Polypterus behaviour

[JohnFM]

So is it normal for them to occasionally grab onto each other with their mouths, or can this be considered overly-aggressive?
There never seems to be any damage done, and they let go pretty quickly.

Generally, one goes to the other ones hiding place, has a nose around, has a quick bite and then lets go.

It does seem to be males biting females, but I dont know if its a courtship thing, or just a dominance thing.

Any thoughts?

 

[CFC]

Sounds like perfectly normal bichir behaviour to me, my 3 are always having the odd nip at each other. Like you said no damage is done so i see no reason to be worried about it, prehaps its just how bichirs say hello?

 

[beblondie]

territoral defense not a big prob as long as they all have hiding places availible.This
can be displayed in juvi bichirs as small as three inches. I had 3 juvis in a 10 gallon grow out tank and each claimed a spot ,1 under a root ,1 on the sponge filter and another under the heater-Anne

 

[SirMinion]

One of our Dragon gobies was in the polypterus tank at the LFS (they thought it was some sort of bichir, the morons) It's poor fins had chunks ripped out and it was very thin. the other fish had been using it as a punch bag for some time.

We bought it and it seemed to recover at first, it's fins healed nicely. But it died four weeks later having lost interest in feeding.

Those Poly's are such bullies!

 

[BichirKeeper]

Hah, male Senegals biting females? In my tank, Elanor wears the pants. She's nowhere as large as Oscar, but she'll chase him until he hides in his log. After that, they're fine. It's pretty comical though, her being only a third his size. (They're the same age too)

So, it's fairly normal, don't worry about it.

The pair, about two years ago.