Clown fish personality change

[JVH]

I bought a black ocellus clown fish when I first set up my tank I also had an orange one that paired together and they were inseparable! Slept in a cave like pancakes on top of each other we're always touching fins when they would swim around very seldom apart. Lost the little orange one when I had ick. Everybody quarantine tank has since recovered and now I have a small baby Picasso triggerfish who is smaller than my clown fish.. The triggerfish bullied my Midas blenny for a couple of hours.. Then my blenny started chasing him around and now they get along just fine! They actually swim very close to each other nobody is showing any aggression.. I noticed the clown fish swimming right next to the triggerfish as well with no aggression on either part..
For some reason the clown fish now seems to hide amongst thee rocks a good portion of the day where he always would be front and center!
Every moment of observation during feeding and sleeping the clown and the triggerfish have come close to each other and no issues whatsoever so he's not being bullied...
I don't understand why he is hiding more now. Do you think it's just that he's claiming some territory for his own? Though he kind of had the run of the tank before.

 

[Tahoe61]

You clowns behavior does not sound unusual, I have had clowns do exactly the same thing, stay in the rock work or behind the rock work for months.

With that said a fish does not need to overtly show aggression as in nipping and chasing, simply holding it's fins in a certain manner is enough to intimidate a fish lower on the totem pole. We as hobbyist sometimes attribute human characteristics to our fish friends, such as social behaviors.

I tend to think yes the clown has chosen that spot as it's territory, but the clown may have done so as part of the pecking order, the clown no longer runs the tank and with a Trigger in the mix that does not sound particularly unusual.

 

[NicksMixedReef]

Sounds to me like he's hosted that spot in the tank. But clowns are a pretty weird fish lol my rule of thumb is to never be surprised with what they do

 

[JVH]

You clowns behavior does not sound unusual, I have had clowns do exactly the same thing, stay in the rock work or behind the rock work for months.

With that said a fish does not need to overtly show aggression as in nipping and chasing, simply holding it's fins in a certain manner is enough to intimidate a fish lower on the totem pole. We as hobbyist sometimes attribute human characteristics to our fish friends, such as social behaviors.

I tend to think yes the clown has chosen that spot as it's territory, but the clown may have done so as part of the pecking order, the clown no longer runs the tank and with a Trigger in the mix that does not sound particularly unusual.

Ok, well I guess that all makes scenes. I have never seen her do that so I was hoping she was ok.. Now, I was considering another smaller clown to replace the one lost. I hope they will bond. I love the personality of the clown and I miss the way she was...You are correct I am considering human characteristics and I am expecting to see outward aggression but I guess she feels it in other ways....