Cardinal's in Anemone

[tedman920]

Happy Thanksgiving!

I was staring at my aquarium today, watching the Baggai Cardinals. They're pretty small still, and usually they hang around the giant anemone that the clowns don't use. Usually they just stick right above it or at the base, but today I was observing them actually IN the anemone! Not even dodging the tentacles, they were brushing up against the tentacles, not rubbing but the tentacles were grazing the bodies and heads.

Is this normal? I've never heard of cardinals being anemone fish?

Anways, just curious and look forward to your input

-Ted

 

[reeftourist]

I saw a show on Discovery recently (thanks to a heads up from people here), and one segment showed cardinals taking residence in anenomes until the more agressive clowns ran them off. So I'd say it is very cool that you are seeing the same behavior!

 

[ms_ k]

Bangaii fry use urchin spines as protection in the wild. Perhaps the anemone is the most suitable surrogate they can find. That's really cool that they are moving in and out of the tentacles.

 

[fishwhisperer]

Banggai Cardinals also use anemones in the wild.....very natural.

 

[tedman920]

well i understand the being near as protection and being between tentacles for hiding, but I didn't realize they were immune to the sting of anemones

 

[stanfill reef]

Our cardinal loved our anenome until we added our clownfish. He was very resentful after that....