.) Yes, dominant males only grow about 4" per year, depending on environmental factors - sub-dominant, Beta and females grow even slower. About 2-3 years to reach adult length and another year or so to fill out to max weight

 

[ragin_cajun]

So...the ones that are kinda tan with darker bands underneath the tan background, and a little bit of blue spangling on the belly, and they're about 3-4 inches long. Those will darken up, and get blue spangles higher up their sides and up to their back and dorsal fins as they get older if they're male?

 

[twhittle]

Does he still have his mate?

No. The breeding was messing with my tanks harmony.

 

[Frank Castle]

So...the ones that are kinda tan with darker bands underneath the tan background, and a little bit of blue spangling on the belly, and they're about 3-4 inches long. Those will darken up, and get blue spangles higher up their sides and up to their back and dorsal fins as they get older if they're male?

IME, unless i'm totally misunderstanding Nature, the darkening is a way of communication......a display of dominance or just plain being angry. My smallest female is the darkest right now but she is VERY tenacious and doesn't seem to back-down from much. However, this could also be displayed during pre-spawn, spawn and/or nesting simply as breeding garb.

I don't believe one or the other correct, but both actually. Think of them like a Chameleon changing color due to moods or temperament as opposed to using camouflage to blend in - color changing has multiple uses

I'm sure duanes would know this one....

 

[duanes]

In the book The Cichlid Fishes Nature's Grand Experiment in Evolution, the Author George Barlow has an entire chapter on cichid speak, where he breaks down cichlid color communication by color, and is a fascinating read. He also shows how some (maybe many) use sound to communicate.
Where I have spent time snorkeling with JDs in nature, the darkest and largest males were often banished to the entrance of dark caves, after they had been pushed out by the younger, stronger, new alphas. Although any alpha was usually much darker than any of his subordinates.
Check out the dark male on the right defending his cave.

and enticing in a
The water was about 5 ft deep, the cave about 2 ft wide, and the entrance he defended about 6ft long.
Note the fungus on the lips of the males from jousting. Almost all adult males lips were covered in fungus.

 

[robham777]

twhittle Wow, that is definitely $20 well spent. What an awesome specimen!

 

[ehh]

In the book The Cichlid Fishes Nature's Grand Experiment in Evolution, the Author George Barlow has an entire chapter on cichid speak, where he breaks down cichlid color communication by color, and is a fascinating read. He also shows how some (maybe many) use sound to communicate.
Where I have spent time snorkeling with JDs in nature, the darkest and largest males were often banished to the entrance of dark caves, after they had been pushed out by the younger, stronger, new alphas. Although any alpha was usually much darker than any of his subordinates.
Check out the dark male on the right defending his cave.

and enticing in a
The water was about 5 ft deep, the cave about 2 ft wide, and the entrance he defended about 6ft long.
Note the fungus on the lips of the males from jousting. Almost all adult males lips were covered in fungus.

Is "jousting" the technical term for lip locking?

 

[Frank Castle]

Is "jousting" the technical term for lip locking?

I would guess, probably.

 

[Tahn]

Wow that's just like one my LFS has. Someone dropped off a 10-11 inch HUGE beautiful jack dempsey and the LFS put him in with a buttokefri (spelling???) for a moment too long and he got really beat up. They are selling him for 25 bucks, wish I had a tank for him, I can see when he heals he would be beautiful.