Clownfish shaking at each other

[seafan]

I have 5 anemones, 8 clownfish and at least one of them is female. I sometimes see two clownfish go parallel to each other and shake at each other (one shakes, and then the other one does).
Is this mating behavior?
Is this normal?

:?

 

[revhtree]

It is normal and from my understanding it can be a mating ritual so to speak...

 

[seafan]

Thanks rev.

 

[schoeplein]

Yeah, mine do that same thing... very weird. :?

 

[FlyingL0]

LOL... One of mine was doing the same thing the other day. I though something was wrong with it. I guess not.

 

[badfish]

i heard that when they shake it means that there is a mated pair, the one that is shaking is the submissive one (the Male). are the ones that shake smaller? Does it kind of look like he is having a seizure?

 

[FlyingL0]

For me the bigger one was shaking?

 

[seaham358]

My percs do that all the time, very strange looking. My GSM don't do it..

 

[seafan]

Does it kind of look like he is having a seizure?

Yeah, it does. They aren't a mated pair, because both of them were of equal size, and I already have a female in the tank.
Can I have two mated pairs in a tank?

 

[StripesTheEel]

depending on size.. yes

 

[pufferman]

well my smaller one usually does it when the bigger one gets kind of cranky towards the small one.