Is this a mating call? He definitely does it to get our attention. Any ideas about this behavior?
Mouth noise for attention? Amphilophus
- Thread starter Jeremy Anderson
- Start date
I don't think it's a "mating call", more like just a fun noise to make. Like when kids put their arms against their mouth and make the "fart noise", I think he is just playing. That, or there is condensation dripping off the bottom of the lid in that spot and it looks suspiciously like food.
He only does it when he wants attention from me, I didn’t think it was a normal “mating call” for these fish, but he definitely is doing it to get attention, I havent ever seen a fish that let a person pick it up out of the water,but he lets me do that and sometimes I think he think we’re dating.
I love the fart noise theory, he is a wild and fun loving little dude. Bites hard, too.
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I suspect that he's attempting to get your attention, in the hopes of you dropping some food in the tank. I have a large male midas that hammers the glass lids, and bites the front pane of glass in his tank to get my attention. It appears to me to always be associated to food, as in I missed feeding him on that day, or I am taking to long to get to his tank, while feeding the fish in my other tanks.
In the book, "The Cichlid Fishes, Natures Grand Experiment in Evolution" by George Barlow, there is a a chapter called Cichlid Speak. in part stating
"sounds heard have been mostly low-frequency grunts, these are emitted characteristically during hostel displays, and sometimes during courtship.
Herotilapia multispinossa produces what have been described as volleys and thumps or purrs.
Oerochromis mossambicus has a relatively rich repertoire of sounds.
in a study of Archocentris centrarchus, underwater microphones placed in aquaria, many various noises were recorded.
"sounds heard have been mostly low-frequency grunts, these are emitted characteristically during hostel displays, and sometimes during courtship.
Herotilapia multispinossa produces what have been described as volleys and thumps or purrs.
Oerochromis mossambicus has a relatively rich repertoire of sounds.
in a study of Archocentris centrarchus, underwater microphones placed in aquaria, many various noises were recorded.
I have a female midevil that does a similar thing - I also ascribe to the "hunting condensation drops" theory. We can hear her slamming in the basement from upstairs... Last night I heard an unusually large clatter from the basement, went to investigate, and saw that there had been a red solo cup on her tank that she had blasted off with the concussion of her strike. Great fish!
Interesting that the cup was red, my male midas hates the color red and becomes hyper aggro whenever anyone wearing red gets near his tank.