Keyhole Cichlids

[scientist0724]

Last August, Jon gave me a couple of male keyhole cichlids and they got along fantasically and would hang out with the rest of my fish. They hang out with each other constantly and there is never any aggressive behaviour between the two.

At the last meeting I picked up a couple of females that were sent to Sam from Bill, and though there were a few chases here and there, nothing really happened except that the females would hide from the males.

There had never been any mating or spawning behaviour before I got my females.

Well, I was doing some water changes last night when I noticed that my male keyholes were chasing everyone away from a corner. I peeked in, took out my flashlight, and lo and behold, they had spawned.

But what has me really puzzled, is that it's the two males that are guarding the nest! They chase the females and everyone else away.

Is this normal behaviour? And why is it that both males are guarding the eggs???

I'm so confused! :unsure:

Arlene

 

[verbal]

Could it be your "males" are actually a pair?

 

[JLW]

At a guess, I would say that one of them is female. Key holes can be very difficult to sex.

 

[scientist0724]

It could be. But they look like they are both males. And they didn't mate until I brought the two females home.

The males have really long streamers but the females don't. These two have really long streamers!

And Jon said they have never spawned for him before, so he assumed they were both male.

Arlene

 

[verbal]

Some times other fish can serve the purpose of "dithers" in forming a pair bond. It could be that they were higher up in the pecking order in your tank vs. Jon's tank.

 

[scientist0724]

Ok...

Well, in any case, I'm very happy!!!

Arlene

 

[scientist0724]

Out of curiosity, will the male try to mate with the other two females in the future?

I have three female angels and one male in a tank together, and the male constantly mates will all three.

Any chance of this happening with my group of keyholes, or are keyholes bonded mates?

Arlene

 

[Avatar]

Like so

Just no telling about males - of any species. Pair-bonding, where it exists, does tend to be stronger and more enduring in non-human species, however, testosterone is a capricious thing...

As a rule there simply are no hard and fast rules governing sexual congress between individuals, which is to say, almost anything could happen, including albeit unlikely that two males could contrive to share husbandry duties.
.

 

[dogofwar]

They're not particularly dimorphic fish, so one of the males could be female. Only the tubes will tell

Matt

 

[hollyfish2000]

my big alpha male rainbow cichlid would swap mates when a new one came along that met his fancy more, but then would switch back to the former sometimes, too. Another pair that I had never switched and were very loyal.

 

[scientist0724]

As a rule there simply are no hard and fast rules governing sexual congress between individuals, which is to say, almost anything could happen, including albeit unlikely that two males could contrive to share husbandry duties.
.

That's what my hubby said to last night. He thought maybe both males mated with a female, and since they didn't know "who's your daddy?", they would share responsibility since they had gotten along with each other before.

I looked at him like he was crazy :wacko:

But then again, who knows?!?!?

Arlene

 

[DiscusnAfricans]

That's what my hubby said to last night. He thought maybe both males mated with a female, and since they didn't know "who's your daddy?", they would share responsibility since they had gotten along with each other before.

I looked at him like he was crazy :wacko:

But then again, who knows?!?!?

Arlene

Sounds like we need Geraldo to do a paternity test.

And you are NOT the father....

 

[dogofwar]

That's Maury (or Montel), I believe.

Geraldo's been demoted to Faux News :lol:

Sorry couldn't help myself!

Matt

Sounds like we need Geraldo to do a paternity test.

And you are NOT the father....

 

[mchambers]

Not to get off topic, but does anyone know where the two leading Presidential candidates stand on the question of piscine dual-male parenting? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[jonclark96]

Congrats on the spawn. Jesse has a good point - the keyholes were on the bottom of the pecking order in my tank.

 

[scientist0724]

Ah, then these guys are going to have beautiful babies!

They both have long streamers and the edges of their fins have neon blue in them.

Now, I'm getting very excited! (I can hear the comments and jokes coming in...)

Arlene