Feeling Each Other (not In A Rude Way Lol)

[richchappy]

Alrighty, just wondering if what it means when gouramis touch each other with there feelers, is it a greeting, sign of friend ship, or somthing totaly different, i have noticed in the downstairs display tank the 2 drawf sunset? gourmais do it a lot....

Just wondering

Rich

 

[sylvia]

Those feelers are modified ventral fins. In the wild, many gouramies live in still or murky water where vision isn't that useful. Being able to feel your way around is great - but being able to also taste what you are feeling is even better. Amazingly, gouramies' feelers have taste cells on them which the fish can use to literaly taste the things they touch. Touching other gouramies is simply another way of exploring the tank and possibly of recognising each other. 'Feeling' isn't a sign of aggression

 

[fenwoman]

Gourami, the originaly 'touchy feely' fish?

 

[richchappy]

i didnt think it was violent, just making sure cos there so cute they go round together and if one goes off for a little while and when it comes back the fell each other, almost like saying hello lo

 

[Paradise_Gourami]

The feelers on a gourami are much like a whisker on a cat in the sense that they are hyper sensitive. gouramis will use them to identify odd objects and just to find their way around in the danrk and such.