tail changes shape

[MikeNYC]

My apisto eliza had the typical male "spade" type tail, forming 2 points on both the top and bottom of his tail.

Just recently, I noticed that it has become much more rounded and the tips seem to have dissapeared. The tail is a little jagged now, so i am guessing that one of his 2 females may be biting back at him.

But, is it common for an adult male Eliza to change the shape of his tail or is this just aggression from one of his females. No sign of stress or uncommon aggression that I could detect over the past few weeks, as his tail has changed shape.

Thanks

 

[Mike Wise]

All A. elizabethae males start by having a extensions on both the upper & lower lobes of the caudal fin (lyretail). As they mature, only some males grow the middle section to where the tail has only 1 middle extension (spade or lance tail).

 

[MikeNYC]

well, it looks as though the 2 tips of his taile just fell off. It is a little jagged and more round now, but the tail is still somewhat symmetrical.

Curiously, one of his lower fins (pelvic?) is chopped in half.

I think it might be aggression by the older of his 2 females, who was recently introduced to the tank and he hasn't spawned with her yet. I have noticed her hovering just outside his cave at night, perhaps she nips at him during the night. I find this strange behavior, since there are about 4-5 caves for these 3 apistos.

Any insights? I will be posting pics soon.

 

[blueblue]

First, it is well known that male eliza's caudal fin will change shape when it grows as what Mike (Wise) just mentioned above.

Second, all apistos, include eliza, will have some small fights from time to time... so, it's quite usual to see the male or the female eliza having some
broken fins, etc from time to time. When there're enough hiding places for
them and the fight is not too fierce, we could just let them go.

Third, how many eliza do you have now? Which colour form do they belong to?