What do gouramis use their thread-like fins for?

[purple permelia]

Does anyone know? I wondered if they functioned like cat whiskers. Since my male got stuck in the castle doorway, that blew that idea out of the water.

Mine seem to use these to communicate with each other. Do these specialized fins have a biological name?

 

[stingray4540]

they are "feelers" they are actually specialized fins that are very sensitive. I'm not sure about communication, i have seen mine touch each other with them, but i don't know if that's just to figure out exactly how close they are to each other or to communicate. Please, someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[echoofformless]

I'm of the belief that they use them for feeling around and checking things out. I recall a few times when I introduced new fish and my gourami would go over to them and feel them.

 

[Roan Art]

I had a dwarf gourami in QT on my desk for a month, so I was able to watch him a lot.

They are actually very amazing fish. One thing I noticed is that you don't see them use the feelers as much when they are in a tank with other fish. Probably cause they know the other fish may bite them off.

So, alone in the tank this is what I saw: the feelers don't just hang down, they touch *everything* with them. Plants, food, other fish, substrate, you name it. They are constantly moving back and forth, sometimes one independant of the other.

They are very antennae-like, but they remind me of how a horse uses their ears to focus on sounds.

Roan

 

[patoloco]

They are very antennae-like, but they remind me of how a horse uses their ears to focus on sounds.

This is what I was thinking. I keep a group of gouramies (now, 9 down to 7) in a planted tank and whenver they group it seems like they are shaking hand or something.

This could be a form of communication, but I really believe it's from sensing the sorroundings.

 

[MoparORnoCAR]

They have taste sensitive nerves on their feelers, so when they are feeling around they are actully tasting whatever they are touching.

 

[graphicdesign_r]

Yup they are used when foraging.

If you have a sick or weak fish in your tank and a gourami starts feeling them out, it is usually a good idea to separate them.

I saw my firend's gourami doing exactly that before attacking another fish.

 

[Leopardess]

They are called Ventral fins. They are indeed used for gaining sensory information. They can be used to feel out other fish, to find their food (to taste their food, even. Fish have taste receptacles all over their bodies), to give signals to other fish (like flaring of fins), to gauge distances, etc.

My two Pearl gouramis (one died quite some time back) used to feel each other constantly. They always looked like they were hugging. They were both males, very peaceful, were raised together since they were quite young. I miss watching that.


Here's an asbtract to an article about blue gourami ventral fins and "handedness'!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...ve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11282142&dopt=Abstract

 

[purple permelia]

Leopardess, thanks for the link to the article - how weird! I know there must be a specific name for these ventral fins, because biologists have names for everything. Too bad that the article just called them "modified ventral fins."

graphicdesigner, thanks for the head's up on the feeling of sick fish. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for that sort of behavior. (Who does your hair, man?)

Mopar, yuck about them tasting everything, but it makes sense.

patoloco, they do seem like they are shaking hands. By "communicating" I think I meant greeting each other. I certainly wasn't thinking that they are holding conversations about when I'm going to feed them or their opinions on their tank decor.

Roan, I can relate to the horse analogy. I used to have an Arab, but fish are all I have time for these days.

echo and stingray, it appears as if they are taste testing each other. Ewww.

I watched mine some more today, and they also touch the glass to see how close they are to the wall.

 

[patoloco]

I know there must be a specific name for these ventral fins, because biologists have names for everything. Too bad that the article just called them "modified ventral fins."

The most specific name I've used for those organs is "feelers". Seems clear to me and is very specific.

I certainly wasn't thinking that they are holding conversations about when I'm going to feed them or their opinions on their tank decor.

:thud: :thud: :thud: