Petting the Peacock Bass

[LBDave]

So this female bass (Theo) is getting very aggressive. Absolutely loves to eat. Now bites me thinking I am food. But she allows me to pet her. She never used to do this. I think she associates it with eating but also think her eyesight is changing? Thoughts?
BTW she can see my shadow 50 ft away and reacts when I move in the house. Thinking she will be fed.
She is so aggressive. Thinking this is what impacted her mates death. She's just so aggressive.

IMG 2494

6.5 year old pbass getting petted.

youtube.com

This is just a short pet. Hard to hold phone and film at the same time. Sometimes I pet her side and she gets mesmerized.

 

[Conchonius]

It might be that she interprets the petting as you picking parasites off of her. Cleaning symbioses are better documented in marine fish but we're coming to realize that they're very common in freshwater too. The bass might have the instincts to allow others to touch her since it is beneficial in the wild.

As for why she only allows you to do it now, well, fish are like cats: they like their routine and are slow to change. Maybe she just learned that petting feels comfortable (and comes with a chance of food on the side!)

I don't think it has too much to do with eyesight - my fish are very well aware of where I am at all times, even in the dark. They're sensitive to vibrations and I guess my footsteps travel well enough from the floor to the tank. They also react to a guest moving around in another room, even with a door between them.

In any case, Theo is a great-looking fish and it's good that she's so interactive with you. Sorry about her mate, though.

 

[LBDave]

It might be that she interprets the petting as you picking parasites off of her. Cleaning symbioses are better documented in marine fish but we're coming to realize that they're very common in freshwater too. The bass might have the instincts to allow others to touch her since it is beneficial in the wild.

As for why she only allows you to do it now, well, fish are like cats: they like their routine and are slow to change. Maybe she just learned that petting feels comfortable (and comes with a chance of food on the side!)

I don't think it has too much to do with eyesight - my fish are very well aware of where I am at all times, even in the dark. They're sensitive to vibrations and I guess my footsteps travel well enough from the floor to the tank. They also react to a guest moving around in another room, even with a door between them.

In any case, Theo is a great-looking fish and it's good that she's so interactive with you. Sorry about her mate, though.

I think she associates it with food. Almost a routine.