No stronger a bond than...

sean · 09-18-2003, 06:02 PM

Hello All,
I just had to tell you all what I witnessed last night. Late last week I got a small rose anemone and my very small fire clown immediately took to it. They have been together for about a week now.
Earlier this week I 'rescued' a medium size percula from a LFS with a very dirty tank, thinking I could give him a good home. He appeared to settle in well and the two clowns left each other alone on opposite sides of the tank.
Well, today when I got home the perc was dead. Sad, but that's not the story.
I found the perc on the bottom, far right side, of my 180 (six feet long). I went to wash up before reaching in for him and when I got back the fire clown had found him.
To my amazement, he grabbed the perc's pectoral fin and started to literally drag him across the tank. Of course, I had to see what was going to happen.
So, I watched as he would drag him about 6 inches, let go, drag 6 inches, let go, ect.. This went on until he dragged the perc the full length of the tank across the sand and agains a fair current. He then dragged him up about 20 inches of rock scape and started 'stuffing' him into the rose anemone!!! To make this more amazing, the perc was 2 inches long and very fat, the fire clown is only about 3/4 of an inch at best!
The perc fell out a few times and each time the fire clown drug him back into the anemone. On the third attempt the rose latched on and started to fold up with the dead perc. I didn't like the idea of the rose eating this perc, so I eventually intervened and gently pulled the perc out of the rose.
I was absolutely impressed with the effort this little clown put forth to 'bring home the bacon' so to speak! Afterwords, I felt bad removing the perc, seeing as to so hard the fire clown just worked, so I held a small piece of squid in the water above the rose and sure enough, the fire clown grabbed it and took it to the rose! He 'kept guard' until the rose had engulfed the squid.
I am just in awe of this kind of relationship. I liken the effort of that little clown being as if I were to drag a cow across a football field, up the steps to the nose bleed seats, and then hoist it up on the BBQ!
Just amazing!

9fishers · 09-18-2003, 06:07 PM

That is truly amazing!!!!

laddy00 · 09-18-2003, 08:40 PM

WOW that is impressive. Just makes me feel all warm inside. Sorry about the fish death though. Hopefully the fire clown and the your anemone will live a long life with you.

asmith · 09-18-2003, 08:43 PM

Nature is an amazing thing. I am sorry about the loss of your clown, but you witnessed a part of what goes on in the natural reefs.

thefatman · 09-18-2003, 09:31 PM

next time/.......VIDEOTAPE!!!!!

i'm sure plenty of folks will donate damsels in exchange for a video

truly sorry your clown died.. but in the end you did gain somethign valuable from it.

hayday · 09-18-2003, 09:42 PM

my anenome has for some unknown reason taken a nose dive and is looking pretty worse for the wear. as bummed as i am at the prospect of what may happen, i feel worse for the clownfish who is wrapping himself in the tentacles in a desperate attempt to "wake it up." it's really quite sad to watch.

sorry for your loss, but man, you really witnessed something amazing.

-hayday