I Don't Believe This!!

[wakinekona]

Okay... So I have been really anxious to for my Clown, "Pops" to swim in and play with the green bubble tip we got him. He hasn't yet.... but it's okay...

Now here's the thing... Please, someone tell me what the heck this means....

my 3 spotted damsel is swimming in the anemone... is this normal??
it also seems like the anemone get's irritated by the damsel.
At night the damsel will rub and rub... all night long. By the time I get to the tank in the morning to turn my lights on my anemone is all stressed out and he looks as if he's shrunken... and his mouth looks as if he's inside out! this happened 2 days straight.... but when I turn on the lights the anemone starts to recuperate... are they suppose to look like that after sleeping all night?? shrunken and look dead almost? he seems to still be attached to the live rock though.

should I remove the damsel.. I've checked all my water parameters and they are all good. Infact my anemone did NOT show signs of stress until the damsel started messing around with him.

Let me know what you all think.... sounds weird to me.. I thought clowns are the only ones who could be hosted by anemones... maybe I was wrong?

thanks..

 

[Krish]

it also seems like the anemone get's irritated by the damsel.

That is really strange because typically anything not a clownfish that rubs up against an anemone, the anemone would make quick work of it! I'm however, not at all familiar with what is happeneing so here's a bump incase someone with more edxperience can chime in

Welcome to RF BTW if I haven't welcomed you already

 

[spooge88]

the three spot damsel is very very aggresive, i'd get rid of it right away. it sounds like the domino damsel or three spot has taken over as host of the anemone. i had a three spot and it chased around all my fish and it was only an inch long. the domino damsel does take host to some anemone's in the wild. the three spot that i had swam inside a pink tip anemone i had.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

In the wild, Damsels also get hosted by anemones.

 

[Krish]

In the wild, Damsels also get hosted by anemones.

That's good to know...I know clowns were damsels, but I thought only they can "fool" the anemones

 

[Meche]

In the wild, Damsels also get hosted by anemones.

I think that is sarcasim for: Anemones like to eat damsels.

 

[loohunter]

yes some damsles do host

 

[Meche]

yes some damsles do host

Then they would be the hosted not the anemones.

Come on Mike your hangin' me out to dry here. :lol:

 

[loohunter]

Then they would be the hosted not the anemones.

Come on Mike your hangin' me out to dry here. :lol:

the fish host and the anenomes are hosted

 

[Meche]

the fish host and the anenomes are hosted

:?: When I have people over for the evening, I consider myself the host.

I'm not disagreeing with you, because I have no idea ether way. But it sounds counter-intuitive.

 

[loohunter]

:?: When I have people over for the evening, I consider myself the host.

I'm not disagreeing with you, because I have no idea ether way. But it sounds counter-intuitive.

ahh crap! you are right i got them reversed. boy is my face red

 

[Juanfer]

the damsels are from the same family than the clownfish (Pomacentridae), and some species of damselfish like the (Dascyllus trimaculatus) or domino damselfish matures into an aggressive adult whose bright spots fade with age and will enter into a relationship with Stichodactyla species (Carpet Anemone) if one is available. and like clownfish it may host in other species of anemones.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

All true, anemones can host damsels. It is all in the mucus membrane of the fish. It picks up the chemical markers, "scent" if you will of the host. The anemone doesn't taste any intruder or food. Experiments have been done by cleansing a clownfish of it's mucus coating, the anemone stings it and eats it.
I will find you some pics.

 

[Meche]

I will find you some pics.

Sweet!

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Still searching but found a nice write-up

http://www.nhm.ku.edu/inverts/ebooks/ch56.html

 

[ronj]

what kind of lighting do you have over the anemone???

 

[Herefishyfishy]

www.brookdale.cc.nj.us/staff/sandyhook/dgrant/field/clown.htm

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-10/hcs3/index.php