Re: [APD] cardinal schooling behavior

["boolybooly" <boolybooly at ntlworld_com>]

Karen & Reggie, I didn't know that about cardinals, and might get some one
day if I see some doing that in smaller schools as I have a South American
themed tank. Those I have seen in shops weren't schooling or I would have
got some. Some neons I once had did not school.  I got rummy noses because
they are also alleged schoolers. But they were not grouping well once they
got over their new tank. I found by accident that having a moderately
aggressive fish in there with them makes them school more tightly eg penguin
fish which is a pushy fish chaser and gets worse if its target is chicken
like rummys. After removing the aggressor they remained persuaded to school.
So I use the pengiuns like sheep dogs to train and condition the rummys. I
would guess tank fish may become too relaxed in benign company to school,
rather than genetically degenerate !

The text book explanation for schooling generally is predator defence in
that it lowers the chances of an individual fish being eaten because it has
less chance of being targetted, so it makes sense they would school under
threat.

Apparently cardinals need to school to develope colour. When coloured up the
cardinal is not exactly well camouflaged which might play a part in the
evolution of the behaviour as bright fish may attract predators. Why it has
such bright colours in both sexes in the first place is a puzzle. I dont
know enough about them to answer that. But maybe penguins would work with
cardinals too.


Richard :)

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