Gouramis 'feelers'

[ddm18]

Hey,

I've got 2 red honey gouramis, and I know lots (if not all) gouramis have these same 'feeler' things that run from just below their mouths and usually rest along the underside of their bodies.

The question is this - what are they for. Occaisionally one will 'hit' the other with it's feelers, is this an aggressive thing, a friendly thing, a pecking order thing or something else? I've never seen them doing it to other fish, only to each other.

Thanks
Dave

 

[Cheese Specialist]

My golden gourami touches other fish with her feelers. Dunno what they're for, I'd be interested to know.

Oh, and kissing gouramis don't have them

 

[ddm18]

My girlfriend (an idiot!) thinks that they're tentacles and that they're stinging each other! Hmm...

Dave

 

[Cavafish]

My pearl gouramis seem to use them to keep the other fish at bay when there is food around

 

[Doggfather]

i think it has something to do with locating food...or something used to identify foreign object (such as rocks, other fish, plants)

 

[Connor333]

When I put my fingers up to the glass my Three-spot Gouramis come over and "feel" the glass where my fingers are.

 

[tstenback]

I believe they use them for the equivalent of our smell and taste.

 

[Fawke]

I would imagine they are used in a similar way a cat uses its whiskers - to gauge width. Also to "feel" what is infront and around them.
Maybe to get its surroundings as an extra "sense".....

Then again i may just be talking rubbish, but after watching them they seem to use them to do this kinda thing?

 

[clutterydrawer]

heheh, fish tentacles

I too have always equated them with cats' whiskers...dont really have a clue though.