Sparring question

[gwand]

What’s the correct term for when two fish of the same species go nose to nose, moving back-and-forth in a horizontal manner? Is that sparring? My butterfly cichlids (a. thomasi) do it all the time.

 

[Marc Pozz]

What’s the correct term for when two fish of the same species go nose to nose, moving back-and-forth in a horizontal manner? Is that sparring? My butterfly cichlids (a. thomasi) do it all the time.

Jousting?

 

[Back in the fold]

I’ve heard the term sparring used often . It’s not displaying because that’s part of courtship . You are talking about two males I assume ?

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Perhaps duelling?....or fencing! En guarde!

 

[gwand]

I’ve heard the term sparring used often . It’s not displaying because that’s part of courtship . You are talking about two males I assume ?

I assume, but I can’t tell males from females in African butterfly cichlids. No sexual dimorphism that I can discern.

 

[Back in the fold]

I assume, but I can’t tell males from females in African butterfly cichlids. No sexual dimorphism that I can discern.

It sounds like two males but we need a cichlid expert to chime in here .