Cardinals in my LTA

[EmilyB]

http://www.members.shaw.ca/bhadford1/CardinalsinLTA.JPG

 

[MtnDewMan]

Very cool ... I have heard that Bangaii's like either Urchin spines or long tentacle anemones to use as some sort of safe haven? Nice
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Canadian Forum

 

[Mouse]

Wierd, i didn't know they did that.

 

[SPC]

Very interesting Em, I have never heard of this. I would be interested in what Frank has to say about this behavior, why don't you post this to his forum.
Steve

 

[monkeyboy]

That's very cool, are they actually coming in contact w/ the anemone and not getting gulped???

 

[danmhippo]

I know cardinals liked protection in gorgogian forest, mangrove forest, and urchine spines. But I never know about LTAs. Just hope they are not playing with fire......

 

[EmilyB]

Yes, I'll post it for Frank. They have been doing this for sometime now, they do not stay in it, only while I am doing water changes. They are definitely in the tentacles with no ill effect. I thought it was pretty wild.

 

[JeremyR]

They do that with both LTA's and LT plate corals. It's mainly a fright thing.. they get spooked by something (IE waterchanges) and they hide in the tentacles.

 

[SPC]

Jeremy, why dosen't the LTA eat them?
Steve

 

[JeremyR]

Steve:
I dunno.. but I"ve noticed this behavior in LTA's and LT plates by a few different banggai cardinals (both wild & tank raised).

 

[Mike106]

My last batch of banggai babies happened while I was gone. When I came home the babies were buried in my hammer coral brushing the tentacles. They were very difficult to catch with them hiding in there like that. I also heard this was typical behavior but I sure didn't know about it.

later

 

[FMarini]

Hi Guys:
Emily alerted me to this post.
Heres what i posted from my forum

I am very familar w/ this phenonenom and it has been reported before in my forum (the breeders forum over at reefcentral) and I will even attach a thread w/ some great pictures.
Pay particular attention to the photo from "Mustang"

http://reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showth ... nd+anemone


Here is a response from one of my eariler posts
-------------------------

Banggai seek protection and apparently they can use either the black long spined sea urchin or long tentecled inverts. Scott michaels presented (on his coralrealms website) that a new colony of banggai were found (they were offspring of released fish which had established in a local lagoon), and they were living in and amoungst the long tentecles of local anemones.
This phenomenon has been reported thruout the boards for a couple of yrs, and i believe in a somewhat recent Aquarium Fish mag Scott michaels also reported his finding along w/ photos. He only speculated that the banggai cards had protection from the anemone, but I say its a slam dunk based on the picture from Mustang (see thread above) and emily's photos.
The banggai/anemones combos i've seen in person do this have always hovered in and around the tentecles, and do touch them. There are a number of observations that other fish beside clownfish can also build immune tolerance to anemone stings. I can only speculate that this is similar to a clown


Check out mustangs photos
Thanks for including me in the dicsussion

frank

 

[EmilyB]

Thanks so much Frank

 

[Anonymous]

Great thread Emily!

thanks,
po

 

[SPC]

Posted by Frank:
There are a number of observations that other fish beside clownfish can also build immune tolerance to anemone stings. I can only speculate that this is similar to a clown

-Thanks for the information Frank, do you know any of the other species that do this?
Steve

 

[Anonymous]

I saw a royal gramma swimming happily in and out of a BTA at the LFS one time.