Communication methods

[Mizu]

As any of you found informations about the complex communication between the dwarfs? From my observations, from only one specie, there is; colors and movements. I could only speculate others like pheromones and vibrations.

Rapid change of colors, going from yellow and black stripe in females and sub-males to solid different shades of yellow. One dot on one side and two on the other. Almost becoming black due to stress or aggressiveness.

In the movement departement, I have seen the "falling leaf", orienting the body at 30 degrees downward during intimidation, rotation of 360 degrees in small incremments to gather the fries.

Those are the communications I've noticed. What have you observed?

 

[tjudy]

I am very interested in communication, and have been experimenting with Pelvicachromis females for almost two years. I give a talk to aquariums clubs onthe topic.

Communication can be broken roughly into two parts: mecahnical and chemical. The pheromones you mentioned are the chemical, but there is little evidence to support that they are used for purposful communication. Pheromones are important 'notifiers' of intent (such as readiness to spawn, fear or aggression), but probably do not say specific things.

Mechanical communication includes visual messages in the for of fixed action patterns (color and pattern) and expressive movements. Mechanical also includes sound or motion waves felt by the fish through its lateral lines. Sound with fish is barely understood, and cichlids are not a target species... but I suspect that if anyone were to invest in a good hydrophone we woudl learn a lot more about that dimension of communication.