While there are numerous species which can be fierce in a tank, cichlid aggression depends on several factors and can be variable.
In my opinion there's also various types of aggression:
-general aggression is aggression towards any other cichlid (usually employed to establish or reinforce the dominance hierarchy)
-conspecific aggression is aggression primarily directed at members of the same species (with members of different species are largely ignored)
-territorial aggression is aggression directed at 'trespassers' (which are often left alone when outside of a particular territory); newly added cichlids to an established tank can also prompt this type of aggression to occur.
-competitive aggression (males competing against each other for breeding rights with females)
-maternal aggression (aggression directed at other fish to protect fry from harm)
Multiple forms of aggression can occur simultaneously in a tank and have different effects depending on which species are kept in the tank.
I've seen a foot long oscar get pummelled by a 5" male auratus before.
In my opinion there's also various types of aggression:
-general aggression is aggression towards any other cichlid (usually employed to establish or reinforce the dominance hierarchy)
-conspecific aggression is aggression primarily directed at members of the same species (with members of different species are largely ignored)
-territorial aggression is aggression directed at 'trespassers' (which are often left alone when outside of a particular territory); newly added cichlids to an established tank can also prompt this type of aggression to occur.
-competitive aggression (males competing against each other for breeding rights with females)
-maternal aggression (aggression directed at other fish to protect fry from harm)
Multiple forms of aggression can occur simultaneously in a tank and have different effects depending on which species are kept in the tank.
Brayden;798766; said:
I've seen a foot long oscar get pummelled by a 5" male auratus before.
