clowns nipping

[swisha]

Is is natural for newly aquainted clowns and anemones that the clown nips at the tentacles?

Does this in any way harm the anemone or is it just a natural response when hosting has just begun?

 

[davocean]

That's normal.
A marine biologist lectured recently said that clowns actually absorb stinging cells by rubbing/grooming/ nipping tentacles making them impervious to the sting.
Just be careful that sometimes a clown too big for a nem can be a little too aggressive for it, resulting in a stressed out nem.

 

[swisha]

Thanks for the insight. i purposely bought a bigger anemone than my clowns for that reason. At my LFS they have 4 in clowns in the anemone tank roughing up the smaller anemones

 

[Chad Vossen]

my false perc likes to chew on zoos, green star polyps, and sometimes even the yellow polyps.

but she bites on the zoo polyps the most.

i put her in the Q-tank with her new boyfriend. maybe she will behave when they come back into the display tank