Mandarins mating ritual pix
 

The mandarins seem to do there courting ritual several times a week now after the lights start dimming for the dusk effect. I need to remember to turn the vortechs down next time because the poor things get busy and aren't paying attention to their surroundings and next thing you know they are in front of a powerhead & get blown all over the place and seperated. Then they have to find each other again and start all over.
Here's a few images from tonights session.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...rins018555.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...rins014222.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...rins012444.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...ins0185556.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...rins007333.jpg

So cool!! Thank you for sharing these pics.

thats cool

Lucky you! Have you ever raised fry?

I find the mating dance that dragonets do (scooters do the same dance) is strangely mesmerizing. They're movement is very sinuous and beautiful.

Very cool Greg! :cool:

Hahahaha I had Barry White in my head the whole I was looking at those...Great pics!

I haven't seen any yet although I assume they would be eaten up pretty quickly.

In one word...WOW ! ! !:jaw:

that is so awesome... they are very beautiful:lol:

If I ever get the opportunity to upgrade I will build a tank for a pair of these beauties. Magnificent.

Something I find interesting is the male stays almost exclusively in his territory which is the right hand quarter of the tank and the female spends her time wherever she wants and is usually in the other 3/4 of the reef. Then at dusk she goes cruising into his territory looking for him. If she happens to venture into his territory in the daytime they pretty much ignore each other. The only time he goes out of his regular area of the reef is when they are doing their spawning dance. So in theory if a person has a big enough tank and pod population one could have several males who would each set up their individual territories and several females who can go where ever they please. I believe that is pretty much how they live in the wild. This male's territory is only about 2 feet by 3 feet so in my tank I think I'd feel comfortable adding in at least one more pair.

WOW! Can't wait until mine start doing that!

Awesome Snappy! Thanks for sharing! :)

Thanks for looking.