title: Contribution to the ethology of Limnotilapia Dardennei (Boulenger, 1899) (Pisces, Cichlidae) II. Social behaviour: Qualitative observations.
abstract: This paper deals with some qualitative observations on the social behaviour of Limnotilapia dardennei (Boulenger, 1899), a mouthbrooding cichlid of Lake Tanganyika. It makes clear the interrelationships between and the contexts in which the elementary actions and patterns of markings - described in a previous paper - occur. Quantitative data are not included in this preliminary study. The general social and territorial organisation of Limnotilapia dardennei is treated, with special reference to fighting behaviour and social hierarchy, as observed in combination with territoriality. The reproductive behaviour of this cichlid is of the Haplochromis type. We give a short description of courting and spawning, and of the brooding habits of the female. This basic knowledge of social behaviour was required to allow subsequent quantitative research on the species.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium voor Algemene Dierkunde, Rijksuniversitair Centrum Antwerpen, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Coeckelberghs