GSM behavior with clutch of eggs (update with new video 7/16)

[Third Coast Tropical]

Just wanted to share some video of one of my pairs of GSMs. I have 2 videos ere, the first is mainly of the female strutting her stuff. The eggs are difficult to see in this video,but notice as I round the corner of the tank how the male reacts.

http://s677.photobucket.com/albums/vv138/LTSmash_photos/?action=view&current=IMG_01941.flv

The second video you can see the eggs behind the male if you look real closely. They are silvery and sway in the water. These eggs should hatch tomorrow or the next nite. Notice how the male is moving in front of the eggs. He is oxygenating them. From time to time, the female will take a turn,but mainly she protects him and the clutch.

http://s677.photobucket.com/albums/vv138/LTSmash_photos/?action=view&current=IMG_01961.flv

[funkyseamonkey]

My clowns are doing that same shimmy thing in the first video. they do this under a cave that i have made with the rock, mainly the female she will swim under the cave and then do that shimmy thing in the sand throwing sand everywhere. what does this mean?

[Third Coast Tropical]

The first video is pretty common behavior. It is a part territorial, part maintenance. She is particular about the way her area looks, and keeps it in order. She'll bite me if I go into the area. Its a pretty common display.

[funkyseamonkey]

thats pretty cool. do you know any signs that are obvious and say that they are interested in breeding?

[Third Coast Tropical]

Best sign is if/when they pick at a particular area, cleaning it in preparation of laying eggs....

[alton]

Neat Video thanks. Of the clownfish I have had, the GSM was the most aggressive(Of course size does matter)

[Kristy]

Thanks for sharing that video Lindsay (sorry about my guess at the spelling of your name?). The second video could be especially helpful for folks I think. Now that I have seen how my clown pair acts with a clutch of eggs, it is actually the male clown's behavior that tips me off to go looking for eggs. (Our female seems to ALWAYS act that way - very protective of several different areas of the tank, continually "cleaning" the area by moving things she doesn't want there, etc.) but if I notice that the male doesn't seem to leave that one spot, except for an occasional quick dart to grab a bite of food, and then I see that behavior where he is "cleaning" / guarding / oxygenating then I start looking for a clutch of eggs.

This is especially important given that they are in a 210g tank with three anemones and their preferred spot for the eggs is only visible by standing on a stool and angling a mirror down into the backside of our tank. If I did not have those behavioral clues from the male, I would have no idea when our clowns had a clutch of eggs!

[lwharper]

Your pair is still as tempermental as I remember man...or so it seems. Good to see that they are still producing!!! The girl you gave me just keeps pumping out the eggs. Trying to figure out how to keep the fry going for longer than a couple of days. I must say Lindsay, it is sooooo much harder than I ever thought it would be. Those are some great videos. I am glad that mine aren't GSM. My tomatos are aggressive enough for me.

[txg8gxp]

Your pair is still as tempermental as I remember man...or so it seems. Good to see that they are still producing!!! The girl you gave me just keeps pumping out the eggs. Trying to figure out how to keep the fry going for longer than a couple of days. I must say Lindsay, it is sooooo much harder than I ever thought it would be. Those are some great videos. I am glad that mine aren't GSM. My tomatos are aggressive enough for me.

Great....all I wanted to hear. I'm researching breeding and have GSM. hahahaha

[Third Coast Tropical]

New video....This is from Monday right after this pair laid a new batch of eggs. This shows the color difference very well in eggs from spawn day as opposed to hatch day. They are very bright orange here, and will get darker as time goes on and eventually become very silverish as seen in the first videos posted.

http://s677.photobucket.com/albums/vv138/LTSmash_photos/?action=view&current=IMG_02311.flv

[Kristy]

Wow... that looks like a nice big clutch of eggs!

[Third Coast Tropical]

This is video of the most recent clutch of eggs. In the video, it is the day after the spawn. This is a HUGE spawn. It has been that way for awhile. I haven't worked with a batch for a little while. I have a bunch of other things going on. I'll probably start rearing again in the fall sometime as long as they are still spawning.

http://s677.photobucket.com/albums/vv138/LTSmash_photos/?action=view&current=IMG_0308.mp4