Nigripes - Aggressive?

Overboard

Premium Member
I had a pair a very long time ago and they seemed "œnormal". I have a pair in quarantine that are now doing well, but they beat up a large flasher wrasse in there with them. Are Nigripes especially aggressive? I don't recall hearing that. This is a large pair in a 20 long. That might be my mistake. Just don't want to put 2 criminals in my 360 display if they are horrible by nature.

Thanks!!!!!!

Mark
 
In my (limited) experience they are chickens. I only tried them once almost 30 years ago and they didn't make it through QT due to some bad infections they came with.

A. nigripes belongs to the African clade (allardi, omanensis, bicinctus, latifasciatus, chrysogaster, fuscaydatus, chagosensis,...) and not to the "Skunks" as Allen assumed.
Of those I had/have bicinctus, chrysogaster, and nigripes.
The chrysogaster I had as a single around 1980 and I never added other fish out of fear to introduce infections.
The bicinctus were the latest of those and I still have them. They actually show no interest in other fish but their only tank mate is a dottyback. The female is a real pet and a notorious beggar - every time she sees me she has her snout out of the water, demanding to be fed...

But to consider is that anemonefish are particularly aggressive against their "arch enemies", those fish that may steal their eggs (wrasses for example) or may harm their anemones (certain butterflies for example). Even the most peaceful anemonefish may attack those fish viciously without warning, possibly even kill them. Not because they are mean but because that's their job: protect the home and the babies.

So putting a wrasse with them may not have been a good idea...
 
Thanks for the insight! I moved the wrasse to an acclimation box to protect him for now. I will reorganize my QT over the weekend.
 
I've got a pair if Nigripes I've had for about 12 years. They are always in some form of breeding............laying eggs, tending eggs or cleaning space to lay eggs. My H malu hosts them.

They will drive away new arrivals but tend to accept them over time.

I would put them below maroons and tomato clowns in aggression.

The female will attack my hand and move corals she doesn't like placed too close(common to a lot of clowns) but other than that they're great.

They may be a problem with wimpy fish in a cube or nano tank.
 
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