Can two males pair up?

[tiger15]

I have seen two female CA/SAs pair up and even lay eggs. But can two males pair up too?

The reason I am asking is that I have a male Vieja fenestratus suddently pair up with a smaller Vieja synspillum within 2 weeks after I removed a big male synspillum. This smaller syns never paired up with the big male syns when he was around. I purposely picked the male sex of this smaller syns by venting when it was 4 inch because I don't want fish to pair up and terrorize tankmates. But my venting skill is not perfect and could be wrong. The sex organs of the pair have dropped, but I don't notice a fat tube or bulging belly dropping from the syns, and the tube from the male fenestratus is hardly noticeable. The male fenestratus is 9 inch and the smaller syns is 7 inch. So I am wondering if it is a sex mis ID or two males pair up?

 

[RampageRR]

I'd assume a mis-ID on one or the other's sex if they're actually going through pairing motions. I guess the best way to find out is wait and see if any eggs appear in a few days.

 

[tiger15]

Yes, in a few days time I will know if it is a female if it lays eggs. But it is strange that it did not pair up with a big male syns I kept in the same tank just 2 weeks ago, unless I also mis ID the gender of the other syns.

Here is a video of the pairing,

http://www.youtube.com/audio?video_referrer=watch&v=U1eYAFnzf8s

[video=youtube;U1eYAFnzf8s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=U1eYAFnzf8s[/video][/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

I also notice that its body color has transformed from pale before to dark patches on the belly and top. With the dark patches, it looks like a melanurus. Can someone tell me if I might have mis ID the species as well as the gender?

 

[tiger15]

Here is an update. The pair has split. The interaction sustained for two days which became more rough last night. Instead of shaking heads, they were circling each other as if contesting for dominance. This morning, the sysn has returned its former pale color and became submissive to the Fenestratus. Both fish have lost some scales and bits of fins. The sex tubes of both fish have withdrawn. The tubes were skinny and never appear to be female egg tube to me. So my sexing of the fish is probably correct, and I might have witnessed two males pairing that turned violent for dominance. Time will tell if they will pair up again. If you watch the video, they do appear to be a mating pair cleaning the site for egg laying.

 

[doomiedee]

Maybe it's a female. Sometimes they won't pair with a mate that is too big for her.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[tiger15]

Another update.

After split up with the male syns, the male fenestratus paired up with another male pink fenestratus. They are cleaning the rock, shaking their head, and attacking other fish that come close. Both fish are male by the absence of fat reproductive tube. So I am witnessing another male pairing.

Well, you may say that I mis ID the sex. Not really. As the previous pair split up and laid no eggs. The smaller partner of both pairs are large enough to lay eggs if they were female.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KacpYvuICzk

[video=youtube;KacpYvuICzk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KacpYvuICzk[/video]

 

[the animal guy]

My two males from back then

[video=youtube;6]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6***YPjs4iI[/video]

 

[the animal guy]

my two females from back then

[video=youtube;w6Jkm71hIWs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6Jkm71hIWs[/video]