Clown Hosting

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Jarred Darque

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Mar 24, 2006
Messages
682
ok, I was under the impression that clowns hosted anenomies because the clowns are basically immune to the sting while their predators or not, and thus the clown gains some protection from predators by being friendly with the anemone, correct?

So why would a clown form a relationship with another piece of coral, like a leather or a zoo? What benefit do they get? and what benefit does the coral get from the clown?
 
So why would a clown form a relationship with another piece of coral, like a leather or a zoo?
Just to stake territory for their own. Basically it's just somewhere to get "comfortable".
and what benefit does the coral get from the clown?
Most likely none. Clowns can be rough and over time stress and/or kill some of the more delicate corals.
 
I agree with MT79 that it`s a territorial thing. As I stated earlier today on another post I have a tomato clown that host a pagoda Cup and a Gold stripe maroon that host a bubble coral. In the meantime my BTA sits unattended.
 
I could be wrong, but I think I read that the wild caught clowns have a better chance of hosting an anenomie, as opposed to the tank raised ones, that have probably never seen one......
 
You might be right about the tank raised one but both my clowns are from the wild and wont host my BTA.
 
melosu58 said:
You might be right about the tank raised one but both my clowns are from the wild and wont host my BTA.
Oh yeah, I forgot to add....clowns will be clowns, they do host what they want! LOL!
 
roka64 said:
Oh yeah, I forgot to add....clowns will be clowns, they do host what they want! LOL!

Like mine that hosts a crevice in a piece of LR. LOL.
 
Mine used to host the corner of the tank, swimming in place, facing up...
 
"host" means what exactly?

I've come to think mine "sleeps" behind the skimmer return box,but perhaps he's "hosting"?

Its only a lights out thing...both the yellow and kole tang get so deep in the rocks I can't find em..but the clown is always behind the box after night fall.Is he "hosting It" or just crashing?

If he is just "sleeping" whats the difference?

Many thanks as always,
 
Hosting is more like where they feel comfortable and hang out during the day. Yours is just finding a nice spot to sleep.
 
roka64 said:
Hosting is more like where they feel comfortable and hang out during the day. Yours is just finding a nice spot to sleep.
Yep.

Jarred, what you stated in the beginning is true.

Clowns and anemones do have a type of symbiotic relationship that both benefit from.
The clown secretes a special mucus that protects it from the anemone's stinging cells which allows the clown to hide from predators within or under the anemone.
In return, the clown becomes territorial of the anemone, chasing away fish and critters that feed on anemones like butterflyfish.
Clowns will also "tend" their anemones like a gardener watching over his favorite plant.
Some will bring it back meaty foods and clear the area around it to help it grow bigger, and "groom" it of debris and parasites to keep it healthy.

When a clown hosts something else instead of an anemone it's just displaying a natural, but misguided, behavior.
And as someone else said, that behavior can sometimes damage or kill corals.

I have one tank-raised clown that's not interested in hosting anything and I have one Clarki that will instantly (and very aggressively) host any anemone I put in the tank.
It's like watching a dog with a chewtoy.
He was so rough with it that I thought at first he was gonna kill the anemone.
He would swim halfway across the tank then turn and launch himself as fast as he could right into the middle of the anemone and burrow in so hard that he would knock it loose and then bounce it around the tank like a beachball.
 
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