Observations of kribensis mating behavior

[KaidoLynx]

Hey there,

I've recently brought home three Kribs with the hope of finding a pair. If things work out, I'll rehome the third one. However, their behavior has me stumped - I'm not sure if it's aggression or mating. One Krib is being quite aggressive, chasing and pecking at the others. But then there's the one that quivers every time it's touched. I thought quivering was a sign of courtship, but does that still apply if it's not doing it voluntarily? The chaser even locked lips with the third one, and they spun around in a circle, fighting for a couple of minutes. It seems like they just can't get along, but with the quivering and lip-locking, I'm unsure if they're trying to mate. I'd hate to separate a potential pair, but if it's aggression, it's not healthy for them to stay in this situation.

Could someone please help me sex my Kribs, or tell me if this behavior is normal for mating? I'd really appreciate it.

Here's the chaser



Here's the one that locked lips with the chaser, and runs away



Here's the one that quivers and runs away

[zenora]

They seem female to me, the round pink bellies are a giveaway. Males wouldn't have that, and usually you can tell by the dorsal fin too, but it's hard to see in these photos.

I'm not convinced the lip locking is a mating thing, to me it looks more like aggression.

[KaidoLynx]

I was thinking the same thing, but I've also read that some cichlids will lock lips as a way of pairing up. It's really confusing, though - I've been trying to find more info on their breeding behavior, but all I can seem to find is stuff about what to do once they've already formed a pair.

[riverrun4]

Hey there,

I've recently brought home three Kribs with the hope of finding a pair. If things work out, I'll rehome the third one. However, their behavior has me stumped - I'm not sure if it's aggression or mating. One Krib is being quite aggressive, chasing and pecking at the others. But then there's the one that quivers every time it's touched. I thought quivering was a sign of courtship, but does that still apply if it's not doing it voluntarily? The chaser even locked lips with the third one, and they spun around in a circle, fighting for a couple of minutes. It seems like they just can't get along, but with the quivering and lip-locking, I'm unsure if they're trying to mate. I'd hate to separate a potential pair, but if it's aggression, it's not healthy for them to stay in this situation.

Could someone please help me sex my Kribs, or tell me if this behavior is normal for mating? I'd really appreciate it.

Here's the chaser



Here's the one that locked lips with the chaser, and runs away



Here's the one that quivers and runs away

I'm pretty sure they're all females, I've got a video of a male and female pair that might help you out. Check it out and you'll see what I mean about the males, they're pretty distinct.

[KaidoLynx]

Thanks so much for the help. I took them back to the lfs - the chaser was getting way too aggressive and I was worried it'd end up killing the others. I'm sad about not being able to breed them, but at least I learned what to look for in a male and female krib now. Thanks again.

[zenora]

Yeah, it's all trial and error with these things. You gonna give it another shot and get another pair? I've got a pair that's just starting to show some promise, she's been working on the coconut cave and it's actually looking pretty neat - there's a little pile of sand outside the entrance, so fingers crossed.

[KaidoLynx]

Yeah, I'm not sure about getting another pair of kribs just yet. I'm dealing with some major fish losses in my tank right now, so I need to get things stabilized before adding more. Kribs seem super territorial, and with only a 29G, whatever I get needs to get along with the others until my 75G is set up.

Congrats on your pair starting to breed, that's awesome! I hope you see some fry soon!

[lintel]

I've got a pair of Pelvicachromis taeniatus klugei that'll be ready soon - you can check out the vid I posted earlier to see the difference between the male and female.

[creekdwlr]

Here's a tried and tested technique for sexing kribs. It's pretty much foolproof.

Females are usually around 2-3 inches in length, and their stomachs are slightly rounded, even if it's just a bit. You'll often see a prominent red or purple color on their stomachs. The dorsal fins typically have a lot of gold coloring, and the pelvic fins are usually the same color as their stomachs - almost never blue. The black bar along their body is a bit thinner than on males.

Males, on the other hand, are often longer - around 2-4 inches - and have a more torpedo-shaped body. The black bar is thicker, and they tend to have a flat stomach, not rounded. Their pelvic fins are usually blue, and if their stomachs have any red or purple color, it's not very prominent. You'll also notice less gold on their dorsal fins.

[riverrun4]

Here's a tried and tested technique for sexing kribs. It's pretty much foolproof.

Females are usually around 2-3 inches in length, and their stomachs are slightly rounded, even if it's just a bit. You'll often see a prominent red or purple color on their stomachs. The dorsal fins typically have a lot of gold coloring, and the pelvic fins are usually the same color as their stomachs - almost never blue. The black bar along their body is a bit thinner than on males.

Males, on the other hand, are often longer - around 2-4 inches - and have a more torpedo-shaped body. The black bar is thicker, and they tend to have a flat stomach, not rounded. Their pelvic fins are usually blue, and if their stomachs have any red or purple color, it's not very prominent. You'll also notice less gold on their dorsal fins.

One crucial aspect that's been overlooked is the pelvic fin shape, which is a key identifier for sexing kribensis fry. Females have these distinctive club-shaped pelvic fins - they almost resemble little shoes - whereas males have pointed and elongated fins. Another notable difference is in the dorsal and anal fins; males have elongated fins with coloration all the way to the tip, whereas females have shorter fins with coloration that stops about three-quarters of the way down.