Big Mouth

[LeStat]

Hi, Can anyone tell me why one of my clowns opens his mouth as wide as he can repeatedly every now and then?

He tends to do it in the morning & evening which makes me think he's yawning!!! I caught him on camera doing it yesterday, it looks funny: -

[wasserscheu]

To me it looks like you are making faces in front of the tank and the clown tries to follow you making some also

Emma has documented that "yawn" with a very similar pic like yours (1 or 2 years ago? don't remember the thread subject)

Mine do it very rarely. Tried to catch it on cam years ago, but never succeded, Have not seen them doing it for a long time.
Actually my loaches hardly yawn anymore, they did that occasionally (but rarely display their "tube" like yours).
When my Y.Caudipunctata yawn, their spine flashes. No other fish around, must be just some kind of "anatomic" movement?

If another clown is around it could be body language. I have posted one pic a while ago (don't remember the thread), where the smaller male clown is doing that towards the female alpha clown and it appeared like it was a "ready to fight" message. No fight followed though.

One other option reminds me of some gobies, who move their lips to get rid of sand or other stuff underneath the lip.

I like your pic, their mouth is a very interesting feature.

[Bully]

My alpha B. striata does this on occasion, this very morning I have watched her do it a few times. It seemed to be almost a relaxation technique, almost as though she were stretching. There were no other fish in the vicinity, she had taken up residence in a piece of bamboo and was starting to chill out, as much as a fish can chill out

[David Marshall]

Hey

You will find that some catfish, in particular African Giraffe, will carry out similar activity. With Giraffe's it literally means 'good morning, time for you to give me breakfast'.

Regards David

[soul-hugger]

I have seen my Weather Loaches do something very similar. They do seem to do it when most relaxed, and I always assumed they were yawning, too. Either that, or trying to stretch the muscles of their faces, that they spend so much time using to root around. It does look funny, though mine have never shown the insides of their mouths that you were lucky enough to catch on camera.

soul-hugger

[LeStat]

Still love this picture, I've not seen him do it for years though.

[MandaMunky]

PERFECT SHOT!!

Wow! That's so cool that you caught that on camera! My little ones do this quite often... not sure why? Just a funny little quirky stretch or something similar to that I imagine.

Thanks for posting here, but I think it should go on that funny loach thread, too!

[LeStat]

I'll post it on there too

[MandaMunky]

OMGOMGOMG!!! I was going through some old pictures of my fish & LOOK!! I caught Big Bertha doing the "big mouth" pose too! LOL Seeing your picture reminded me that they used to do it, but I didn't realize that I actually had a picture!? The little guy pictured here with her passed away. His name was Baby Bear & he was one of my original clowns. He was purchased in a group of 3 & although I treated them all rigorously with Levamisole & other antiparasitics, antibiotics, & antifungals, that mysterious white stuff never did go away & he eventually got to the point where we had to euthanize him. None of the other fish ever suffered the same ordeal & are still healthy today. So strange?! =(

[LeStat]

Great pic