clown's interesting behavior

[scarf_ace1981]

i was watching my female black saddleback last night, she's getting so aggressive. she was picking a fight w/ my male lyretail anthias and i noticed something interesting. she would harrass the anthias and then dart back into the rbta. the anthias would stay a couple of cm away from the rbta's tentacles, knowing he couldn't venture too close. she would repeat this several times. i know she darts into the rbta because she is safe there but it made me think. would clowns lure other fish into the anemone purposely? anemones can't get much food just sitting there. i guess you can call the clown, the anemone's waiter. LOL

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

If you notice when you feed the tank the clown will go out and get food and bring it back to the anemone for it to eat.

With the anthias it sounds more like a territory thing than a food thing. I put my hand in my tank all the time and my Clarkii clown attacks my hand cause I am too close to it's colt coral that it hosts in.

 

[masterswimmer]

Is your saddleback a mated pair? Many times fish will become more aggressive and territorial when they're getting ready to spawn. If you have a pair and they haven't exhibited this behaviour before and have never spawned in your tank, then you might be witnessing the early stages of preparation.

swimmer

 

[scarf_ace1981]

i had an orange pair before and they were never aggressive. when i put my hand in the tank they would pretty much hide but this pair of black are very different. the female will attack me when i get close to the rbta.

i knew it was a territory thing but thought it would be cool if a clown actually lured other fish into the anemone. what got me thinking this was that i would observe the clown picking a fight when the anthias was far away from the rbta and then running back to the rbta.

 

[Babe88]

I lost one of the two clowns recently and do you think that anemone is good for my lonely clown? They are supposed to lived together, aren't them

 

[Deanos]

I lost one of the two clowns recently and do you think that anemone is good for my lonely clown? They are supposed to lived together, aren't them

Clownfish are perfectly able to thrive in an aquarium without an anemone. In the wild, clowns use the anemone for protection from predators. As long as your tank does not contain any predators, the clown will be fine.