Do fish Play? Or is my Tang just and idiot!

[MadManMac]

My yellow tang and two ocellaris clowns are in quarantine right now and the tang keeps trying to rub his butt on the clowns. I do not know if he is being rude, playing or just down right uncooth. The clowns seem to push bakc and nudge him, but nothing that any of them do is very agressive and there has been no nipping that I have seen. So, what is going on here?

 

[TheMadNucleus]

Hey MadManMac,

My guess would be that this is a little tet-a-tet to stake out the 'pecking' order in the tank. Particularly if the clowns and the tang do not have enough room/LR/etc. to specifically claim some territory in the tank. Sometimes if you introduce 2 tangs (of different types), e.g., a Sailfin and a Naso, for a least a little while they will sort of flap their bodies together in a display of 'power' (I use this term loosely and in the absence of a better term). Generally this is harmless.

On the other hand though, I have a Naso tang that I believe is a downright character. I'd swear this guy is thinking a lot more than what would be logical. At times he'll eat right from my hands and if I drag some seaweed around the tank he will chase it down in an almost playful manner.

Generally, I think one of the reason to collect SW fish is that they have a tremendous amount of 'character' (also for lack of a better term).

One MadNucleus to one MadMan

Tom

 

[r95rdstr]

Do you notice the little white marks by your Tang's tail? Those are blades that can extend and slice up an enemy. Tangs are also known as Surgeonfish, for this reason. Your Tang is telling your Clowns to keep distance, and showing off his wares to enforce the threat.

 

[jamal-188]

Do you notice the little white marks by your Tang's tail? Those are blades that can extend and slice up an enemy. Tangs are also known as Surgeonfish, for this reason. Your Tang is telling your Clowns to keep distance, and showing off his wares to enforce the threat.

My white cheek tang slashes at my algae scrapper when I try to clean the glass, it's soooo funny, he's turns from gray to black and swims around the handle really fast slashingit with his tail

 

[BONESTOCK]

lol @ jamal's fish...