Is my flame hawkfish safe from my emerald crab?

[cherubfish pair]

I've had an emerald crab for several months and they are supposed to be strictly herbivores but I have a blue/green chromis come up missing? hmm.

My hawk perches all day long and would be an excellent target for an ambushing crab or would he?

 

[rssjsb]

No crab is 100% trustworthy and mithrax crabs are not at all strict herbivores. However, unless your emerald is really big, I would think that the hawkfish poses more of a threat to the crab than the other way around.

Chromis are more delicate than people appreciate. Theyre known to pick each other off, too, so if you had more than one, it could be interspecies aggression.

 

[NYCBOB]

Most crabs r opportunistic eaters. Flame hawk fish shouldn't have a problem though with an emerald crab.

 

[cherubfish pair]

Okay it sounds like the hawk will be okay. I hope he doesn't go after the crab because the crab is very tough looking.

rssjsb, I know what you mean by chromis being delicate. I've lost three now in the last year. One picked off one I figure. Then I had a big hermit pick one off (got rid of the hermit.) Then this last one I figure either my occy clown got it (he was always picking on it), or it was my emerald--he being opportunistic.

Now I hope my hawk doesn't go after the peppermint shrimp. I've read they go after shrimp occasionally.

 

[NYCBOB]

if well fed, most hawkfish wont go after shrimps or inverts.

 

[humaguy]

possible the chromis died and the grab got a nice snack...a large hawk can be aggressive...happyjack has a huge giant hawk that is very aggressive and goes after other fish..