polygamous jewel cichlids

[Connor0729]

i currently have a tank that houses six jewel cichlids, and when i woke up this morning, the dominant male had paired up with the dominant female (#1) and they had layed eggs. i also witnessed another female (#2) fighting with the soon-to-be-mom. i shrugged and sayed whatever. however, when i came home from school today, i saw #2 laying eggs near the first female's nest, and then i saw the dominant male fertilizing those eggs too.

i was just wondering if anyone else has heard of jewel cichlids being polygamous.

 

[Connor0729]

also, is there a possibility that this is some sort of great discovery?

 

[Druu]

also, is there a possibility that this is some sort of great discovery?

You would need to demonstrate it many, many more times than once to prove that this isn't aberrant behavior on the part of your fish.

 

[Connor0729]

ok, i figured that.

 

[Druu]

Sorry dude, didn't mean to shoot you down. Would be interesting though, not sure if polygamy was documented in many cichlid species.

 

[wataugachicken]

your male is just being a stud. i have read several times about lone discus females hanging around a pair, just waiting for their shot at the alpha male. sometimes the females will fight, and sometimes not.