Parents Eating Eggs

[HybridS130]

Im just curious, does anyone know why the fish that are well known for eating their own eggs, do it? Is there a logical reason why they don't have something that says "No! That's not food". Or is it that in nature it's just that much harder for them to come across their own eggs be it size of the lake, stream, etc, murky water, or maybe because they're constantly swimming so they don't come across them as they fall?

Maybe they just want to make things more difficult for us?

[HybridS130]

Oh, I suppose it could also be that they don't distinguish their eggs from another fish's. Being that they're hungry constantly maybe they just can't pass up the chance to take food.

Just some random thoughts.

[Damon]

A lot of fish will eat their eggs if they are unfertile, or start to fungus. They will also eat them if they sense a threat to them.

[HybridS130]

Don't many fish also just eat them if they see them? This is why I love cichlids, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat parents.

[flamingo]

Most fish either probably don't remember, or don't even care. There could be a thousand reasons why.

[emc7]

Cichlids have an instinct to protect their eggs, most egg scatterers don't. They don't need it if they don't provide parental care. At best, they have an instinct to spawn somewhere eggs are hard to retrieve from (like over java moss).

[robyn]

they are obviously r-strategists which means they breed very rapidly, but the infant mortality rate is very high and the estimated lifespan is very low. parental care is limited or non-existence in their cases (lol-been studying bio like mad!)

[mr.dark-saint]

From what I remember some parents get in that clean the rock mode and forget they laid the eggs. Or some eat the eggs since they think they can't fend off the aggressors. They have issues . When I did have them breed I really never let the parents watch over the eggs (unless I was late at pulling the rock out). After a day I'd pull the rock out and quarantine it in a tank with a touch of copper to reduce fungus. I'd either devide the tank or move the female out (Spousal Abuse).

I recon it's a condition like parrots pulling out feathers he/she can reach and pull. Funniest thing I ever saw at a vets office. It was a Blue/Gold Macaw from the neck up (at least I knew what it was from just that) but neck down it was a plucked chicken. It was a "train wreck" so one couldn't do anything other than stare at it (besides there wasn't anything else "that" entertaining at the office).

[robyn]

my uncles parrot did that. he went away and left the parrot at his friends bird park. he got a call a few days later saying someone needs 2 fetch the bird - he missed the family and plucked all his feathers out. at least they grew back fast hehe

[mr.dark-saint]

Must've jinxed myself. My Christmas Fulu just had a mouth full few days ago ater her clutch yesterday. I figure I either have a "I can't miss eating" fish or "what da ya mean I can't swallow" fish. We'll see how she does next time.