Male Zoarchias major Eelpouts Fighting | Japan

Two male Zoarchias major eelpouts engaged in competitive battle, mouths wide open. The fish on the left is ensconced in a hole in the coral, while the challenging fish on the right is fully exposed in the water column. These fish, called ookazunagi in Japanese, engage in this behavior during the spring and summer, presumably as part of their reproductive process. Despite these confrontations, it does not appear that the fish inflict harm on one another.

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Filename: zoarchias-major-males-competitive-fighting-japan-201806-0724.tif
Copyright: Copyright Tony Wu. All rights reserved. No duplication, reproduction or usage without prior written permission.
Image Size: 4803x3202 / 44.1MB; https://www.photoshelter.com/support/license#rm; https://www.tony-wu.com/contact-tony-wu; Bony Fish Eelpout Animalia Chordata Osteichthyes Actinopterygii Perciformes Zoarcidae Neozoarcinae Zoarchias major Ookazunagi オオカズナギ Open Mouth Fighting Reproduction Pacific Japan Yamaguchi Prefecture
Contained in galleries: Marine Life | Japan, Wide-Angle Macro, Fish Photos

Two male Zoarchias major eelpouts engaged in competitive battle, mouths wide open. The fish on the left is ensconced in a hole in the coral, while the challenging fish on the right is fully exposed in the water column. These fish, called ookazunagi in Japanese, engage in this behavior during the spring and summer, presumably as part of their reproductive process. Despite these confrontations, it does not appear that the fish inflict harm on one another.