Pom pom crabs aggressive?

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I have a small pom pom crab that has "attacked" my small pearly jawfish twice in the past 2 nights or mornings. Yesterday morning and again this morning, I have found the jawfish out of his cave (never comes out), curled up in the corner of the tank with what look like sting marks on his body. Both times, the pom pom crab is in his cave!

Eventually the crab leaves and the jaw seems to go back but he is starting to look a little stressed out.

How normal is this? I thought they just used the anemones to defend themselves but I think he is clearly using them to "attack" in this case.

[Leah]

So he has a piece of the anenome or the anenome is close to the Jawfishes cave?

[bvlester]

I think he is refering to the crabs pompoms. maybe I can not tel from what he is saying. You know the pompoms do look a bit like nems.

We need clarification as to what you mean, I don't see that a nem would going around chasing fish out of thier holes for a pompom crab to sit in for the night.

[JDigital]

So he has a piece of the anenome or the anenome is close to the Jawfishes cave?

Pom Pom Crabs have mini nems attached to there "arms"..

GSP, I've never seen a pom pom attack a fish, in my experience they have been quite timid and if anything I rarely saw mine. But they are a crab, so I guess anything is possible..

quoted from Live Aquaria:
The Pom Pom Crab is an interesting addition to an aquarium with its anemones in each hand. It raises these anemones at would be predators and aids in cleaning the aquarium of any left over food and detritus. Caution should be used when adding this crab to a reef aquarium as the anemones could sting sessile invertebrates and corals. The damage that could potentially be caused by these tiny anemones that come on each claw would be minimal due to their very tiny size.

[fishoholic]

GSP, I've never seen a pom pom attack a fish, in my experience they have been quite timid and if anything I rarely saw mine. But they are a crab, so I guess anything is possible..



This has been my experience as well.

Seems odd, but possible, that he's attacking the jawfish.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

So he has a piece of the anenome or the anenome is close to the Jawfishes cave?

Yes he has a piece of anemone...two.

I think he is refering to the crabs pompoms. maybe I can not tel from what he is saying. You know the pompoms do look a bit like nems.

We need clarification as to what you mean, I don't see that a nem would going around chasing fish out of thier holes for a pompom crab to sit in for the night.

They ARE nems. I have kept enough anemones over the years to know they don't go chasing fish :mrgreen:

Pom Pom Crabs have mini nems attached to there "arms"..

GSP, I've never seen a pom pom attack a fish, in my experience they have been quite timid and if anything I rarely saw mine. But they are a crab, so I guess anything is possible..

quoted from Live Aquaria:

Yeah they are a crab, so are a predator...hmmm.

I see mine all the time actually. I think its quite hungry because I don't have many fish and dont feel all that much. The pom pom and a cleaner shrimp are the entire clean up crew, so shouldn't be too much competition.

I had never heard of them being aggressive but it's quite obvious that he is annoying and possibly stung the jawfish. The jaw was frantic outside his cave, crab was inside and once the crab left the cave after an hour or so, the jaw went right back and closed the cave up tight. Didn't come out the rest of the day until late.

Today, same thing so far. Jaw has gone back in the cave and closed the entrance up tight.

We'll see what happens I guess.

[Leah]

Mine is so timid, mind you I do not have a nem so maybe that makes him peaceful that and he is well fed. Threaten him with an eviction notice if he does not behave, or get a mate :wink:

[Marlin65]

Never had a problem with mine either. Funny thing about mine he has one nem on each claw and attached an Aiptasia to his belly as well so he can collect lots of food.:lol:

[bvlester]

Pom Pom Crabs have mini nems attached to there "arms"..

GSP, I've never seen a pom pom attack a fish, in my experience they have been quite timid and if anything I rarely saw mine. But they are a crab, so I guess anything is possible..

quoted from Live Aquaria:

I didn't know they had nems interesting little critters, I have only seen them acouple of times and not for very long once years ago and I helped Leah get hers back in her tank as it came out on her rocks. quite fragel critters. once the crab was in the water it went straight in to the rocks again so I did not get to see it very well. I'll have to look them up on the net.

I had a seabea nem in my DT and it kept moving to areas the the fish swim more often and when he moves there the fish just go else where. I do believe he is trying to catch dinner. I have since moved him to my kids 25g he has now settled down to one spot unless he is disturbed. He has bleached out a bit in thier tank. I will watch him closely and se what happens.
Bill

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Well unfortunately the jawfish is looking pretty terrible tonight :neutral:

The "sting" marks are quite irritated looking and he is gasping. He won't eat anymore either.

I don't know what else in the tank could possibly sting him.

Just seems too weird--find the jaw out of his cave (never comes out) with sting marks on his body, curled up in the corner of the tank, then find the crab in his cave, waving its anemones around...

[Eyford01]

that is strange, i have 2 in with my seahorses and you'd think they would be easy enough to pick on but they get along just fine, was planning on adding 2 more tomorrow but perhaps you could remove the crab to the sump/other tank/my tank *nudge nudge* and see if the situation gets better

[andestang]

This seems odd, I have a BS jawfish and at least 10 boxers in with him and never had any problems. Wrong place at the wrong time ? No other fish or such that could be stressing him out ? I had a lawnmower blenny in with him once and it turned aggressive after a couple of months together and had to take it out.