Swordtails Blow Bubbles

[pl*co]

Why do swordtails blow bubbles at the surface? It reminds me of kids blowing bubbles in their milk with a straw. They swim to the top, blow a few bubbles and swim off.

 

[Milky]

Nest brooder

Some fish are nestbrooders, an example of this type of fish is a beta
im not sure if swordtails fall into this catagory though could be..

 

[pl*co]

Thanks Milky. These guys are livebearers. Sorta why it confused me.

 

[happychem]

I don't have much of an answer for you pl*co, but mine do it too. Perhaps they have some form of anabantid-like mechanism that no one's yet identified? I don't know, just a wild guess.

 

[pl*co]

Thanks H.C. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to expand my vocabulariy, I looked up "anabantid", but it's not in the dictionary.

 

[dwayne]

Pl*co... anabantid correctly spelled anabantoid - fish like bettas and gouramis who can breathe air at the surface

I've never had swordtails, so I can't comment on the bubbles... maybe you and hc should start documenting this bubble blowing in case it IS a anabantiod thing??? But seriously I wouldn't worry unless it looks like they're gasping for breath.


~Tara

 

[pl*co]

ah... ok. That makes sense. Thanks Dwayne. I remember gourami's doing that when I had some a few years back. Actually, it's quite entertaining. ... but still not in the dictionary.

 

[dwayne]

Yes, I had one gourami for a year and a half and he was a great fish with personality!

I've even looked in a few online dictionaries and cannot find anabantoid either!! Very bizarre.

~tara

 

[pl*co]

Well I got out the fish book and it says.... Anabantoidea. ' course that's not in the dictionary either. Also, I just read where the Betta is an anabantoid fish. oh fer.... ... which means it has a labyrinth organ which it uses to obtain extra oxygen from the surface of the water. Finally... it really makes sense. Thanks!