Kissing gobies

[howmanyds]

So glad to have finally gotten some blue spot Zambian gobies (I was searching for months).

Caught this picture of them kissing while doing some spawning dances.

Would the male kill the female during these dances? He seems to be picking at her pretty aggressively.

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

Cool picture, I love the goby cichlids. He could hurt her, but it's normally for the lip locking to get a little rough. Just keep an eye on them.

 

[howmanyds]

I don't understand the naturalistic point to spawning being a dangerous game.

I had read that gobies paired up and were monogamous. Yet I actually bought these guys as a trio from someone who's had them together since they were juvies: two M, 1 F. I now have one male sectioned off elsewhere to see if this pair will get along fine without the other male.

Would the female be in some way safer if there were two males?

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

Me neither but it happens all the time. Especially larger new worlds. They only thing I see happening if you put the other male in is killing each other. As for the monogamous, ime it depends on the fish just like aggression

 

[Rivers2k]

I don't understand the naturalistic point to spawning being a dangerous game.

I had read that gobies paired up and were monogamous. Yet I actually bought these guys as a trio from someone who's had them together since they were juvies: two M, 1 F. I now have one male sectioned off elsewhere to see if this pair will get along fine without the other male.

Would the female be in some way safer if there were two males?

Its natural selection. When they lip lock the male is testing the females strength to see if she is a good partner to breed with. If she is not it can get dangerous. If she is she hold her grown and puts the male in his place.

 

[howmanyds]

Wow. That makes total sense actually!

 

[Rivers2k]

Wow. That makes total sense actually!

I've been known to make sense everyone once in a while LOL. To little sleep last night and waaaay to much caffeine today I am surprised anything makes sense LOL.

 

[howmanyds]

That's a recipe for real brain science going on there!