I'm not 100% sure that they do cause much in the way of major marks on the others by using their mouths, although plenty of biting does seem to occur. The noise they make when they bite probably sounds a lot worse than it actually is, and I think is quite likely a dominance sign.Vancmann wrote:
Do you know if your loaches bite each other and also cause marks on the flanks with their mouths? Regarding them poking an eye out, I have never read of this here or seen it so I am not to worried about it. Have you read about anything like loaches poking an eye out on LOL?
An interesting thing I have noticed lately is that just before Marge and Stripes commence battle, they always appear sitting at 90 degrees to one another. Whenever they do this, Marge then starts doing this severe flicking out and in of the barbels (looks like she is very cross, but no sound - that I can hear anyway - is made). They both then start to grey out and then lunge. I think the 90 degree thing is so that they can eye each other up better.
Anyway, I don't recall any eye injuries caused by fighting with spines on LOL, but I could be wrong.
Emma
