Lake Tanganyika Species • Multi Mother eating fry?

[Darkskies]

Hi,

Two of my multies have had fry. The first one's fry(about 7) are usually out and about in the morning(expanding over an area of several shells) but by the afternoon and night time you can only observe maybe one or two. Today, I was watching the mother and she is always assuming a 45 degree angle with her body scanning the shellbed for signs of any snails presumably. She might also be making sure the fry are all there. However, just now I noticed her 'attacking' two of the fry that were visible and they disappeared in her mouth. She then proceeded to move to one shell in particular and grub around inside it. I've noticed that she pays extra attention to this shell and oftentimes seems to be 'attacking something inside it. I'm worried she might have eaten the two fry that I DEFINITELY observed being siphoned into her mouth.

On the other hand was she just moving them to the interior recesses of the shell she was grubbing inside afterwards? Are multies known to move fry around after they're free swimming? I suppose that would make sense since it's hard to spot any fry at this time or at night and she might just be trying to make sure they're tucked away inside a shell at this time of day.

I hope I don't have a cannibalistic multi mom..

[Deeda]

She is probably just relocating them to a better shell though if this is her first spawn there is always the possiblity someone ate them.

[24Tropheus]

Sometimes multie mums will eat fry if they think they have too few to have success rearing em (recycled to produce more eggs).
Its not time to give up on the mum unless she does it multiple times.
Multies prefer to raise young under a pile of shells or in dug out caves under rocks in the sand.
Just shells with sand yep they can sometimes manage to protect em but do better with a network of dug out cover (shells or rocks) were other fish inc rival multie males can be kept away.

[Ardeus]

I didn't know multies recolated their fry. Is this someting that can be observed normally or is it an exceptional event?

[Vamze]

I didn't know multies recolated their fry. Is this someting that can be observed normally or is it an exceptional event?

It happens quite often. If a fry gets too far from the shell she might grab it and spit it out again near the shell. I've seen this on many occasions.