Paul
08-11-06, 10:04
You have probs seen the vids i've posted of the male and female synchiropus stellatus (starry dragonnettes/scooters) doing their mating dance after the halides go out. I have never really taken that much notice, because the randy buggers are up to it every night, but for some reason last night i watched a bit closer :o
The male actively seeks to find the female, upon which he flicks his attractive anterior dorsal fin up (it looks like a Jamaican flag!) and begins to stomp towards the female. The female retorts by displaying her smaller black dorsal fin, then it appears on her say so they begin to rise in the water column, with the male carrying the female on his pectoral fins. once they have risen about 2/3 the height of the tank, the female darts to the water surface and the male follows suit. Now i had seen all this a million times before, but last night i saw them expel something as they darted to the surface. As it is a common spawning method for surgeonfish, i can only assume it was eggs and sperm. I watched as the cloudy package slipped over the weir. Ah well never mind
These fish have not been known to successfully spawn in nature, so i hold no hope in ever having baby scooters, just thought it was interesting thats all!
Anyone else observed the same activity in dragonettes?
The male actively seeks to find the female, upon which he flicks his attractive anterior dorsal fin up (it looks like a Jamaican flag!) and begins to stomp towards the female. The female retorts by displaying her smaller black dorsal fin, then it appears on her say so they begin to rise in the water column, with the male carrying the female on his pectoral fins. once they have risen about 2/3 the height of the tank, the female darts to the water surface and the male follows suit. Now i had seen all this a million times before, but last night i saw them expel something as they darted to the surface. As it is a common spawning method for surgeonfish, i can only assume it was eggs and sperm. I watched as the cloudy package slipped over the weir. Ah well never mind
These fish have not been known to successfully spawn in nature, so i hold no hope in ever having baby scooters, just thought it was interesting thats all!
Anyone else observed the same activity in dragonettes?