Do Bengaii Cardinals claim corals?

[MellowReefer]

I never read anything about this, so I wanted to know if anyone else has a cardinal that does this. Mine at first hovered most of the day over my frogspawn, and now has taken a liking to my LT plate coral since I got it about six months ago. He chases other fish away from it. He's very close to it but most of the time doesn't seem to be touching it directly; however it sometimes retracts which makes me wonder if he's irritating it somehow. It looks just like I've seen clownfish do with anemones (not mine, they are hosted by a rock).

 

[MellowReefer]

So no one has a cardinal that does this with coral? I guess I'm just lucky.

 

[mikem101]

mine claims area's in the tank but it changes sometimes over a coral sometimes over a rock sometimes over my clam. Its a normal behavior from these guys from what ive read and seen in my tank.

 

[argi]

Bangaii cardinals will host in anemones...or hover above them. You may see the same behavior with corals that "look" like anemones.

When I had a breeding pair many years ago, the babies would hang out in my long tentacle plate coral as well for protection (very cool to see).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banggai_cardinalfish

HTH,

Keith

 

[bellis31]

Yes they will, mine used to hover on top of my GBTA. In the wild I believe they use long spine urchins to hide in.

 

[saltyair]

my cardinal hides in the elegance coral

View attachment 234869

 

[Winwood]

It's natural behavior. Start watching around the 2:48 moment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgp3dcH1Yu0

 

[Winwood]

Right at the 2:18 mark on the video above, it shows baby banghai's actually swimming among the tentacles of a long tentacle anemone.

 

[MellowReefer]

Bangaii cardinals will host in anemones...or hover above them. You may see the same behavior with corals that "look" like anemones.

When I had a breeding pair many years ago, the babies would hang out in my long tentacle plate coral as well for protection (very cool to see).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banggai_cardinalfish

HTH,

Keith

Thanks for the link I always forget that wikipedia has so much info about everything.

 

[MellowReefer]

Right at the 2:18 mark on the video above, it shows baby banghai's actually swimming among the tentacles of a long tentacle anemone.

That's an awesome video, thanks for sharing the link!

 

[MellowReefer]

my cardinal hides in the elegance coral

View attachment 234869

View attachment 234874

Wow, yours is really deep in there. So this fish must be immune to coral stings, like clownfish are.

I saw a picture somewhere of a fuzzy mushroom coral that had captured a bengaii cardinal (to eat it). I would think this would be a danger with anemones too.