RBTA Ate Black and White Clown Fish....

[Fire_Urchin]

Ok.... So this is the cherry on the top of it all...

Since I changed the flow a little the RBTA went on a walk about. Then when I did the LED upgrade it went into hiding in the back of the rock work.. So the Black and White clown fish has ALWAYS been with the RBTA for the past 6+ months. They seemed to be inseparable...

Well while night watching the tank I went to take a look see of the RBTA to make sure everything was ok, and I notice that it was HUGE.?.?.? So I take a closer look and see Black and White...... Then I go to look for the Black and White Clown. Nope nowhere. The Snow Flake Clown is still about, but no Black and White.

So has this happened to anyone else? The clown was about 1.5 to 2 inches long, and in GREAT health. What gives?

 

[garygb]

For a BTA to eat a healthy clownfish I would say is almost unheard of. If it were a haddoni, I wouldn't be surprised, but BTA, very surprising.

 

[Fire_Urchin]

Yea.. It turns out that this morning the black and white clown was swimming around. Last night I looked from every angle, turned on the lights and put some flow back there and I swore that the black and white clown was inside the anemone's base almost like it was sleeping inside of it....

I feel like a tool now.. Lol

 

[garygb]

Glad it's ok.

 

[Fire_Urchin]

Yea thank you. We are thankful also.

 

[z's_N_p's]

whoa! that was close. glad the clown is okay.

 

[Fire_Urchin]

Yea someone mentioned that it could have been "mouth diving"? It makes sense based on how much this clown is infatuated with the anemone.

 

[jmadison]

I have seen a clown burrow its way into a BTAs mouth before(as well as a clam*yikes*) If the BTA is large enough they dont seem to mind all that much, but i'd imagine its stressful to the Nem regardless of size. IDK if there's really anything you can do to prevent the clown from doing this if they have found an affection for doing so :/ I'd keep my eye on it as it could do damage to both participants.

 

[jmadison]

Just saw this article which has another example of clowns burrowing into their hosts mouths... http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2112939