In the animal kingdom, courtship is an essential stage of life, and winning a lover’s heart certainly requires considerable effort. Just as humans want to present their best selves to their significant other, buying new clothes, enjoying a grand meal, and preparing surprises on Valentine’s Day are essential for adding a touch of romance. For aquatic animals, the mating season for fish is mostly concentrated in spring and autumn, with the specific timing depending on the temperature in different regions. The most significant courtship display in ornamental fish is that during the mating season, their body colors become more vibrant, and different species of fish also exhibit various courtship behaviors. So, let’s take a look at what romantic moves these fish have!
The Molly Fish’s Love Cha-Cha
The Molly fish, also known as the Teapot fish, comes in three colors: black, white, and yellow, as well as special varieties like the Silver Swan and Red Balloon. Its characteristic feature is its plump, round body that resembles a teapot, making it very cute. Molly fish have gregarious habits and prefer brackish water. After a pair of Molly fish fancy each other, the male will closely circle the female, performing a grand ‘love cha-cha,’ as if the sun were revolving around the Earth, with the female as his entire world. The male will swim back and forth energetically, showing off his dance moves until they finally become a pair.
The Guppy’s Passionate Courtship
The Guppy is a very small fish, named for its beautiful tail fanning that resembles a peacock’s. The color of almost every Guppy is unique, making it a very popular ornamental fish. They are easy to care for, have strong vitality, and are suitable for beginners who are new to fishkeeping. The beautiful male Guppy will rapidly quiver its tail fin, much like a Flamenco dancer, using its passionate and unrestrained dance to attract the gaze of its desired partner. Once the interest is mutual, they will begin their romance.
The Arowana’s Cuddly Stroll
The Asian Arowana is one of the foremost ‘Feng Shui fish’ among ornamental fish, with different body colors such as Red, Golden, and Silver. The ferocious Arowana is an ‘apex predator’ that will prey on all small fish and shrimp, and it has a natural instinct to leap out of the water to catch prey. But such a giant, fierce fish has a tough-guy-with-a-tender-side. After a pair of Arowanas fall in love, they will remain deeply affectionate for weeks or even months, staying close to each other and swimming slowly side-by-side along the tank as if taking a stroll.
Kissing Gourami Fun Facts
Seeing these various displays of affection from fish, are you perhaps wondering, do fish kiss?
Do fish kiss? The answer is yes!
This type of fish is called the Kissing gourami, famous for the image of two fish kissing mouth-to-mouth! But…… the kissing of the Kissing Gourami is not actually an ‘exchange of affection’! Regardless of gender, if two Kissing gouramis are ‘kissing,’ they are actually fighting for territory. The Kissing gourami has a habit of defending its territory, and when it encounters a companion invading its space, it will use its lips to bite and struggle with the other until one side gives way. The fish that successfully repels its opponent will not continue to pursue the loser but will return to guard its territory, while the defeated fish will hide in a corner alone to heal. Although the ‘fights’ of the docile Kissing gourami can last for several hours, with them firmly locking onto each other, this fish only fights fiercely with its own kind and is quite gentle and friendly towards other fish species, so there’s no need to worry about keeping them in a mixed-species community. Moreover, the Kissing gourami has a habit of feeding on algae, which is very beneficial for cleaning the tank’s ecosystem. This peculiar phenomenon has evolved to be endowed with the meaning of sweet love. Isn’t that interesting?
Kissing Gourami Fact File
The Kissing gourami has many alternative names in Chinese, including ‘Kissing Mouth Fish,’ ‘Kiss Fish,’ ‘Peach Blossom Fish,’ and ‘Kissing Betta.’ It gets its name from the fish’s habit of ‘kissing’ each other. It belongs to the Helostomatidae family and is one of the well-known varieties of tropical ornamental fish. In captivity, its body size is about 10 cm, and its body color is uniformly light red. It has no special requirements for water quality, and a water temperature between 22-26 degrees Celsius (71.6-78.8 degrees Fahrenheit) is suitable.
Original article by 搬运工, if reproduced, please cite the source: https://www.kaipet.com/en/unveiling-courtship-ornamental-fish-molly-fish-dance-cha-cha-guppies-dance-flamenco
Comments(2)
The Kissing Gourami’s ‘territorial kiss’ is incredibly interesting! I’d love to know if these ‘fights’ ever cause serious injury among them.
@CriticX：That’s a great observation, CriticX! While their territorial ‘kisses’ can be quite intense and last for hours, Kissing Gouramis are generally docile. The article notes that serious injury is rare, and the defeated fish typically just retreats to heal, rather than sustaining lasting harm. They are quite peaceful with other fish species too!