cranial humps ????

[sonicrx]

dumb question but i like to learn so here it goes .. why do fish get these ? what do they mean?,and they look like they could pop if poked. please explain. so send me to a link so i can understand what they are.

 

[Aqualoon]

With pictures!

 

[cacichlids]

they're called "nuchal humps" and males of some species develop it as a sign of dominance. Some fish won't develop it unless you add smaller, sub-dominant males of the same species to the tank, or a female that they can show off to. Some females might develop a small hump as well.

Flowerhorns develop one too but I have no idea what causes it since they're a man-made species.

 

[Gruff Master]

they're called "nuchal humps" and males of some species develop it as a sign of dominance. Some fish won't develop it unless you add smaller, sub-dominant males of the same species to the tank, or a female that they can show off to. Some females might develop a small hump as well.

Flowerhorns develop one too but I have no idea what causes it since they're a man-made species.

Exactly what he said. Also genetics can play a big role in the size of Nuchal Humps. The Nuchal Humps of Flowerhorns are called Koks. Through selective breeding, many FH can attain very huge Koks. Sometimes they are so big that I wonder how they can swim with such a heavy load on their head. I'm not a fan of those kind of FH.

 

[RD.]

Al, think of it as a large flotation device.

 

[xinchavoc]

Exactly what he said. Also genetics can play a big role in the size of Nuchal Humps. The Nuchal Humps of Flowerhorns are called Koks. Through selective breeding, many FH can attain very huge Koks. Sometimes they are so big that I wonder how they can swim with such a heavy load on their head. I'm not a fan of those kind of FH.

I agree..... they are pretty much a ball of fat dominant males develop... for example midas...

 

[sonicrx]

so all males can get them ? do jags get ,or cubans? not saying i want them to get them,but just wonder if they do,and are they prone to injury?

 

[Gruff Master]

Al, think of it as a large flotation device.

LOL...I guess that would make sense. I like the one in your avatar. I don't consider that FH like the ones that I mentioned. But I've seen some on YouTube where the Koks were nearly the same size as the fish's body. The poor fish kind of wobbles around instead of swimming. That's what I call too BIG!

so all males can get them ? do jags get ,or cubans? not saying i want them to get them,but just wonder if they do,and are they prone to injury?

Jags don't get any noticeable Nuchal Humps. I don't know about Cubans, since I have never raised them. But I don't believe that they get them either.

 

[Water]

so all males can get them ? do jags get ,or cubans? not saying i want them to get them,but just wonder if they do,and are they prone to injury?

Not all males will get them. It all boils down to genetics.

Nuptial humps will only get injured if they hit it against an object. If you ever get the chance, touch one lol. They're soft and squishy.

 

[sonicrx]

thanks for the replies everyone.. i have seen some of the pics posted with these humps,and wondered what the hell they were lol i came from pirahnas ,and if i saw that i would think my fish had a disease haha..