Banggai cardinalfish & anemones

[ThRoewer]

If you google for images with the words "banggai cardinalfish anemone" you get a lot of pictures of Banggai cardinals over anemones or even amidst their tentacles.

Do they actually immunize themselves against the anemones toxin like anemonefish or are they just very good at avoiding contact with the tentacles?
I kind of doubt the latter as it would almost be impossible.

There are also other fish that live in anemones, corals, jellyfish or other cnidarians that seem to use a kind of similar approach as clownfish or who have a natural immunity to the cnidarian's toxins

One example is the pipefish Siokunichthys nigrolineatus who lives on Heliofungia actiniformis.

Another example is the fish Nomeus gronovii (the man-of-war fish or shepherd fish), who lives amidst the extremely stinging tentacles of Physalia physalis (Portuguese man o' war).

As an interesting side note: clownfish have been found among the tentacles of man o' wars as well. I suspect these were post metamorphosis juveniles who had gotten out into the open ocean as larva and couldn't find a reef with anemones to settle in. This could explain how some hitched a ride to isolated islands.

So has anybody experienced Banggais in an anemone in a reef tank?

 

[Dkuhlmann]

I'm still trying for the life of me to figure out why anyone buy's cardinalfish. To me they aren't very attractive and they do absolutely nothing. Would someone please explain the reason to have them?

 

[CoralsAddiction]

I'm still trying for the life of me to figure out why anyone buy's cardinalfish. To me they aren't very attractive and they do absolutely nothing. Would someone please explain the reason to have them?

Lol never owned one in my life but I know a few people who actually like their schooling behavior.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

My typical stereotype is a bunch of bangaiis living in sea urchins.

 

[MillerR.]

Mine will sometimes hang out the RBTA or my Elegance coral.

 

[hotelbravo]

I'm still trying for the life of me to figure out why anyone buy's cardinalfish. To me they aren't very attractive and they do absolutely nothing. Would someone please explain the reason to have them?

+1 lol those fish are ugly and boring imo

 

[sde1500]

I'm still trying for the life of me to figure out why anyone buy's cardinalfish. To me they aren't very attractive and they do absolutely nothing. Would someone please explain the reason to have them?

I agree for the Bangaii, but I think the pajama cardinal looks pretty cool.

 

[Mael]

personally I like the black and silver pattern on bangaii, plus people like fish that will shoal together and will spawn in home aquariums, if I was going to get cardinals though I would hold out for a small group of yellow stripe.

As for the OP I had not heard of cards being immune to nem toxin/stings but they are pretty resilient fish.

 

[Rippinfrags]

IMO, most if not all cardinal fish can associate with anemones. I do not believe they have the same slime coat as a clownfish, but something similar. I have owned bangaii and currently have pajama cardinalfish. Both species have associated with anemones while in my tank. They will also dive in and out of frogspawn, long tentacle plate corals and etc.

IMO, Cardinalfish are fantastic. They are the most docile fish I have owned. I currently have 6 pajama cardinal fish that have lived peacefully together for the last year. Furthermore, I find it really neat that they incubate their young in their mouth and spit them out when they are ready to be on their own. Lastly, I feel cardinalfish make for a great dither fish because they are hardy and don't scare easily.

 

[ThRoewer]

I think any fish that is kept under correct conditions is interesting, especially if kept in pairs or social groups of it's own kind.

On the other hand, fish that are kept single tend to be rather boring - at least that's my experience.

 

[Winwood]

I believe Banggai cardinals will loosely associate with most all the hosting anemones. I've kept them with several different species such as; haddoni, crispa, quadricolor and magnifica. If kept with clowns that host the anemone, the clowns will keep the cardinals at a distance. If the anemone is left unoccupied, the cardinals seems to take up residency. I have personally witnessed them brush against the tentacles of these anemones several times without any adverse reaction by them or the anemone. I've been keeping a banggai with a green haddoni for over a year. Before the anemone was occupied by it's current resident clarkii clown, the cardinal almost never left the anemone. I've witnessed the cardinal brush both it's pelvic fins and caudal fin against the anemone several times without issue.