Clownfish behavior ?

[Fishez]

I have recently noticed my 2 percula clowns acting weird, one will swim up to the other one and start shaking or shivering really fast , it kind of looks like it vibrating or something and then it will stop and then the other one will start doing it , what could they be doing? is it a mating ritual or are they trying to intimidate each other or what?

[Craig Manoukian]

They could be pairing up. Is there a good size difference between the two?

[Fishez]

no there both pretty close to the same size, Ive had these clowns for almost a year , wouldnt they already be paired up by now?

[Craig Manoukian]

For them to be a mated pair, the female should morph into a larger and more dominant fish. Not sure what is going on in your case, my Maroon Clown shimmies and tails the sand bed all the time all by it's self.

[OoNickoC]

The actions youve described are usually used to show submission towards oneanother....it is also seen during courtship. If you want to them to pair up then i would power feed one specifically (put krill on a stick and basically hand feed it) while keeping the other diet the same. The one being powerfed will usually become a female even if they are the same size...this is assuming they are both males....if they are already both females they will not do anything.

[Craig Manoukian]

[quote author=SeA_SpLeNdEr link=board=Fish;num=1104187270;start=0#4 date=12/28/04 at 19:40:20]this is assuming they are both males....if they are already both females they will not do anything.[/quote]

Very interesting. I thought they were all males until one morphed into a female. As it has been explained in articles I have read, Carkiis for example, will live in groups or families with one dominant female. When the female leaves the group, one of the males becomes the female.

[OoNickoC]

That they are...but if you aquire two that were already morphed into females (in the wild or previous tanks) they cant go back to males. There are some studies that say otherwise but ive never seen or heard any personal or documented accounts.

[Craig Manoukian]

Thanks, so its a one way hermaphroditic morph, eh?

[OoNickoC]

Yes, no need to morph into male as they are all male to begin with(there are some debates over that...but no solid studies)....but i guess if the need ever arose (over geological time) that feature wouldnt take nature long to add.