Communication

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Mon May 29, 2006 4:44 pm

This is just a speculation, but I wonder if the Zebra has some kind of noise they make to communicate...

I recently sold my 250 Liter tanks due to my inability to keep up with the maintanance of them. In that process I moved fry from one 250L to the other, while the parent group went to another tank.

What caught my attention is how these 10 days old free swimming fry managed to find their way from one end of the 250 Liter to the other end where the other brood was hiding under the males cave, and join them. It was almost like they had a homing beacon!

I've also witnessed another incident that I thought interesting, and only possible if they had some kind of communication going, but I'll get back to that one if it happens again, which it should as the conditions are in favour if I'm right in my assumptions.

Have any of you witnessed anything that might indicate that they do have a "language" of some sort?

Wet Pet · Post by **Wet Pet** » Mon May 29, 2006 7:02 pm

I think you are right. I also think this applys to other [Catfish] as well.

discusred · Post by **discusred** » Mon May 29, 2006 11:01 pm

I think more that parents sent out some kind of smel in the water???

inia · Post by **inia** » Tue May 30, 2006 11:31 am

I think they defenately smell each other, maybe there is a sound too, sometimes they move their heads fast up and down, like they were making "klicking" sound. And they also do rub their bellies against their favourite caves walls, like making some smell markings.

NetsuaiAngel · Post by **NetsuaiAngel** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 2:24 am

Reviving thread.

McEve, I've noticed my fry (bought not born in the tank) have managed to 'partner up' with the adult zebras I have in my tank.

At first, with my old tank setup I couldn't observe the zebras very well. But with my new setup I can watch how the fry will now follow the adult zebras when they go cave hopping.

Now when I say 'partner up' what I mean is that the adult zebra (both of mine are male) will be inside the cave and the fry would be hidden on the outside panel of the cave nearby. Once, I spotted an adult zebra on one side of the cave (outside) and the fry on the opposite and they were posed exactly the same. It was very cute.

What I find interesting is that the adult males don't seem too bothered with the fry but the fry are very, very curious and will mimick the adults. The fry will seek out the adults to be close to them.

I would love to hear them communicate someday. Anyone have an underwater mic? Now my curiosity is peaked!

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 12:01 pm

I've bee nthinking about an underwater mic too NetsuaiAngel, my curiosity knows no bounds

The other incident I talked about happened at night, so I missed it, but it did happen. The male hearded his brood to a safe place, a little bit away from the other older fry, put them there, and must have been able to tell them to stay put as nobody has ventured back into the cave again. They are now mixing more with the older fry as well.