boss fish

[Sk8r]

This is the one in my tank: golden one-spot, approaching 3" and can get larger, buzzes like that cup-rattle you might have in your car when annoyed, only loud. You'll swear the glass is breaking. Bosses every other damsel, totally ignores the gramma and other non-damsels. Compare dascyllus species to Maroon Clown: very similar behaviors. Except anemones. And the buzzing that sounds like a marble caught in a blender. This gal prefers a rocky spire. ANd do NOT put chromis in the tank with her. Any other damsel, no problem, seemingly. Just not chromis.

 

[billsreef]

Full grown one out in Hawaii is the only fish to ever attack me while diving and draw blood :eek1:

Not, sharks or Barracuda, but a Damsel.

 

[Sk8r]

She does have a temper. Other tank inhabitants tend to take her with a grain of salt...so to speak. She's mild as milk with the watchman goby pair, with the gramma, etc, but certainly rules her rock with determination, and the other damsels duck, then come right back again. So far I've not seen teeth, or gotten bit. Biggest argument was with her companion, the 3-stripe, who gets furious when I try to put a coral near his rock. He'll hit me, he'll grab the coral and fling it if I don't secure it. Determined little fellow. Curious that within the dascyllus type there's such divergence of habit. 3-stripe doesn't mind the chromis. One-spot hates them. One-spot never minds what I do with the rocks. 3-stripe is absolutely beside himself with a change in his doorway. And makes no sounds, while you can hear one-spot buzzing in the next room.

 

[billsreef]

Just wait till she grows up

 

[Quiet_Ivy]

This is the one in my tank: golden one-spot, approaching 3" and can get larger, buzzes like that cup-rattle you might have in your car when annoyed, only loud.

Ahh you're killing me with these damsel pics. Every time I go to my LFS they have brightly coloured, active, beautiful fish, and I go Ooh I want one of..hang on, that's a damsel isn't it? My tank is just too small.

humph!
Ivy (never had a buzzing fish, but I did have a dojo loach who sort of grunted)

 

[Sk8r]

Lol---they say 4 1/4 inches, but my memory is haunted by a certain black domino I've seen near the dome at the Seattle aquarium. That fish is the size of a dinner plate...if that is the species it really is.

 

[Quiet_Ivy]

Full grown one out in Hawaii is the only fish to ever attack me while diving and draw blood :eek1:

Not, sharks or Barracuda, but a Damsel.

Just out of curiosity what does one do when attacked by a damsel and does it look as funny as the 'there's a spider on me get it off get it off' dance?


ivy

 

[Sk8r]

Yep---you would not WANT this one in a 28, for sure. I have a wedge-shaped tank, with a lot of rock and caves, and question my own judgment in this one...seriously.

 

[billsreef]

Just out of curiosity what does one do when attacked by a damsel and does it look as funny as the 'there's a spider on me get it off get it off' dance?


ivy

You kind of look at it funny, then when you realize your actually bleeding you almost drown from laughing. And yes, probably looks as funny as the spider dance [emoji38]

Lol---they say 4 1/4 inches, but my memory is haunted by a certain black domino I've seen near the dome at the Seattle aquarium. That fish is the size of a dinner plate...if that is the species it really is.

Definitely more than 4 1/4"

 

[Sk8r]

just caught a vid that has this species hosting in groups in short-tentacled nems in Fiji. Amazing. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2528765

 

[nuxx]

I'll put our 5" Yellow Bellied Blue Tang again your Damsel haha

That fish started life in my tank has a timid .5" baby... now is the devil incarnate. Forget Sohals and Clowns... this thing is evil...

 

[pinnatus]

My larger emperor is the boss. He grunts at all the other fish. Sometimes we just have to laugh at the grunts emanating from the tank.

I got attacked by a 5" damsel while snorkeling in Cancun. Pretty funny once you see what was doing it.

 

[Sk8r]

I find myself wondering if I *dare* add a pretty carpet-type nem to my wedge-shaped reef to calm Mz. One-spot down, or at least give her a firm 'territory', but I tell myself rationally that when I get the hammer to grow as it should, that will do enough.