kissing chromis

[bowfront26]

Has anyone else witnessed their blue chromis kissing? What are they doing?

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

fighting....are they same size?

[bowfront26]

yes same size. doesn't look aggressive. They lock lips, facing eachother, very strange.

[stykthyn]

I would say that it's an act of aggression. many fish lock jaws to wrestle.

[m3ntal]

Mine do it once in awhile...i have 3 of them..I've had them for 5 months now without them killing eachother...

[KDodds]

This, like in their closest FW relatives, Cichlids, is both a sign of territorial battle amongst same sex individuals as well as part of the mating ritual. I know, mine are constantly spawning. :D

[VengefulSakhmet]

haven't seen that yet...hope they're spawning and not fighting

[KDodds]

Do the two in question have somewhat longer finnage than the rest? Pay particular attention to the caudal fins of each. Do the lobes seem to have short streamers, or pointed elongations really, on one fish and not the other?

[tangyreefer05]

My africans will do this a lot like someone stated, I think it's a way they can size each other up more aggressivly then just doing circles with their fins up. Then when they really want to they start bitting and chasing then if they want they kill the fish. I have one chromis and plan on buying 4 more.

In the store his top half had a light tint of the green and blue and the rest was a silver, he didnt look that nice to be honest. I've had him for a few weeks and he looks amazing now. He never had color on his tail fin and now that and his body is just glowing with bright green and then blue at the right angle, very nice fish, also he is very active and friendly, always coming to the top and swims back and forth when he sees me come up to the tank for food. Zooplankton soaked in vita chem and osi flakes is what I use as their main diet.