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- Location
- Stoughton, WI
I have a pair of the red form of P. sacrimontis that are managing a spawn completely outside of a cave. The female cleared some gravel (and plants) out of an planted terracotta flower pot and laid the eggs on the inside about 1/2" from the rim. Once the larvae hatched she has moved them to various small pits around the aquarium, but never into a cave or even into a place that is completely covered from above (such as under a piece of wood). Currently, she has them sitting on the sand at the base of the flower pot the eggs were laid in. Her color pattern is consistent with a female sacrimontis that is brooding larvae, but she and the male are behaving like a pair that are guarding free swimming fry. They are already communicating with each other and trading off the hovering duties.
There are three caves in the aquarium set up in the way that other P. sacrimontis have found appealing. This is the first spawn for this specific pair, and they are wild fish. What makes the situation really intriguing to me is that they share the aquarium with 8 voracious Arnoldichthys spilopterus (African redeye tetras). With fry predators like those around, one wold think the cichlids would use any cave they could find.
There are three caves in the aquarium set up in the way that other P. sacrimontis have found appealing. This is the first spawn for this specific pair, and they are wild fish. What makes the situation really intriguing to me is that they share the aquarium with 8 voracious Arnoldichthys spilopterus (African redeye tetras). With fry predators like those around, one wold think the cichlids would use any cave they could find.