Cockatoo Changing Markings

[Flubberlump]

I have a pair of apistogramma cacatuoides double red in my community tank. They get on great and don't bother any of the others. They do spend a fair amount of time together, and the male seems to go looking for the female if she swims off and escorts her back to one of the caves. They go in all of the caves but seem to use a particular one at night, and that's the one he takes her back to.

His colours have developed really well and he shows off to her all the time, spreading his fins and flicking his tail sideways at her. What is intriguing me, is that she changes her markings a lot. She's still the pale yellow that they are usually, rather than the bright yellow brooding colours, and it's the black markings that change. One minute she'll have a faded black line down either side, then it'll change to a really dark solid black, and then within a few seconds the stripe will disappear completely and a black spot will appear on each side (not necessarily in that order.) She practically changes them as you're watching!

Does anyone know what these different markings mean? I haven't really noticed any patterns, like if she has particular markings at feeding time or anything like that.

Edit: sometimes she has a faded black stripe as well as a dark black spot. Just looked at her now and that's what she is at the minute.

 

[Flubberlump]

Anyone?

 

[minnnt]

Its normal, just showing different emotions. Stress, attraction to the male, water conditions, food, etc. She will be bright yellow when in good condition and ready to breed.

 

[Alex.]

When I got mine the females were grey with very little bright colour at all on them.

Now the females are both spawning and they're bright yellow with really solid black lines. As above - I think it's mood etc.

 

[Flubberlump]

Thanks I assumed they would show different emotions, but i wondered which markings meant which emotions. She changes them so fast and so often! I'm not trying to breed them or anything, I thought I could describe her better by comparing her to the breeding colours.

Alex, she's a sort of pale yellow, but she has some nice red coloration on her fins! She had it right from coming out of the bag, I even wondered at first whether she was actually female! She definitely is though.

I've been trying to get some photos of her, but its hard to get nice clear ones of the markings. Here she is the day I got her though:

Here's the male the day I got him:

They've both grown quite a lot, and the male's colours have brightened up a lot. He has a lot more blue on his body than he did, and the red is darker. I'll have to try and get some photos of the different markings she displays.

 

[Alex.]

Yeah she's nice looking and definitely female! Don't be surprised if they do breed - as I bought 2 females and 1 male and they're both doing it!

I've found when they're breeding apart from the obvious which is you'll see her guarding a cave, they go bright yellow with really defined markings.