Intra-pair usage of a lateral or tail-up display in a monogamous butterflyfish(1.8MB, 00:00:19)Shot Location: Kuroshima Is., Okinawa, Japan | ||
 | species Chaetodon lunulatus Key Words | |
|
Intra-pair usage of a lateral or tail-up display in a monogamous butterflyfish(1.8MB, 00:00:19)Shot Location: Kuroshima Is., Okinawa, Japan | ||
| species Chaetodon lunulatus Key Words | |
|
Animalia >Chordata >Osteichthyes >Perciformes >Chaetodontidae >Chaetodon >
The butterflyfish forms heterosexual pair bonds. Each pair defends a feeding territory against conspecifics. In territorial disputes, the fish frequently perform tail-up display or lateral display . However, the display is performed also toward the pair partner.
This movie shows such a intra-pair display, being observed when a pair rejoined each other after their separate swimming for some time. A female swims toward her male, which performs the tail-up display to the female that approached him. He rises the tail and lowers the head. He shows its lateral side to its partner and curls the body laterally, turning the head away from her and directing the tip of the caudal fin toward her. He looks like the letter S, from the dorsal view.
Yabuta (2002) argued the causation and function of such a intra-pair usage of the display: it is caused by the miss-recognition of the partner and its function is to prevent risky attacks between partner.
See also the movie ŽÔmomo010711c102aŽÕ in this database. This movie shows the territorial disputes with the tail-up display.
Yabuta S (2002) Uncertainty in partner recognition and the tail-up display in a monogamous butterflyfish. Animal Behaviour 63: 165-173
(Data No.momo041211cl01a)
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