Results for “gregarious”

Although gregarious by nature it is a shoaling rather than schooling species which develops a distinct pecking order between males. It should ideally be maintained in a group of 8 or more but the tank must be of a sufficient size which will allow weaker individuals some respite from dominant conspecifics and decorated in such a way that many broken lines of sight are provided. Conversely if kept singly, in a very small group or in cramped conditions it can become withdrawn and subdominant fish may be bullied incessantly.

The mouthparts of this species are highly specialised, reflecting its natural feeding habits of rasping algae and other organisms from rock surfaces. It feeds almost exclusively on unicellular algae and has very thick, extended lips and brush-like, mobile pads of teeth. The mouthparts thus form a rasping 'plate', used when the fish is feeding. It is somewhat rare in the hobby, perhaps due to its violent reputation or the fact that this is not a particularly gregarious species in nature...