4 replies to this topic

[centrarchid]

We have had the privilege to work with large numbers of Bluegill's and more recently Black Crappie plus several other species from time to time.  The Bluegill and Black Crappie are showing signs of aggression / brattiness around feeding time that is very interesting and complicates in our efforts to culture them.  With the latter species in particular we trialing multiple variations to their environment  to promote feed intake as it is limiting growth performance.  What it cool is the color changes associated with both species.  The intensity of color and the behavioral changes varies with the quantity and type of food / forage involved as well as fish species. 

[gerald]

I have noticed this even more with salamanders than with sunfish.  Even when food is provided in abundance, if a salamander sees a nearby conspecific eating, it will often attack the one that's eating rather than grabbing another prey item for itself.

[centrarchid]

The targets of attack I am seeing with the sunfish need not be eating themselves. The attacker could be the one doing the bulk of the feeding and be processing an item at the time it attacks.  The Bluegill have the ability to intersperse attacking other fishes and snatching food items.

[Betta132]

Food aggression is pretty common among just about every species that's even mildly aggressive. 

Personally, I've seen a 2" longear bite a 5" warmouth in the face for swimming near it while there were clam bits in the tank. I've also seen zebra danios nip each other's scales off during feeding, although I'm not certain if that's just because they were too enthusiastic to care what they were biting.

[centrarchid]

I am familiar with what you mention but examples I  am seeing are more signal rich / formal and very often sustained.