Pink Spotted Goby Torments My Hermits

[waltercat]

I got a pink spotted goby from emmanuel a few weeks back.

I named him chewie, here's a pic:

He looks like such a happy goby.

However he has a dark side... He loves to torment my hermit crabs. He likes to pick them up and throw them around. And it isn't just a territorial thing around where he hangs out. Last night I watched him swim 3 feet across my tank with the sole purpose of picking up a hermit to drag back to his layer to torment. he then proceeded to watch the hermit struggle to his feet only to pounce again and throw him up in the error.

He doesn't seem to be killing of my hermits, but he sure likes to torment them. I gotta get it on video someday, it is pretty funny to watch.

Anyone else have a goby who does this? I could understand if the hermits were in his territory, but by the looks of it he just gets pleasure out of tormenting them.

 

[aznt1217]

I had a Jawfish who did that lol.

 

[waltercat]

Chewie also likes to square off with my female clown whenever I feed. He doesn't pick on anyone else but her, probably cuz he knows she rules the tank. She gives it right back to him though.

 

[Jim]

I have an orange spotted goby that used to do the same thing when I first got him, now he just makes sand dunes.

 

[rbtwo4]

My lawnmower blenny does the same! He grabs them swims to the top of the water & lets them go!

 

[KathyC]

My Pink Spotted Goby used to do it with snails..he has gotten more laid back as he's aged..thankfully!

 

[waltercat]

Has anyone noticed them actually killing them or is it just tormenting?

 

[emmanuel]

I saw him do that also but only in his territory .

 

[Social D]

My pink spot used to do the same thing, It never killed them but was funny to watch

 

[rgun2515]

My orange spotted goby does the same thing. I think (no science to back this up) he is tring to build up the frount of his cave with them thinking they are rocks roling around in the surf. A test could be for someone to put some small rocks or empty shells shaped the same as the hermits in their tank and see what their goby does with them. Maybe i will try this...