Social Behavior
Mbuna exhibit strong social behavior and establish a clearly visible social hierarchy including well defined and enforced territories. A dominate male will maintain a spherical territory only allowing females to enter this territory for breeding purposes. Over-crowding helps spread out the aggression caused by these territorial conflicts. By over crowding, it is possible to break down these barriers and create an environment where no particular individual gets bullied to death. They are maternal mouthbrooders and breed readily in good conditions. Most species thrive in colonies made up of 1M and 3-5F. This allows the gravid females to hide peacefully until gestation by dispersing the males advances throughout the harem.
Read more about this topic: Mbuna
Famous quotes containing the words social and/or behavior:
“When women can support themselves, have entry to all the trades and professions, with a house of their own over their heads and a bank account, they will own their bodies and be dictators in the social realm.”
—Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815–1902)
“A method of child-rearing is not—or should not be—a whim, a fashion or a shibboleth. It should derive from an understanding of the developing child, of his physical and mental equipment at any given stage, and, therefore, his readiness at any given stage to adapt, to learn, to regulate his behavior according to parental expectations.”
—Selma H. Fraiberg (20th century)