is it the male that chooses the female or vice versa? or is it a mutual decision?
I may have just ordered this book...hoping it’s a good read!Agree with tlindsey
Here is a a couple paraphrased quips from the book "The Cichlid Fishes, Natures Grand Experimwment in Evolution" By George Barlow
"A characteristic pattern among New World cichlids is that males expend more energy in courtship and defending territory, and females exert more effort in laying and caring for eggs and fry.
In either case, monogamous female cichlids should prefer the largest most aggressive males, especially in species that contest for breeding territories. The largest & most aggressive males should have the best chance of securing a territory.
In at least one experiment, males cichlids exercised choice of female..
Female convict cichlids select the larger of two males, when given a choice.
Female Midas cichlids, responded to large and the most aggressive males, and large male size assured the female of a territory, and the aggression predicted the willingness of the father to defend young.
The role of aggression in pair formation tells us something important how a pair bond is formed, defined pair bonding is the moment when a male and female turn their aggression away from one another and instead, cooperate in directing it toward other individuals.
I consider this book, a must have for any serious cichlid keeper, chapters detail all facets of cichlid behavior, including "cichlid speak", fighting and territoriality, how jaws work, and mating to name just a few,
what determines if they pair vs just two fish in same aquarium...like with my flowerhorns it was male kinda bugging the female following her around nipping her side pretty hard sometimes until i put a pvc tube in there at which she totally changed colors and her eyes got all bright yellow around the pupil and she started to fight back and have been paired ever since...like what triggered her to finally respond,shes looks like a totally different fish now,,she growing a kok on her head along with the male.she was always a community fish that was kinda shy and now she acts like a flowerhorn should,highly aggressive,they both constantly attack the hob filter intakesAgree with tlindsey
Here is a a couple paraphrased quips from the book "The Cichlid Fishes, Natures Grand Experimwment in Evolution" By George Barlow
"A characteristic pattern among New World cichlids is that males expend more energy in courtship and defending territory, and females exert more effort in laying and caring for eggs and fry.
In either case, monogamous female cichlids should prefer the largest most aggressive males, especially in species that contest for breeding territories. The largest & most aggressive males should have the best chance of securing a territory.
In at least one experiment, males cichlids exercised choice of female..
Female convict cichlids select the larger of two males, when given a choice.
Female Midas cichlids, responded to large and the most aggressive males, and large male size assured the female of a territory, and the aggression predicted the willingness of the father to defend young.
The role of aggression in pair formation tells us something important how a pair bond is formed, defined pair bonding is the moment when a male and female turn their aggression away from one another and instead, cooperate in directing it toward other individuals.
I consider this book, a must have for any serious cichlid keeper, chapters detail all facets of cichlid behavior, including "cichlid speak", fighting and territoriality, how jaws work, and mating to name just a few,

