Gumdrop fish ( Caracanthus maculatus ) questions

[iamwhatiam52]

I'de like to get a Gumdrop fish but need to know what would be safe with them.
Since they ARE scorpionfish, they will eat whatever they can swallow. Their mouths look pretty small though, so they may not be able to eat even small reef fish.

Does anyone know if sexy shrimp and Trimma gobies would be safe with a Gumdrop?

 

[waterfaller1]

They are venomous, and extremely shy. I would'nt put them with trimma gobies. I have a pair of trimmas I have had for two years, with a tailspot blenny. They can be slightly aggressive with each other which could get them in trouble with a venomous fish that might bite them. I would also think a sexy shrimp would be defenseless against the goby if it decided to make lunch of it.

 

[iamwhatiam52]

Thanks for the feedback. I'l set up a nano with some calm but larger tankmates.
By the way, Gumdrops are not gobies, although they look almost ecactly like a large clown goby.

 

[Amphiprion]

Actually, they are neither gobies nor scorpionfish--they are Caracanthids or velvetfishes (aka coral crouchers). While they may be in the order Scorpaeniformes, they are not scorpionfish, nor are they venomous. The order is characterized by the bony facial areas of all these fish. They associate mostly Pocilloporid corals in the wild, as well as some Acroporids. Normally, they would feed on other coral commensal organisms, like small Alpheid shrimp, copepods, etc. Mysid shrimp and the like would be a preferred food, maybe the occasional small live shrimp. These would also exclude small shrimps and fishes in a confined aquarium with these fish.

 

[iamwhatiam52]

Thanks for the explanation Amphiprion. I'de seen them called coral crouchers but didn't know that was the description of a taxonomic group.

Now the uncanny resemblance to clown gobies makes sense. Similar niche.

Does anyone know if more than one can get along in the same small tank, and is their sex stable, or can it change according to need ............... you know, like Amphiprion (percula, not the ********** member).