Is it possible for a Gigantea to eat a 4" Regal Angel???

[stonecold]

Hi,

I have had the Regal Angel for 6 months. Extremely healthy. I added a Gigantea 3 weeks ago. The Gig is hosted by a Paired of True Percs who has laid eggs on the rocks. Anyhow, this morning I woke up and my Regal Angel has disappeared.:-( As you can see, my aquascape is extremely open. I do not see the Regal's body anywhere and I don't see it on my floor.

I've heard and read that Gigantea are known or can eat fishes. However, can it eat a 4" fish?

Attached is a piture for reference. Picture was taken yesterday.

 

[stonecold]

Not sure why the picture didn't show, but hopefully this link will work.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/album.php?albumid=753&pictureid=4217

 

[Toddrtrex]

While Gigs aren't known to eat fish as much as Haddonis, I wouldn't be surprised if that is what happened --- if you can't find the body and the fish was acting normal prior to this. Should know for a fact in a day or two if the Gig did eat it --- when it expels the waste.

 

[stonecold]

Is it the fish's bones that the Gig is going to expels? Since this morning, I'm pretty certain that the Regal was eaten by it. Just can't believed that the Gig's mouth could stretch that wide.

Just curious, my Percs has been hosting it since day 1. How come it doesn't eat the clowns?

 

[Toddrtrex]

The fishes bones, and I would guess some of the flesh.

Here is another thread where the person's Haddoni was expelling a fish,

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16108523#post16108523


No one really knows how the clowns aren't eaten, but one popular theory is that their slime coat "fools" the anemone into thinking that it is just itself rubbing against it.

 

[davocean]

Yeah, and another theory is they absorb stinging cells making them imune, and why they rub on tentacles or suck on them.
Any fish can be eaten, but usually they were already weak to begin with, or just stupid, I had 3 blond naso juvies just swim right on in pretty much on intro.
Skull/bones were spit out next day.
Another thing is clowns will push dead or dying fish into nem to feed them.

 

[stonecold]

I believed my Regal would fall into the 2nd category - stupid. It was extremely healthy and fat. Very active and ate literally everything I feed to the tank.

I've confirmed that the Regal was eaten by the Gig as I saw a huge white blob that was expelled by the Gig. That was an expensive meal. :sad2:

Do you think that the Gig would eat anything that it can catch? Or this incident happened because it was hungry?

 

[stonecold]

I believed my Regal would fall into the 2nd category - stupid. It was extremely healthy and fat. Very active and ate literally everything I feed to the tank.

I've confirmed that the Regal was eaten by the Gig as I saw a huge white blob that was expelled by the Gig. That was an expensive meal. :sad2:

Do you think that the Gig would eat anything that it can catch? Or this incident happened because it was hungry?

 

[stonecold]

I believed my Regal would fall into the 2nd category - stupid. It was extremely healthy and fat. Very active and ate literally everything I feed to the tank.

I've confirmed that the Regal was eaten by the Gig as I saw a huge white blob that was expelled by the Gig. That was an expensive meal. :sad2:

Do you think that the Gig would eat anything that it can catch? Or this incident happened because it was hungry?

 

[miked0523]

I guess anything is possible.

 

[elegance coral]

I don't think hunger had much to do with it. Feeding it won't stop it from eating a fish if it can. It is rare for gigs to eat fish. Any large host species can in the right circumstances though. I would just try not to overstock the tank with fish or keep fish that like to chase each other around.

 

[Reefvette]

4 - 5 inch orange shoulder tang

4 - 5 inch orange shoulder tang

I have a 1.5 foot green gigantea eat my 4 -5 orange shoulder tang except my fish live for a bout 3 days after being about 3/4 of way sucked in.

I have pictures of it too 3/4 of the fish was white and nasty and the head to the gills was fine.