My 2 clownfish

[joker577]

I've had these fellas for over 4 months and they always stay together but even after all this time the smaller one still does the harlem twist...I thought that a territorial gesture now wouldnt they have resolved that by now?

 

[joker577]

Bump******

 

[returnofsid]

Depending on the age of Clowns, territoriality, sex determination and pairing off can take up to a year. The younger the clowns, the longer it can take.

 

[leebca]

More than likely it isn't a territorial issue. The behavior is probably one of mating and/or gender.

It is a continuous process for the female to keep the male subjugated to maintain the gender. On the other hand, it is also the 'growing process' to determine which will be the subjugated fish (the male) and which will be the dominant fish (the female).

Both fish send body language signals to the other as a part of their acknowledgment of their relationship. There are, of course, several different such signals including biting and outright harassment.