In one of my Betta burdigala tanks, I make no move to interfere with any of the fry that are produced by the adults in there. While I often don't end up with a large number of fry, I do get to see how the individuals (especially the younger fish) within this family group interact with each other. I particularly enjoy watching the changes in behaviour as each fry matures. Juvenile and sub-adult males in particular seem to spend a lot of time flexing their muscles and 'asserting' their dominance over the other fish in the tank. Unfortunately, when you are at most half the size of your older siblings and parents, you tend to not get the kind of respect you think you deserve. All these photos are of a single juvenile male in my burdigala tank. He is the largest juvenile presently and as such dedicates a lot of time and effort into bullying his younger siblings. Oddly enough, the two adult males in the tank seem completely oblivious to his presence. It is usually his mother and adult sister who put him back in his place with perhaps slightly more force than is necessary. I am just hoping that if any more fry appear in the next few months that they are female. With the four most recent juveniles already looking like definite males, the original female and her four daughters are going to have their hands (or fins) full with this lot!
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AuthorLocated in Melbourne, Australia, I currently keep and breed a number of species from the coccina complex. Archives
November 2017
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