What Are Stress Bars For?

[DISCUS STU]

This may seem like a strange question but while I've kept Discus for years I've only recently, because of this forum, become curious as to what purpose they may serve the fish in nature?

Discus are about the only fish I know of that have this characteristic. While they signal stress or disease to a Discus keeper how would displaying fear or disease in nature, or to other Discus, be useful to the fish itself? Maybe there's no good answer but I'm curious about this unique characteristic of our fish. Could it possibly help camouflage the fish in dense vegetation?

[John_Nicholson]

They use them to communicate but also for camo. Just like angelfish. They are made for hiding in flooded timber.


-john

[YSS]

They are made for hiding in flooded timber.


-john

Makes perfect sense!

[DISCUS STU]

It's interesting how quickly stress bars disappear and the fish get extreme color, eyes coloring up, fins fully erect, etc., when they're in a head on fight with a challenger and vice versa. Discus adrenaline!

[FMA4ME]

Makes perfect sense!

Absolutely!! John, I think you're right, they should be recognized as communication bars, I mean yea they can communicate stress, but "stress bars" ...stresses me out lol. For a while I thought they only meant stress. I actually like how they look on most fish, but while I thought those bars only meant stress, I was freaked about all the bars I saw, even the fish on the SD logo has them!!

[DC Discus]

I prefer to call them 'emotion bars', many fish species have them. The most recognizable are juvenile salmon/trout's parr marks, which they lose after smolting. Remember many fish pick up light in the UV spectrum, the marks might look very different to discus' native predators. Has anyone taken a picture of discus in the UV spectrum. Damsel fish can tell each-other apart by facial markings we can't see.

Cheers,
DC

[Ryan]

Discus are about the only fish I know of that have this characteristic.

Really? Almost every South American cichlid has bars -- Heros, Geophagus, Pterophyllum, Mesonauta, Cichlasoma, Retroculus, the list goes on. That's in addition to all the Central Americans that have them, like convicts, barred Amphilophus, etc.

All species use them for the same purposes -- camouflage and communication.

[DISCUS STU]

Really? Almost every South American cichlid has bars -- Heros, Geophagus, Pterophyllum, Mesonauta, Cichlasoma, Retroculus, the list goes on. That's in addition to all the Central Americans that have them, like convicts, barred Amphilophus, etc.

All species use them for the same purposes -- camouflage and communication.

Yes many, many species have bars and barring patterns but they are usually part of their regular coloring and patterns. The point that I should have made more clearly is about the characteristic Discus stress bars that can appear and entirely fade. While other species have bars/barring patterns, Discus seem to be almost unique in that respect.

Interesting to note that my Altums seem to have barring in the reverse way. When they're in better more secure shape the bars seem stronger while they can fade at other times, though not entirely.

[FMA4ME]

Yes many, many species have bars and barring patterns but they are usually part of their regular coloring and patterns. The point that I should have made more clearly is about the characteristic Discus stress bars that can appear and entirely fade. While other species have bars/barring patterns, Discus seem to be almost unique in that respect.

Interesting to note that my Altums seem to have barring in the reverse way. When they're in better more secure shape the bars seem stronger while they can fade at other times, though not entirely.

Yea, like my Green Severum. Only turns his color on, which includes dark bars when the more dominant Red is sleeping, or late at night. Otherwise hes a plain brown.

[Ryan]

A lot of cichlid bars entirely fade when the fish are mature and in a comfortable state. They only turn on again when stressed, showing aggression, spawning, etc.

For example, here are the same fish showing bars versus no bars:

Heroina isonycterina with no bars
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/ryansmith83/IMG_0222_zps25768e00.jpg

Heroina isonycterina with bars
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/ryansmith83/IMG_0414_zpscceff3a0.jpg

Heros notatus with no bars
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/ryansmith83/ea341536.jpg

Heros notatus with bars
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/ryansmith83/34370e0d.jpg

And of course baby cichlids tend to show their bars nearly all the time, including juvenile discus (that are non albino or pigeon blood, of course). I'll use that as an excuse to show some baby cichlid pictures, because who doesn't enjoy baby cichlid pictures?

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/ryansmith83/IMG_0723_zpsgxv8ugkr.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/ryansmith83/IMG_0096_zps7a86d96b.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/ryansmith83/05383197.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/ryansmith83/2c3b095e.jpg

[FMA4ME]

A lot of cichlid bars entirely fade when the fish are mature and in a comfortable state. They only turn on again when stressed, showing aggression, spawning, etc.

For example, here are the same fish showing bars versus no bars:

Heroina isonycterina with no bars
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/ryansmith83/IMG_0222_zps25768e00.jpg

Heroina isonycterina with bars
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/ryansmith83/IMG_0414_zpscceff3a0.jpg

Heros notatus with no bars
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/ryansmith83/ea341536.jpg

Heros notatus with bars
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/ryansmith83/34370e0d.jpg

And of course baby cichlids tend to show their bars nearly all the time, including juvenile discus (that are non albino or pigeon blood, of course). I'll use that as an excuse to show some baby cichlid pictures, because who doesn't enjoy baby cichlid pictures?

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/ryansmith83/IMG_0723_zpsgxv8ugkr.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/ryansmith83/IMG_0096_zps7a86d96b.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/ryansmith83/05383197.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j49/ryansmith83/2c3b095e.jpg



Awesome pictures Ryan!! Thanks, I've never seen those mini severum before, Im sooooo drooling over here!!! :D

[pitdogg2]

Discus are about the only fish I know of that have this characteristic.

Many Many cichlids have them not just Discus. Yes John is correct, Kinda like Tigers VERY ORANGE yet blend perfectly in grass when dry and even Siberian Tigers in snow like like a lump of dead grass in snow.

[DISCUS STU]

Really? Almost every South American cichlid has bars -- Heros, Geophagus, Pterophyllum, Mesonauta, Cichlasoma, Retroculus, the list goes on. That's in addition to all the Central Americans that have them, like convicts, barred Amphilophus, etc.

All species use them for the same purposes -- camouflage and communication.

I stand, or sit, corrected. And bow to the superior knowledge of my fellow forum member that not only has 5,791 posts, but also a picture of one of those very same "barred" Cichlids as his avatar! I have been enlightened!:)

[Ryan]

I stand, or sit, corrected. And bow to the superior knowledge of my fellow forum member that not only has 5,791 posts, but also a picture of one of those very same "barred" Cichlids as his avatar! I have been enlightened!:)

I only know all this from keeping way too many species of cichlid. ;) For those who focus mainly on discus it's probably not something they think too much about. I think we spend so much time on Simply explaining how discus are different from other cichlids, that we sometimes forget how many ways they're actually very similar.

[DISCUS STU]

Yes, quit so. Discus are but one of hundreds, thousands, of Cichlids, both South American and African. A truly remarkable group that is still growing, developing, evolving, and ever changing.