PlanetCatfish.com

my bristlenoses have chameleon like qualities.

if i cause a large disturbance in the tank my favourite young bristlenose, for example, loses his spots entirely and becomes black with mis-shapen blotches..
i saw a bristlenose in the lfs that had decided it wanted to be yellow!

is this all normal?
it's just that in the cat-e-log there is no mention of this in the species info for bristlenoses..

bristlehead

Fishes undergo color changes depending on their mood. It's entirely normal.

I'd like to add to HH's post by saying that it's not entirely unique to Loricidae's, but also other fish can change colour depending on their mood.

For instance, many fish will have clearly brighter colours when they are spawning (or ready to spawn), and duller colours when they are scared, as two examples of "mood".

[And I'm certain that HH knew this, I'm just pointing that out for the sake of Bristlehead or any other reader that may not be familiar with this concept].

--
Mats

thanks fellas.
i was quite impressed because this was a fast change, rather than a slower say, breeding related one.

i love these little bristlenoses. i thought they were gonna be a little shy but they are really adventurous fish. i like the way the kind of jump forward sometimes. i don't if they are practising catching food or something, but it's pretty cool!

bristlehead

hi, hello.
glad you like your new fish. I have some starlight bristle noses which change shade a lot, sometimes mood or often what they are sitting on (pale sand or dark wood).
sometimes they (and my other plecs) do this jumping you describe - I call it "head butting an invisible wall" and wondered if it was playing at boundary protection or just posturing at the other plecs to say "look how strong I am" or whatever? or as you suggest practising pouncing on prey? has anyone else a suggetsion?