yellow-tail damsel attacking GSP

[chufa]

My yellow tail damsel repeatedly attacked my GSP yesterday. He would viciously bite off the "leafy" tentacle part of the polyps and spit it out. He does it so fast the GSP does not have a chance to retract in time.

 

I thought these suckers were "reef safe". I am hoping he just had a bad day; he seems to change his activities from day-to-day.

Nevertheless, I am angry obviously.

 

Has anybody else observed this behavior? Can the polyps regenerate the tentacles and recover quickly? Also, will the discarded tentacle pieces be able to regenerate themselves into new polyps? I am thinking this guy either kills off my GSP or I am going to have GSP spread everywhere.

[tinyreef]

flush his ass. anything that touches corals in my tanks is 'late for the door'.

 

the pieces won't regenerate unless the whole tubercle (sp?) was ripped off with part of the mat (a whole polyp at least).

 

i've heard of damsels pecking at gsp's but not to that extent in tanks. they usually will peck an area clean though in the wild to 'farm' a patch of algae for food and shelter. i thought it occurs usually at the reef crest. are your gsp's located very high in the tank? it may be in 'farming mode'.

[chufa]

Thanks, the GSP's are located on top of two rocks, creating a cave which the damsel hides in. I'll try moving them.

[chufa]

thanks, tinyreef, I think my damsel was in "farming mode":)

 

I moved them to the bottom, and they have recovered, although some have missing "petals". The damsel won't touch them anymore, but curiously, he still picks around the area where the GSPs were before!