Bicolor pseudochromis and missing cleaner shrimp

[beanoil]

I've had a bicolor pseudochromis (Pseudochromis paccagnellae) for month now. He eats frozen and flake voraciously and is doing well in general. Yesterday, I introduced a medium sized cleaner shrimp and he immediately started hassling the shrimp. This morning, the shrimp is nowhere to be found and the bicolor appears bloated with a dark spot in his abdomen. The only other tankmate is a 10 year old damsel that's never bothered anyone. Did I just feed my bicolor a $25 meal? The reading I've done says he may be aggressive, but didn't indicate this sort of thing. Has anyone had that type of behavior from this fish?

Thanks,
Grant

 

[sirbooks]

There's a very good chance that it ate the shrimp. Pretty much all dottyback species that I know of are more than happy to eat shrimp if they are large enough to do so. Sometimes they'll even smash up a big one to get bite-sized pieces from it. Better than momma's home cooking.

Dottys can't be fully trusted with shrimp, unless it's something like a coral banded that can handle itself. Even then, a dottyback which has established itself in a tank will often attack new additions much bigger than itself.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

dottybacks will eat whatever they can fit in their mouths, and some things they can't. Be cauitous with anything motile that you put in that tank. I once saw a dottyback tear up an adult Queen angel. mean!!!

 

[beanoil]

Thanks for the info. Yet another expensive lesson.....

Grant

 

[sirbooks]

This hobby has way too many of them. Sorry you had to lose your shrimp to a sadistic fish.

 

[janakaybravo]

I have a fridmani psuedochromis that exists peacefully with all my shrimp. It is a much gentler member of the family, and very striking purple-pink color. Doesn't pick on anything.