Mating Display??

I'm just curious about one thing, I've been watching my male guppy when he interacts with other fish, and when he's following a female he's interested in and gets right up close, he clamps his tail in tight. It's not a permanent clamp, and it's only when he's very close to a female, so I believe it's part of his mating display.
Can anyone explain why he'd clamp his tail? It makes sense to me to flair his fins as much as possible in order to show off how pretty and healthy he is, why would he clamp it right in?

 

I’m not sure if this is mating behavior or not... but if you have guppies and have at least 1 male and a female she will be pregnant all the time anyway lol

That’s why it’s important with livebearers to out number the males with at a minimum of 1m to 2f (if not more females) otherwise he will constantly harass the female and this can cause her death...

 

I’m not sure if this is mating behavior or not... but if you have guppies and have at least 1 male and a female she will be pregnant all the time anyway lol

I've got one male and two females in the tank atm, but I think he may have already done the do with them, they're squaring up and gaining weight a little, but it's still a bit early for em. As such they're avidly rejecting him and just swimming away from him, lol. If it helps, he does it the most when he seems to be "aiming" at their genital pore, he points his face right at their underside and comes in close. I was just wondering why he'd scrunch his tail up. Looking at it, it is more of a scrunch than a clamp, cuz it doesn't become pointed. Could it be a maneuverability thing cuz he's expecting to be able to do it?

 

If they are pregnant and close to birth he will REALLY try to follow them because he is waiting to eat the fry... they will always usually try to get away from him so it’s good to have some hides and plants they can hide in...
But livebearers are pregnant most of their lives so he’s either chasing them because he knows they are pregnant and waiting for a snack or he’s still trying to be a male & mate lol

 

If they are pregnant and close to birth he will REALLY try to follow them because he is waiting to eat the fry... they will always usually try to get away from him so it’s good to have some hides and plants they can hide in...
But livebearers are pregnant most of their lives so he’s either chasing them because he knows they are pregnant and waiting for a snack or he’s still trying to be a male & mate lol

I think he is just trying to mate, they aren't very far along. They haven't really fattened up, just become a bit square.

 

Once they square off that’s when you know they will have the babies lol kind of going from a round shape to \_/ that shape

And they can become pregnant more than once and by different males at the same time... and also store sperm for quite some time... (I believe it’s a couple months)

 

Once they square off that’s when you know they will have the babies lol kind of going from a round shape to \_/ that shape

And they can become pregnant more than once and by different males at the same time... and also store sperm for quite some time... (I believe it’s a couple months)

Yeah I know all about that lol. I have a best friend who has bred livebearers in the past and told me all about them. It's really more just the behaviour of the male I was wondering about, and if there was a good reason for him to do that with his tail.

 

Could be anything... but unless it looks like something serious I wouldn’t worry... especially if he’s only doing it around the females

 

My past - and current guppies, different lines - do it. I wouldn't worry