> > One thought is that they are all males and they have all been in full
> mating colors for three > months.
>
> What is the normal length of the reproductive season in this species?
> It could be that the extended time that they have been in breeding
condition
> has severely impacted their immune system (there is plenty of evidence
that
> elevated levels of testosterone has a deleterious effect on the immune
> response, particularly I would imagine in spp. that usually have a
distinct
> breeding season).
> The presence of multiple males will also probably have been a significant
> stressor without the need for actual physical damage to occur.
> So they might simply have 'burnt out'.
> This can happen with European Minnows (Phoxinus), and I've seen it happen
to
> male Sticklebacks. As far as tropical fish are concerned you will also
find
> that in the case of Loricariid species that usually show reproductive
> reseasonality, males will quite literally hump themselves to death in a
> constant cycle of spawning and brood care with no R&R, given enough ripe
> females.
> Pete.
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