low importance - how do tangs know?

Discussion in 'General Reef Topics' started by chappy85, Dec 1, 2011.

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  1. chappy85

    chappy85 Coral Banded Shrimp

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    Not sure where to put this or if it will even make sense to someone else, but was wondering so here goes.
    I've had a Purple tang for a few weeks now, and recently added a Kole tang. Waited a bit too long but was the first chance I had to get it. There was a bit of a rukus for a few days but its seems to have calmed down since.
    About the week or so before I added a Midas blenny. There was already the Purple tang and Laboutei wrasse, but there was absolutely no aggression towards the blenny.
    One suggestion found to distract the tangs from fighting was to put a mirror in the tank. I found a presumably reef safe mirror, but placed it outside against the glass anyway. They stopped fighting each other, and instead started fighting their own individual reflections. Tangs, wrasse, even the midas showed interest in the mirror.
    SO, I suppose my question is, if the fish seem to lack the self awareness to realize they're fighting their own reflection, how does the tang know I've added another tang and that a blenny is fine?

    ...should I even be wondering this ::) lol
     
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  3. norg.

    norg. Kole Tang

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    I would guess that they are registering their own reflection as another fish of the same species intruding on their environment. This would cause aggression because if multiple fish of the sames species, a tang per say, would fight for the same food source. The tangs wouldnt care much about the blenny because its diet consists of different foods than tangs usually consume. The blenny poses no risk to the tangs so they dont really care.
     
  4. chappy85

    chappy85 Coral Banded Shrimp

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    So youre saying it has likely seen the similar fish competing for it food before and is basing its aggression on that?
    I guess that makes sense.
    If thats the case, would a captive bred tang be less hostile towards others if it were used to being fed regardless of competition?
     
  5. norg.

    norg. Kole Tang

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    I'm not sure about captive bred. I'm sure its an innate response and it would happen regardless. Tangs have the same reaction when you keep tangs of the same family in a tank. They eat the same foods and willbecome aggressive towards eachother.
     
  6. m2434

    m2434 Giant Squid

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    I think I remember this from my undergrad psych courses LOL. IIRC, only a few higher primates have been show to have self awareness. That is considered a higher cognitive function. As far as how do they know who to fight, I believe many animals have an innate ability to recognize others of the same species. I don't remember all the specifics, but from what I do remember, I don't think it's surprising.
     
  7. norg.

    norg. Kole Tang

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    Im about 99 % sure that is correct. We covered this topic in my AP pysch class two years ago, so I should still be able to remember it. Haha.
     
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  9. vawdka

    vawdka Coral Banded Shrimp

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    Couldn't some of that be attributed to instinct? If it is an instinctive behavior, being bred in captivity shouldn't have an effect on it. For instance, cats are bred in captivity and wild but both still have instinctive behaviors that are similar for grooming and nail care. I've even seen a captive bred cat that has been de-clawed for many years still make scratching motions on posts, door frames, and carpet even though it accomplishes nothing it seems she is instinctively drawn to do it.
     
  10. norg.

    norg. Kole Tang

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    Innate would be referring to instincts instilled at birth. Thats really interesting with cats though. Im not much of a cat guy, but it definitely makes sense.
     
  11. dowtish

    dowtish Horrid Stonefish

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    So the mirror worked! sweet!

    I think that people theorizing about animals having self awareness is a joke. We really have no idea what goes on in their heads, just as much as I don't know what's going on in a woman's. ;)

    Fish pair up all the time, and you can see this with tangs, chromis, clowns, wrasse, anthis, blennies etc. They inherently know their own species, and recognize their own. Even with tangs that are different, their body shapes are similar and this can be where the aggressiveness enters the picture. I have also seen where a yellow tang bullied a yellow wrasse simply because they were the same color. And then the best one out there is, adding a cleaner wrasse last to a tank full of fish, and they just somehow "know" what he is there for, and never show aggressiveness towards them.
     
  12. malac0da13

    malac0da13 Torch Coral

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    Elephants and dolphins will also recognize themselves in mirrors. Just putting that out there. I would also assume it is seeing the sameor similar fish as itself and is either fighting off to protect its food source or competing for dominance.

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