Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A rather unusual courtship ritual in Tetraodon schoutedeni 🐡
Before spawning, the male can bite onto the female’s belly and remain attached while she continues swimming — a behaviour described as tandem spawning.
This close contact may help the male stimulate and detect ovulation, stay in the ideal position for fertilisation and prevent rival males from taking his place. Shortly before the eggs are released, the male may also press or nudge the female’s abdomen with his head. The pair then position their vents close together, allowing the eggs to be fertilised immediately as they are released.
Although it looks aggressive, researchers observed mainly light bite marks rather than serious injuries. It is a fascinating and highly specialised reproductive behaviour of this African freshwater pufferfish
#TetraodonSchoutedeni
#FreshwaterPuffer
#Pufferfish
#FishBreeding
#Aquarium
A rather unusual courtship ritual in Tetraodon schoutedeni 🐡
Before spawning, the male can bite onto the female’s belly and remain attached while she continues swimming — a behaviour described as tandem spawning.
This close contact may help the male stimulate and detect ovulation, stay in the ideal position for fertilisation and prevent rival males from taking his place. Shortly before the eggs are released, the male may also press or nudge the female’s abdomen with his head. The pair then position their vents close together, allowing the eggs to be fertilised immediately as they are released.
Although it looks aggressive, researchers observed mainly light bite marks rather than serious injuries. It is a fascinating and highly specialised reproductive behaviour of this African freshwater pufferfish
#TetraodonSchoutedeni
#FreshwaterPuffer
#Pufferfish
#FishBreeding
#Aquarium
