Sixline Wrasse nipping Gorgonian Polyps?

[JustinReef]

How common is it for a Sixline to nip polyps? I only added him to my tank today but I have already seen him nipping two gorgonians. I am not sure if he is just checking things out and will stop or actually eating them.

My tank has about 20-30 mature gorgonian colonies, so it will be an issue if he likes to eat them but getting him out may be very tough!

Too early to know what he's up to but curious if they commonly are polyp nippers? I had not thought or heard so...

 

[treylane]

Sixlines realllllly shouldn't be eating corals. I'm guessing it's a temporary/tasting thing. Most likely he'll learn that there's nothing tasty there and stop.

 

[JustinReef]

This was my understanding as I have kept a few others over the past 8 years and never had one nip anything. Having said that, I never had many gorgonians.

He still seems to be nipping once in a while today but its really hard to tell if he's nipping polyps or pods off the gorgs. He certainly hovers around them and looks like he is hunting something but often just swims away.

If they like the tatse of the polyps do they tend to keep eating them constantly or do they just occasionally graze?

Not too sure what to think yet.

 

[treylane]

Can't really say, as I've never heard of sixlines "eating corals" beyond stealing mysis from acans and that sort of thing.

I'm still betting he's trying to figure out whether the gorg polyps are bugs or not. If he liked the taste he'd probably be trying to snatch a polyp or two every time they opened up, and you'd see damage.

 

[snorvich]

Most likely copepods.

 

[regent2010]

mine never touch any coral. but kind of aggressive thou.

 

[bLac2]

I believe treylane is on to something I think that if he did have a "taste" for them he would be nibbling them every time they opened But, my guess would be that there are some little tiny copepods on there Mr. Sixline is peeping and snatching them up Goodluck and let us know what happens!