Rasbora Hengeli: Breeding Behaviour?

[geo7x]

Hi,
I was just experimenting with my camera and I managed to snap a picture of my hengeli rasboras doing this:

They kind of hover right up next to each other, as if they are stuck together, and....well.....I guess.......wiggle and then flick away from each other.

They used to do it ages ago and they've started doing it again over the past week or so, along with quite a lot of chasing each other which they normally never do.

Is this breeding behaviour? I'm not really bothered just thought it was interesting.

 

[rossyboy]

I was going to post this exact question.

I keep Harlequin Rasboras and mine do this, side by side swimming n then rubbing etc

I can only presume it's a mating activity as one of them has a rather large belly now!

 

[Lateral Line]

These are not typical egg scatterers. Rather, the female lays individual eggs on leaves, often the under side of a leaf and the male kind of "wraps himself around her" to fertilise them one at a time. What you are seeing may be precursive courtship, but I have also seen 2 males do this in what passes for "dominance struggles" if such a thing is possible in the notoriously peaceful Rasboras.

 

[geo7x]

Ah I see, thanks LL.

Something to do with dominance would make sense as it tends to be one rasbora going round and doing it with all of the other rasboras.

 

[srem]

i've noticed my harlequin rasbora doing this aswell. i was hoping it is mating behaviour as i only have 4 and want a larger group.