Aggressive behaviour in Sewellia lineolata - photos!

The forum for the very best information on loaches of all types. Come learn from our membership's vast experience!

Moderator: LoachForumModerators

Post Reply
User avatar
Emma Turner
Posts: 8901
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 5:07 pm
Location: Peterborough, UK
Contact:

Aggressive behaviour in Sewellia lineolata - photos!

Post by Emma Turner » Thu Jan 12, 2006 4:44 pm

Hi all,

On Tuesday evening, we were waiting at the shop for our usual tropical fish shipments to arrive. However, they were later arriving than usual, so in the meantime, I went round having a good look at all the fish in the shop, making sure that everything was ok. When I got to my favourite part - the loach section - the Sewellia lineolata immediately caught my eye. Two of them appeared to be scrapping with each other right out in the open, on top of the sand. I didn't want to disturb them, so I slowly crept up on them, but surprisingly they didn't seem bothered by me at all and carried on. So I went and grabbed my camera and started to take some photos of them, and they continued to ignore me.

They were doing the hillstream 'topping' behaviour now and then, but mostly it seemed to consist of nibbling the flanks of each other. To start with it seemed to be one fish doing all the chasing and nibbling, then after a while, the roles seemed to swap and the other fish became the 'nibbler'. This went on non-stop for over an hour, by which time I really wasn't sure if I should be separating them (they were breathing pretty fast). None of the other Sewellia in the tank got involved, and stayed out of the way on the glass or on the bogwood. I thought they were probably ok, as although the chasing was quite fierce, the actual nibbling looked to be quite gentle. But then just after an hour, I started to see slight marks on the skin of one of them, where the other one was continually nibbling, so I decided I would separate them. However, as soon as I opened the cover slide, they dashed under the bogwood with all the others and got completely mixed up. I decided to let them settle again to see if it started up once more, but nothing happened and we turned the lights off ready for the new fish that were coming in. I have never yet seen the ones at home in the River Tank behave in this manner, and this is the first time any at the shop showed signs of aggression.

There are a lot of photos, so I hope you enjoy them:

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Maybe they should kiss and make-up....
Image

Hope you found this interesting,

Emma
Last edited by Emma Turner on Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Image
East of the Sun, West of the Moon.
Image

User avatar
Graeme Robson
Posts: 9096
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 4:34 am
Location: Peterborough, UK
Contact:

Post by Graeme Robson » Thu Jan 12, 2006 4:58 pm

Superb!! :D Picture quality is amazing! Specimens are fantastic!

Males being males......


Graeme.

User avatar
Jim Powers
Posts: 5208
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 6:15 pm
Location: Bloomington, Indiana

Post by Jim Powers » Thu Jan 12, 2006 5:18 pm

Great shot, as usual, Emma. Your insights on this gorgeous species are always welcome, even if they do make me more and more envious :D

jerry_tyler
Posts: 93
Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2006 5:56 pm
Location: greenville texas

pictures

Post by jerry_tyler » Thu Jan 12, 2006 5:27 pm

excellent as usaul . One day I will be able to take pictures like that.
I hope
thanks for sharing
jerry

Mark in Vancouver
Posts: 14252
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 12:41 pm
Location: British Columbia

Post by Mark in Vancouver » Thu Jan 12, 2006 6:12 pm

That is massively cool, Emma. That's probably the first evidence we have of distinctive behaviour in this species - at least in the tank.

Great stuff.
Your vantage point determines what you can see.

User avatar
Martin Thoene
Posts: 11186
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 5:38 am
Location: Toronto.....Actually, I've been on LOL since September 1998

Post by Martin Thoene » Thu Jan 12, 2006 7:20 pm

Emma! I cannot believe you managed to get so many excellent photographs. Especially since I know these guys were whipping around pretty violently as evidenced by the flying gravel.

These are really significant photos IMO and we absolutely must use some when we get into redoing the Species section.

I would totally agree with Graeme that this is two Males getting into it. The slim side-on profile is pretty indicative as are the very clearly defined colouring and markings.

Beautiful fish!

Can I cry now? :cry:

Martin.
Image Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

Image

User avatar
Emma Turner
Posts: 8901
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 5:07 pm
Location: Peterborough, UK
Contact:

Post by Emma Turner » Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:54 pm

Thank you for your kind comments! :D
I feel priveleged that I was able to watch this show of aggression for over an hour in a well-lit tank, with the two fish concerned right out in the open. I am amazed that they weren't worried by me being there so close to the tank, and with a camera continually flashing away!
Anyway, I am pleased that I've been able to document this with so many photos, and glad to be able to give a little insight into their behaviour. 8)

Emma
Image
East of the Sun, West of the Moon.
Image

User avatar
Hendra
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:54 am
Location: South Kalimantan, Indonesia

Post by Hendra » Sat Jan 14, 2006 12:14 pm

Very nice shots of beautifull specimens!! :D
Ever got S. speciosa? Curious to see the pictures of live fish!!

User avatar
Graeme Robson
Posts: 9096
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 4:34 am
Location: Peterborough, UK
Contact:

Post by Graeme Robson » Sat Jan 14, 2006 12:27 pm

Wouldn't we all! The pdf file only shows black and white preserved specimens of:

Sewellia pterolineata
Sewellia speciosa
Sewellia diardi
Sewellia elongata

:?

User avatar
Hendra
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:54 am
Location: South Kalimantan, Indonesia

Post by Hendra » Sat Jan 14, 2006 12:42 pm

I very curious with S. speciosa, because its looks very gorgeous even in B/W pictures of Preserved specimen!!! :D

User avatar
Graeme Robson
Posts: 9096
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 4:34 am
Location: Peterborough, UK
Contact:

Post by Graeme Robson » Sat Jan 14, 2006 12:55 pm

I agree. The contrasting colouration as is described sounds fascinating. As well as the familiar pattern of certain species. :D



Graeme.

User avatar
Emma Turner
Posts: 8901
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 5:07 pm
Location: Peterborough, UK
Contact:

Post by Emma Turner » Sat Jan 14, 2006 2:33 pm

Sadly no chance of finding S. speciosa over here yet, Hendra. The S. lineolata have become available only very recently, and not many shops have them (or are likely to know how to look after them properly).

Emma
Image
East of the Sun, West of the Moon.
Image

Mike Ophir
Posts: 417
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2006 9:22 pm
Location: MA, USA

Post by Mike Ophir » Fri Jan 20, 2006 1:07 pm

Emma!! WOW! Those photos are amazing! Its a shame we cant use them in "the book." Simply unbeleivable. You documented quite some interesting behavior.
Keep up the good work.

Mike

User avatar
MaryJ
Posts: 79
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 8:19 pm
Location: Glenville,Pa

Post by MaryJ » Sun Jun 11, 2006 12:48 pm

Wow Emma nice pics. Gee your fish are as pretty as mine. :lol:
125 5 Clown Loaches, 7 Discus
55 3 Discus,polkadot loach,clown Pleco
55 Cories,Betta,Platy juvis
29 Cories

mamaschild
Posts: 532
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:15 pm
Location: San Diego, CA

Post by mamaschild » Mon Jun 12, 2006 10:19 am

Emma, that was FABULOUS :!: :!:

What a rumble, huh ;) You are so lucky to have seen it and the pics.....wow, can't get enough. I love when they "flap their fins".....gonna fly away :lol:

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 110 guests