Section 6...continued..
(apologies for taking so long....time has gotten away from me)....
I will continue with the commonly used abbreviations or words associated with clownfishes. Previously, in (post 13) I mentioned about different types of clownfish pairs. Here are some terms when speaking about clownfishes......and will be edited at a later time for alphabetical order...but not at this time.
cleaning - I will take this as an action verb, or a gerrund (i.e. The clowns look forward to cleaning for you). Cleaning occurs either with first time spawners, and also occurs prior to each successive spawning event. Both male and female clowns perform this duty, sometimes so much that their mouths form blisters. Normally, they nip at nearby rocks by their area or a pot, or an area by their anemone where they have decided as a couple to lay their eggs. Once they feel the area is clean enough of debris, algae, and any other material that will prevent the eggs to stick, they will be satisfied and stop 'cleaning'. More on this later.....
rapid breathing - Just as it states, it is an action by clowns that describe the quick and and continuous pumping of the fish's gills. This is unlike any normal gill pumping. Often times a symptom of stress and/or disease. More on this later.....
hosting - I am treating this as an anemone 'hosting' or being present for clownfishes to go in. It is theoretically not the clowns that host in the anemone, but that the anemone is the host for the clowns.
WC - Refers to clownfishes that are taken from the wild (i.e. captured from the wild); otherwise known as wild-caught
CB - Refers to clownfishes that have been spawned, hatched, and grown all 'in-house' away from their natural ocean homes; otherwise known as 'captive-bred'. I will use CB from now on and stray away from TR or 'tank-raised' as that term is somewhat ambiguous.
tail-swishing (informally) - Refers to action by clownfishes whereby they rapidly move their tails back and forth in rapid succession in order to mark/defend/mark territory; this event is easily visible in a sand bed tank, where an area near the clownfishes may be barren of sand due to them moving the sand by 'tail-swishing' it away. This action is not to be mistaken with 'cleaning'.
will be edited as it continues...
Best,
Ilham
(post 14)