Green bubble tip anemone ate my percula clown!

[Floowid]

I have an actively spawning pair of Occys hosting a GBTA. They have never fed the anemone, and when I target feed the anemone with mysis, the clowns will steal the food right off the tentacles of the anemone. Maybe my clowns are just jerks, but I have never seen them actually feeding the anemone.

[Joe S]

Originally Posted by jlnielsen13

At the risk of getting in trouble for posting on an old thread, ( which by the way is where I get a lot of my information that has made me a better aquarist) I think this is a really interesting argument.

I have been an avid reef keeper for 15+years of which the majority of them I have had a host anemone and clownfish pair (maroons or percula). I am also a biology teacher and have an additional tank in my classroom with one clown and a nem.

During ecology we learn about the different relationships between organisms in their environment and more specifically the symbiotic relationships that exist between organisms. There are two specific symbiotic relationships we cover in class:

Commensalism: One organism benefits and the other is not affected positively or negatively (lichens on a tree)

Mutualism: Both organisms benefit from the relationship "mutually". ( tick eating birds on the back of a zebra- the bird gets a meal and the zebra gets "de-ticked".

What is interesting is the text I use says the relationship between clownfish and anemone is an example of commensalism and even the test that was given to the students had this question with commensalism as the answer.

I teach to the students that science is tentative and through observations information that was once a fact can be changed if new data is available. I then feed the tank at work and tell the students to observe the clown and anemone's behavior. Every time my clown feeds the anemone and directly places the food in his mouth. I ask the students is this commensalism or mutualism. Even though the book suggests one, if we observe the other multiple times which is the correct answer?

My clowns at home ALL do the same thing so I feel this is more of a mutualistic symbiosis. Either way, there is nothing better than watching this relationship in the home aquarium regardless of what we call it!!
Thanks
JIM

While the textbook you use in class claims the symbiosis between giant sea anemones and anemone fishes is a commensalism, the symbiosis is a known mutualism. Unfortunately this info, like many recent biological and ecological advances, is not yet in some textbooks.

[NailsInside]

Originally Posted by bues0022

the behavior of grabbing a large chunk of food and "feeding" the anemone is not what it may seem. Too often we place human emotions and thoughts on our inhabitants. Instead, isn't it more logical for a fish to see a large mass of food, grab it, and go someplace it deems safe to eat it? Instead of trying to eat it all in the open where it or the food may become prey for another fish. If you don't have an anemone, your clownfish will take it to their other "host" or rock cave to injest the food in peace.

+1

[gdwats]

Was it perhaps a carpet anemone?

[raythepilot]

Originally Posted by elegance coral

My clowns do not feed my anemones. I've been doing this for about 25 years and the only time I can remember seeing this is when the clown was fed something that was to large for it to eat. I don't feed my clowns inappropriately sized food, so I don't see this behavior. I do see clowns steal food, or attempt to steal food from anemones though. Even if the food is to large for them to eat. In which case they often just swim off a distance with the food, and spit it out.

Since someone else bumped this post I'll just and my 2 cents.

I've kept dozens of clowns and numerous anemone over the last six years and my experience is the same as EC's: The clowns never feed the nem and will steal food from them if they can. I only feed both small size food items that can be easily consumed by the clown fish.