Gastromyzon ctenocephalus- possible breeding behavior

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gulogulo
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Gastromyzon ctenocephalus- possible breeding behavior

Post by gulogulo » Tue Sep 20, 2016 2:44 pm

Last week I noticed three of my G. ctenocephalus exhibiting what I can only explain as courtship or mating behavior. I am really hoping for mating and I get some fry to survive. It started with just two individuals, the one I am presuming is the male was rearing, displaying, circling, and nudging the other (presumed female). He also lightened his base color to an almost shining color, somehow the base color and the spots were still distnct but nearly the same color, I think he somehow blended the base color so that when it neared a white spot it darkened and then faded to a shining near white color in between, I think I got a picture and will look for it to post. He also did a very promininent fin display showing of the striking light blue in his tail fin. They typically only briefly flash there tail fin as necessary to stabilize there swimming but he displayed continually for at least the 20 minutes or so I watched mesmerized. After his displays and dancing the female started to join in the circling dance and they started kicking up sand, almost like I would imagine a dirt killie would, they seemed to be intentionally flipping sand around. The whole dance took place at the edge of a large rock, I didn't notice at first but there was a small cave under a portion of the rock that appears to have been made by the flow but after all the sand kicking I cannot rule out that it was fish made. The dance eventually took the two under the rock ledge were I could not see them from time to time, all the while throwing sand everywhere. Eventually a third fish entered the frenzy colored like the presumed male, initially the first male tried to keep the second out but that didn't last and they seemed to trade off, especially when a couple of the unknown Gastro species casually swam in. There was no indication that the other species was trying to join in or eat eggs, they just seemed to be going about there business in the middle of the dance floor.

From the reports I have read about other hillstreams spawning some of this behavior is at least similar. They typically lay eggs on the leeward side of small pebbles, so the cave under the rock is similar but it would have been more inn the flow than I would have thought. The displaying and circling also seems to fit and is common to many, many other fish.

If I see any fry (behavior was witnessed last Wednesday or Thursday) I will post here shortly after. I am excited, even if I don't see fry I can hopefully get them to replicate the results and try different methods to discover eggs, fry.

Anyone have thoughts as to whether or not this was spawning behavior? Has anyone noticed anything similar in their hillstreams?
Current loach residents- 14 Pangio semicincta, 2 P. doriae, 4 P. myersi, 1 P. shelfordi, 5 P. anguilaris, 6 P. oblonga, 8 P. cuneovirgata 5 Chromobotia macracantha, 3 Gastromyzon ctenocephalus, 3 Gastromyzon species unknown

NancyD
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Re: Gastromyzon ctenocephalus- possible breeding behavior

Post by NancyD » Tue Sep 20, 2016 3:46 pm

That's exciting, good luck! I have never seen that behavior in my ctenos. Of the 3, 2 look the same on the underside, 1 different so I was hopeful. What are their tank & water conditions? My sewellia lineolata have bred a couple times but I haven't seen the "dance".
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gulogulo
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Re: Gastromyzon ctenocephalus- possible breeding behavior

Post by gulogulo » Wed Sep 21, 2016 9:54 am

They are in a 40 breeder, room temperature, with a power head with attached sponge filter for filtration. Water out of my tap is about pH 7.6. Fine black sand substrate with some rocks and pebbles of various sizes. Other than what they eat off the rocks I have been feeding them repashy foods. They really like the repashy, they have eaten Soilent and super green, bottom scratcher, and even spawn and grow a couple of times. I recently added some bolbitis but that was after the first couple times I saw them dance. At times parts of the dance are similar to the t position that Cory cats exhibit when they are spawning. I saw them dance again last night, they really displace a lot of sand, they uncovered a pebble that had been completely covered by sand last night.
Current loach residents- 14 Pangio semicincta, 2 P. doriae, 4 P. myersi, 1 P. shelfordi, 5 P. anguilaris, 6 P. oblonga, 8 P. cuneovirgata 5 Chromobotia macracantha, 3 Gastromyzon ctenocephalus, 3 Gastromyzon species unknown

NancyD
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Re: Gastromyzon ctenocephalus- possible breeding behavior

Post by NancyD » Wed Sep 21, 2016 10:46 pm

My fish love Repashy Soilent Green too. I don't think I've seen "bottom scratcher!?" I just ordered more, maybe next time for those other 2.

My substrate is Eco Complete, maybe too coarse? I may try adding some finer black sand. Other than that I think my tank is similar, a 55g w/2 HOB AC 70s, a powerhead & quite a lot of plants also at room temp. I'm not really sure I have all 3 any more. I only see 2 at any 1 time but, while not quite a jungle, there are lots of places to hide. They also maybe be aging, I've had them for 4.5 years & they were adults from another hobbiest (breeder of my sewellia F1s).

Do you have any pics of your tank? You know we love to see...Any & all info is great!
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ch.koenig
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Re: Gastromyzon ctenocephalus- possible breeding behavior

Post by ch.koenig » Thu Sep 22, 2016 11:19 am

Hi
To which reports about breeding do you refer? Non-Gastromyzini?
I know only reports about reproduction of G. auronigrus(?), G. ctenocephalus and G. lepigaster. Breeding behaviour has never been witnessed. Only one description of presumptive courtship behaviour has been reported by Philip DICKMANN in 2001. Two elements are noticed: T-position (remembers Cories)and swimming up with male holding female (as Sewelllia do). No change of colours mentioned.
Your description let's me guess, that is is a dominance fight. It happens, that two strong specimen "discuss" the matter and as you have seen, the day after again. To make shure who is still there in the morning is a normal behaviour and if the question, who is the strongest today comes up, they start again. I have seen fights of a length of 40 minutes.
A pic of a fighting pair - female right (females grow larger in all traded species as far as I know) is going to loose..
Cheers Charles

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gulogulo
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Re: Gastromyzon ctenocephalus- possible breeding behavior

Post by gulogulo » Fri Sep 23, 2016 10:30 am

I was refering to non Gastro hillstreams regarding breeding reports. Mostly using the leeward side of a pebble. I did note the T position several times in the dance and when the third individual joined, assuming what I am calling the male role, he and the original "male" both had the color change but the one they were directing their attention to did not. When the "males" squabbled with each other the color did not return to normal on either. While it certainly could have been a dominance display it looked more like courtship/ spawning to me. I have not seen any fry yet so I cannot confirm spawning. I took some videos from a couple of days earlier when they were engaged in what I would call a slow dance compared to the lambada that I referred to originally. I will try to post that to my facebook page and link here when I have time. If I see the lambada behavior again I will try to get so video of that as well. Regardless of what behavior it is, its interesting!

Maybe someone who is better at identifying sexes when not on the glass will at least be able to confirm if its one or both sexes involved, that could solve the mystery.
Current loach residents- 14 Pangio semicincta, 2 P. doriae, 4 P. myersi, 1 P. shelfordi, 5 P. anguilaris, 6 P. oblonga, 8 P. cuneovirgata 5 Chromobotia macracantha, 3 Gastromyzon ctenocephalus, 3 Gastromyzon species unknown

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