Who Gives A Fish Forums

Just checked on my tank and my male and female kenyi are doing this weird thing that looks like they're kissing. Thought they were fighting at first but they're being super gentle with each other.

Got a pic, can try for a video if you need it.

I'm pretty sure fish don't get the same vibe as us when they lock jaws - it's probably just fighting. Unless things escalate, I wouldn't worry too much, they're just figuring out the pecking order.

I'd agree with lanky_bark, you often see this in a tank till the dominant one's satisfied that everyone knows who's in charge.

I actually figured it out myself, they were indeed mating. I also caught them doing this weird dance thing. I found a YouTube video that shows the exact same behavior - pretty cool stuff.

So now that you've confirmed they're mating, what's the plan for the potential fry?

Raise the first batch, sell the rest off - my tank's already at capacity, don't want to overstock.

Locking jaws, to me, is a clear sign of aggression or dominance. That dance, or shimmying movement, it's similar to what they do when spawning. Does she have a mouth full of eggs now? If not, I'd just assume they were fighting.

They look pretty small in that pic, hard to tell for sure, but they don't seem mature enough for spawning to me. How big are they, exactly?

Yeah they were definitely mating, I'm sure of it now. They're about 4 inches, and there were eggs, she had a mouthful until I spooked her and she swallowed them.