Damsel hurt shrimps?

fresh · #1 10-20-2011, 03:08 PM

I have a 1 inch (not even) yellow-tail damsel in my BioCube14 tank. With him I have a fireshrimp and a small yellow CBS. The damsel was the first in there, and he is the KING of the tank. He is annoying at times with his tail-sandstorm creations, but I still like him.

I have seen the damsel dart at both shrimps multiple times. He usually doesn't hit them, but only to scare them off. He also wags his tail at them kind of to push them away. Neither shrimp is allowed to the damsel's corner of the tank where he has created pits and crevices with the sand.

I noticed yesterday that my fireshrimp has 2 antennas that have been shortened. My guess is that they have been bitten by the damsel. (refer to attachment below).

Before anybody says that the yellow CBS did this, I can almost guarantee you that is not the case. These 2 have been together for over a year, and they even hang out on the same rock at times. The yellow CBS does shake his arms sometimes at the fireshrimp, but only for show. No serious aggression and certainly no hunting down. As a matter of fact, the fireshrimp is larger than the yellow CBS.

Questions:
1) Is it possible for a damsel to bite off antennas from shrimps?
2) Could the damsel kill my shrimp? Just like a sixline can kill a shrimp?

By the way, the yellow-tail and the fireshrimp are both the centerpieces of my tank. Here are a couple of pics.

dc4 · #2 10-21-2011, 12:39 AM

Yellow tails are pure evil...

It was one of the very first fish I bought and it killed 3 of my clowns and was insanely territorial.

I finally took all my live rock out of the tank and caught him, he was then donated to the lfs to terrorize someone elses tank...

fresh · #3 10-21-2011, 02:58 AM

I am aware of how evil damsels are in general

But my understanding is that they usually take it out on other fish.

Has anybody seen damsels attack and/or kill shrimps?

lee9 · #4 10-21-2011, 03:06 AM

My Blue Sapphire Damsel and my Skunk Cleaner shrimip get in some "arguments". He does a similar thing that your damsel does. Pokes at the shrimp. Not sure if it would kill it. Seems like anything is possible in this hobby though!

MKLKT · #5 10-21-2011, 03:27 AM

Considering a damsel can leave visible bite marks on my arm I'd say it's not impossible. They aren't the type to eat the shrimp but damsels are territorial so that could be the issue.

fresh · #6 10-21-2011, 02:50 PM

I really hope nothing serious happens; they both are my most favorite creatures in my nano.

So far nothing too big other thank a couple of short antennas on the shrimp, but I really hope it does not get worst.

As a matter of fact, I noticed that the yellow CBS also has a couple of short antennas on him, and I did see the damsel ticked off at him last night, so my bet is that the shrimps are hanging out where the damsel does not want them and to teach them a lesson, he bites off their antennas!

Keeping my fingers crossed.