I have started to keep tropical fish and the breeds seem to hang around with their own kind.
Now, on the basis that they can't see themselves how do they know that there mates are the same breed as them?
2007-01-04 04:17:01 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
They learn it in fish schools
50 million years of evolution probably instills instinct
Good Question
2007-01-04 04:27:38 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
OK In one tank i have 2 platys 4 tetras 7 neon tetras 7 African dwarf frogs. 1 female Betta 2 dwarf Gourami 4 Cory Cats 1 Oto Catfish My other Tank I have 1 Kissing Gourami 1 Rainbow Shark 1 Figure 8 puffer Than I have a Male Betta in a 2.5 gallon tank with a snail. You can tell the diffences between a male and female by The male had long fancy tail. And very pretty And the females are usualy not so pretty. And i don't think they have the fancy tails. The link i have below has a picture of a Male and a female will give you an idea what the differences is.
2016-05-23 02:48:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's a jolly good question! I never thought of that. Applies to lot of other species too.
I suppose the easy answer is instinct but I can't imagine how that would work.
I suppose, although they can't see themselves completely, they can twist round and see bits of themselves and then see the same things on other fish. And they would have some idea of how their bodies moved and could see others moving similarly. And they'd be instinctively tempted to the same type of food as others of their kind and then they might tend to swim around with teh ones who went to the same places. But I still can't account for it.
Sorry. I'm still thinking about this. Maybe it goes back to when they were hatched. Fish always have lots of babies at once. So they would have seen the ones around when they were born and knew they were of that type. And for other creatures - like birds of a feather - they would have followed their mum from birth and so known their type - that's my best guess I think
2007-01-04 04:19:45 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is instinct. How does a newborn baby know to hold its breath underwater? To recognize the shape of a human face? To breathe?
These things, as well as conspecific recognition, are imprinted on their brains and in their DNA. They know what they are attracted to in a mate. Just like people - you'd never look at a gorilla and think 'wow, that is one hot, sexy gorilla!' lol well unless you have bizarre tendencies. But when you see a good-looking human, you notice, even if only subconsciously.
However, it's not a fixed rule. Male guppies will chase female platies around. Part of it is hormonal, you see; females expel certain hormes and pheramones, and so do males. Instinctively, the opposite sex reacts to them.
Part of it is behavioural. You're a little peaceful neon tetra. You like to be with other neon tetras. You would not go near an african cichlid or a big angelfish - you know you'd get eaten.
2007-01-04 04:49:43 · answer #4 · answered by Zoe 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Actually that isn't always the case. They have a general idea as to their type, but that won't stop them from assosciating or attempting to breed with other kinds of fish.
2007-01-04 04:23:46 · answer #5 · answered by thomas 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have kept tropical fish for 9 years.They never fail to amaze me.they are intelligent.Also you will find out some will be shy & some once they get to know you will follow you round the tank.Mine nudge my fingers,swim between them & one I have to feed him by hand.They are fascinating,I never thought I would become hooked.To me there all pets.Good Luck
2007-01-04 04:23:48 · answer #6 · answered by Ollie 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
as they are the same species they tend to like to swim around the same areas of the tank they notice that the fish around them are similar to parts of themselves that they can see and reflections they see of themselves in the tank walls and they realise that these fish are no threat they tend to familiarise themselves with them. also many fish come from different taxonomic classifications so a lot of other species will instinctly recognise their kind
2007-01-05 02:57:37 · answer #7 · answered by lee p 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
well your fish are probably used to swimming with the same breed and have no idear what the other breed are so they prefer to be in the same breed then a differnt type.
2007-01-04 04:21:18 · answer #8 · answered by Chesh » 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well I cant really answer that because I keep Molly's, Platys and guppies and those guppies will try to mate with all the others!
I also keep apple snails and the male's will mate with other male's, rocks, filters, you name it!
2007-01-04 04:21:21 · answer #9 · answered by angelmwilson 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Built in nature really, the same thing that stops a gorrilla nobbing a giraffe...
2007-01-04 04:30:43 · answer #10 · answered by chrisbowe82 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋