Originally Posted by
ShinShin
Stress bars apparently have several functions in the wild. First off, they serve as camouflage in the often dark, root infested waters the discus generally live. Scientists, as well as discus hobbyists, also believe they are used as a form of communication, esp. in the pecking order, which can be demonstarted oftentimes in a large tankful of discus at feeding time, as well as breeding time. Fish in poor health will have their stress bars displayed, which makes sense since almost all discus diseases are srtess related.
Mat