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Just a couple questions, maybe they're stupid but hey....

Why do plecos 'blink'?

Last night after I cleaned the tank and all my plecos were crowded into the corner behind the heater, I was watching my rubbernose and Ancistrus sp. squabbling for more heater space and the Ancistrus sp. was actually flaring its gills at the rubbernose--I've never seen a pleco flare its gills before! I didn't know they could do that, has anyone else seen this?

1. Not sure, probably to just clean stuff of it.

2. I've seen it. It's even scarier with adult Royals, with all those odontodes (I think that's what they're called)!

I haven't seen them "flare" in any sense, but I have seen them "lock" the spines under there gills. Very aggravating when you are trying to remove them from a container with your hands.