What's eating my pulsing xenia?

[phishcrazee]

I used to have several nice clumps of pulsing xenia around my tank. I know some folks consider xenia almost a nuisance, as it spreads so quickly, but I've always enjoyed the pulsing "hands". Anyways, I've noticed over a period of several weeks, that the xenia has been getting "pruned" by something in my tank. It has now been totally eradicated, from what I can tell Here's a list of livestock that I have in my tank:

large creole damsel (has been known to nip GSP in past)
3 stripe damsel
yellow tailed blue damsel
pair of percula clowns
royal gramma
skunk cleaner shrimp
peppermint shrimp
5 scarlet hermits
nassarius snails
astrea snails
nerite snails
queen conch
stomatella snails

I think it may be the creole damsel, but have never caught him, so I'm really not sure. I also have a chocolate chip starfish, but he lives in the sump, so it can't be him. Who do you think is guilty?!

 

[Duke13]

Could it be an unseen worm?

 

[Atticus]

Damsels will nip at corals. I had a black damsel that used to eat xenia.

 

[sipe]

Have you actually seen pieces missing or bites taken, or did areas just melt away/disappear?

I will have plenty of xenia to replace your lost supply when you find the culprit?

 

[phishcrazee]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7754294#post7754294 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Atticus
Damsels will nip at corals. I had a black damsel that used to eat xenia.

Bingo!!! Atticus you hit the nail on the head I have a damsel that no one knew exactly what it was, until yesterday when I found out it is an adult Neoglyphidodon melas or Black Damsel (he's actually purple) and guess what? Soft corals are on the menu

 

[rc1214b]

I just found out my velvet damsel eats zoo's like their candy. All I had left was the glue that was used to mount them.

 

[phishcrazee]

Ha! I can just see them thowing 'em back into their mouths with their little fins while your back is turned

 

[rc1214b]

It's amazing that we are always careful about zoo toxicity and yet a creature so small eats them with no problem. I think damsels are like carp, they can live through almost anything and have a strong stomach.

 

[Voyager10]

My yellow damsel nips my pulsing Xenia that much I had to take them back to the LFS. Some threads you read say they don't touch corals but I've sat and watched them do it.