My blue damsel has recently started clearing a large space on the bottom of the tank. He has cleared away all the sand by fanning it, & the rubble that's too heavy to be moved that way gets carried away in his mouth & deposited elsewhere. Now there's a baseball-sized spot where the acrylic is completely clear. He even drags the starfish away if he gets too close. Any ideas about what he's doing, or why? Is this normal? Thanks.
diggind blue damsel
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My Maroon clown has done the same for the last 9 months but i just put it down to him being a "clown".I look forward to hearing any reasoning behind this behaviour.
Don't you know that only the males who show good house keeping and bassinet selection skills get the chicks?
In damsels, the females mate with males who provide a good, well protected, close to food, smooth surface for her to lay her eggs on. Clowns will occassionally act the same way--it's typical for a clown to lay egs around the base of a hose anemone, but a clean, smooth surface is needed either way.
In damsels, the females mate with males who provide a good, well protected, close to food, smooth surface for her to lay her eggs on. Clowns will occassionally act the same way--it's typical for a clown to lay egs around the base of a hose anemone, but a clean, smooth surface is needed either way.
I thought a clear tail indicated a female in Chrysiptera cyanea. I guess it's irrelevant, since it's the only one I have. Could it still lay eggs (if it's a "she"), unfertilized of course, without a male present?
In the absence of a male, some females will behave the same way. She may spawn, but it's unlikely without a male (or a conspecific that she decides is an acceptable substitute). Eggs will be devoured by other fish, either way.
Clowns, of course, change gender. The largest fish in a group will always be female. If she's removed, the dominant male in the harem will change. It could be that other damsels are capable of the transformation as well, though I don't think the blues will.
Clowns, of course, change gender. The largest fish in a group will always be female. If she's removed, the dominant male in the harem will change. It could be that other damsels are capable of the transformation as well, though I don't think the blues will.
hi
i agree it could be the female doing this b/c of breeding purposes, but in damsels there is an additional explanation... some species of damsels tend to a patch in the reef where they eat the algae from... they probably clean it, perhaps to let the algae grow... this damsels eat macroalgae...
i say this, because it makes little sense for a spawning fish to clear the bottom of the tank when they usually spawn in rocks... i have often heard that damsels like to spawn in horizontal surfaces, but something tells me a tank bottom is not "it" for them...
just my 2c
i agree it could be the female doing this b/c of breeding purposes, but in damsels there is an additional explanation... some species of damsels tend to a patch in the reef where they eat the algae from... they probably clean it, perhaps to let the algae grow... this damsels eat macroalgae...
i say this, because it makes little sense for a spawning fish to clear the bottom of the tank when they usually spawn in rocks... i have often heard that damsels like to spawn in horizontal surfaces, but something tells me a tank bottom is not "it" for them...
just my 2c
Something that I now remember... in clownfish, I have observed this behavior in mated pairs and:
1) the fish that did carry the rocks and spit them out was a female, the male did not do this.
2) the fish did not lay eggs in this area of the tank, instead, they moved to another site and laid eggs there.
Again, I have heard of clowns laying eggs in the side glass of a tank. Never in the tank bottom, but it could be... you never know...
does anyone here had any experience like this with damsels laying eggs in the bottom glass?
just a thought
1) the fish that did carry the rocks and spit them out was a female, the male did not do this.
2) the fish did not lay eggs in this area of the tank, instead, they moved to another site and laid eggs there.
Again, I have heard of clowns laying eggs in the side glass of a tank. Never in the tank bottom, but it could be... you never know...
does anyone here had any experience like this with damsels laying eggs in the bottom glass?
just a thought
