What bit my firefish?

[delpni]

Hey everyone. I have a 90 gallon reef with a baby false perc, a lawnmower blenny, two red firefish, two purple ones, a yellow watchman, a pistol shrimp, and a large emerald crab (had him over a year). I just noticed one of my purple firefish has a good chunk missing out of his side and his back fins are all tattered. I have NO clue if it's the pistol shrimp or the Emerald that bit him? At the moment, I have the emerald in the net. I was going to post a picture however, after trying to capture the crab, I can't find the injured fish anywhere.

My question is this; which invert is more likely to have attacked? I have another tank with a Dog Face Puffer and if need be, can move the crab there, but I'm afraid he'll become lunch.

 

[slowjazz]

delpni;743816 wrote: Hey everyone. I have a 90 gallon reef with a baby false perc, a lawnmower blenny, two red firefish, two purple ones, a yellow watchman, a pistol shrimp, and a large emerald crab (had him over a year). I just noticed one of my purple firefish has a good chunk missing out of his side and his back fins are all tattered. I have NO clue if it's the pistol shrimp or the Emerald that bit him? At the moment, I have the emerald in the net. I was going to post a picture however, after trying to capture the crab, I can't find the injured fish anywhere.

My question is this; which invert is more likely to have attacked? I have another tank with a Dog Face Puffer and if need be, can move the crab there, but I'm afraid he'll become lunch.

I would think if the pisol 'shot' him, then he would have been fish food. does it look like a burn mark? Maybe he was stunned and the crab or others were eating him, then he came too and swam away?
I would think that he would have to not be moving for the crab to grab chunks off him.
Maybe he got too close to the pistol and the watchman defended it?

Either way it sounds like he may be toast at this point. If you can't find him the your cuc may have gotten him. Check around to see if anybody is gathering in one area.

If you had the crab for a year and this is the first time a fish was attacked, then it would be hard to blame the crab. If you put him in the other tank then your most likely dooming him.