What are these polys doing?

[mattybecks]

Hi guys,
I have taken a video however this site dosnt seem to allow me to post it. So you only have a few pics.

There are 2x polyeptrus Seneglaus in this 5ft 100gal, along with syndontis, Oscar and some SDs.

So the Polys rub up right next to each other, top to tail, and start rubbing their bodies/bumping against each other. All their fins raised. This can go on for quite some time.

I have been noticing this behavior more and more often.

There is no aggression, just keen to know what it may be.

 

[Hendre]

What sexes are they?

 

[clm08k]

for the video: usually what I do isn’t post to YouTube and then copy the link in the MFK thread. If you want to insert the video, you can also click the film icon(next to the mountain picture) and copy the link in there.

 

[mattybecks]

What sexes are they?

Honestly I have no idea. I’ll research today how to tell the difference

 

[thefredpit]

Honestly I have no idea. I’ll research today how to tell the difference

here is how to tell

 

[tlindsey]

After looking at the pic above again today the first Sen looks female possibly gravid.
My experience of having Senegals is that nudging and even little head bobs is how they communicate and like stated post a short vid.

 

[twentyleagues]

Yes head bobs and pectoral fin "standing" and even dorsal fin raising are all ways they comunicate. The rubbing is probably courting behavior. My sen started that when I added a large female del to the tank, the sen is deffinatly a male. Oh and the female del kind of ignores him so either she's not ready or just more likely just not interested in him.....

 

[clm08k]

let’s not forget planking head bobs and pec standing are so cool. I wonder if the pec standing is a dominance behavior?

 

[twentyleagues]

let’s not forget planking head bobs and pec standing are so cool. I wonder if the pec standing is a dominance behavior?

From what I've noticed it seems to be. Not so much I'm the boss but more like I'm willing and big enough to defend X. (Where X is itself or favored spot). Seems more of a bluff situation but most of the time the other swims off. They don't really seem willing to fight over alot. I do like the dominance tussles of who's going to be o the bottom of the pile, most of the time one will move instead of being bumped to the top of the pile.

 

[thefredpit]

let’s not forget planking head bobs and pec standing are so cool. I wonder if the pec standing is a dominance behavior?

Don't forget sand diving