What causes kissing fish not to kiss?

When two kissing fish meet, they attach firmly to each other like two suction cups, and can hold the kissing pose for a whole afternoon, pressing hard against each other without any regard for the surrounding environment. If you want to admire their "kissing" spectacle, then patiently wait by the aquarium where kissing fish are kept, and you will be treated to a fine sight. Now let's take a look together at why kissing fish don't kiss!

How do you tell male and female kissing fish apart?

Male and female kissing fish are not easy to distinguish. In juveniles, male and female are almost impossible to identify. In adults, the male's anal fin is generally broad and long, and the body appears somewhat slender, while the female's anal fin is narrow, the body is broad and thick, and the abdomen is slightly bulging. After the female reaches sexual maturity, her abdomen swells because it is full of eggs, which is very obvious when viewed from the top of the fish tank down.

Why do kissing fish kiss?

Many people are moved by the "sweet kissing" behavior of kissing fish and think it is an expression of romance and happiness. In fact, the truth is just the opposite: the kissing between kissing fish is not an interpretation of friendship, still less a display of love, but a kind of fighting behavior. Kissing fish have the habit of defending territory, and when two fish collide, fighting behavior appears. Their mouths are their attacking weapons, and kissing is the way they fight each other. The battle between two kissing fish is definitely not just play; their fighting attitude is firm and they do not retreat in the slightest. In the end, the standard for the fight ending is that one side retreats and loses.

Why don't kissing fish kiss?

1. Not mature: only 2-month-old juvenile kissing fish show "kissing" behavior.

2. New environment: having just changed environment, kissing fish also need a process of adaptation. As long as the environment is suitable, once the fish gradually adapt, they will still kiss.

3. Stocking density too sparse: the stocking density of kissing fish should not be too sparse, otherwise each goes its own way and there are fewer chances to kiss.

4. Getting along harmoniously: if the kept kissing fish get along very harmoniously and no fighting behavior appears, then of course the kissing action will not appear.

5. Lack of a competitive magnetic field. Some experts say that so-called kissing fish are not actually kissing, but fighting. If one male and one female cannot achieve the effect, then it is better to put in several more males to form a competitive magnetic field. With more males, none will yield to another, and they will vie to compete, so the kissing situation can instead appear.