Clown behavior with anemone

[CarmieJo]

I have a question about my Maroon Clown's behavior with the anemone. She spends most of her time in the anemone (normal) but she also keeps going around the outside bumping it with her body or nudging with her nose. Is this normal too? This picture shows her going around and pushing against it with her body.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f198/CarmieJo/ClownAnemone.jpg

[gwen_o_lyn]

My clowns do the same thing with my Toadstool Leather. They will show lots of affection towards their home and nuzzle and cuddle up to it.

As long as it doesn't look like it has an infection and trying to scratch, then I think u are ok.

[fat walrus]

what the clownfish is trying to do is ti gradually get used to the stings of the anemome. the clownfish was not born with the immunity to an anenome sting, but pocess the ability to build up immunity quicky by exposing itself on a controlled schedule.

[Marauder-m]

Schedule:

Day 1 - 2 sting quota
Day 2 - another 2 stings
Day 3 - increase to 4 stings
.
.
Day 7 - Thrash about like an epileptic chimp and teach that anemone a leason for days 1 through 6.

[gwen_o_lyn]

ha ha ha!!

[CarmieJo]

I don't think it is acclimation behavior because he wallows in the anemone all the time and has slept in it since the day I introduced it. Nor does it look like scratching. So I guess it is just the affection factor.

[Rob]

this is normal, you will find that it will continue to show lots of love to the anemone. it will clean, it feed it, stuff like that..

[CarmieJo]

I have thought she has been feeding the anemone but tonight I saw the clown get a really big piece of flake food, carry it back and then tuck it into the anemone so no one could steal it! Very cool!

[Rob]

its very cool to watch the interaction...
:D

[CarmieJo]

Yeah, I am really enjoying the pair!

[UMpg]

so, what happens when you have a clown that steals food from his anemone? I lost a sebae anemone because (i think this is why) everytime i tried to feed it, my clarkii would take the food out and eat it, no matter how much i fed the fish. the clarkii would live in the anemone, but not take care of it.

[gwen_o_lyn]

hmmm I always wondered if some clowns lacked the instinct to do that.

[V]

clown produce a sugar mucus on its body that does not resemble a carbon based signal, thus in most cases prevents a mis-fire from the anem!
fish are not stupid, they know the anem moves, & can potentially close up during a deflate & literally leave them in the cold, i belive this behavour is to prevent this as much as possible.
as u might have seen, a touch or stimulation on the outside wall can cause the anem to bend open to reach that area in search of food!

talking of the food, if u have a few fish in competion with the sourceing of this food, they grab& dump in the safety of the anem so they can safe guard their own stash, wilst getting back out in th open to secure some more.the anems profit from this behavour.
semi symbolic relationship maybe, but both have used the relationship selfishly if u ask me. the females are very important to the anem more so that the males just for the more extreme defensive nature displayed