Polypterus defence mechanism?

[Glacier]

Ok, I have never seen this before (or heard of it - even tried a few searches but key words found nothing), but lastnight one of my ornate birchirs was just crusing around the tank, my severum decided to follow, I saw a slight nudge by the severum (nothing major, probably just investigating) towards the birchir.

The ornate responded by doing something I havn't seen before, its hard to describe but it sort of 'tail whipped' the severum, you know how a snake goes into an 'S' position to strike, well the ornate did this but with its tail, and sort of whacked the severum with it. It was strange, so I kept watching, the second time, the ornate was down on the sand this time, and the severum came over again, always towards the tail of the ornate, and the same thing happened, the ornate sort of 'whipped' with its tail, this time kicking up quite a fair amount of sand. Just wish I had a camera, be so much easier to show.

Has anyone else seen this? Is it normal? Could it be a defence mechanism - to whack anything getting too close?

Appologise if this is common, but I've never seen this before.

 

[Stab]

Very interesting. No, I haven't seen mine do anything like it could very well be a deffence mechanism. Ever tried to handle a plypterus? Those dorsal finerettes are razor sharp! I could clearly see them using it to slash the attacker if not for the alleged poor eyesight. Perhaos their vision is better than we think...

 

[Oddball]

That's a new one on me. I've seen smaller upper-jaw species visibly swell when challenging conspecifics or in defense from aggressive tankmates.

 

[cenecker]

I saw my Sens doing this to each other in a fight once...or at least behaviour similiar to this...

 

[jessiejames]

my ornate does it all the time when no one is bothering him. i think ours is crazy in the head..

 

[killerfish]

my senegal does this proubly just trying to get away was it hitting the severum or just freacking out

 

[JESToner]

i think this is more of a 'flinch' than a defense mechanism

 

[JESToner]

^the reason i say that is because if something was actually trying to kill the ornate, a tail whip will not do any good lol

 

[channarox]

i think it just freaked.
dont think a whip from a bichirs tail would do any good in protecion.

 

[Aquaman_95]

Actually yes I have seen it. My pleco and severum team up all sometimes and nip my bichir. The bichir then does the S thing like a snake and whacks them.