How many homes does a cinnamon clown need?

[Husker]

I have 3 rose bulb tipped anemones (soon to be 4, as one looks like it is splitting) and a pair of cinnamon clowns. One large female and a small male. These anemones are spread out across my 55 gallon display refugium, but the big bossy female bounces from one to the other and chases the male away any time he comes close to any of them. The poor little guy is relegated to the corner while she jumps from home to home.

Anyone witness something similar with pairs? I know the cinnamons can be a little bossy.

 

[shrimped]

They only need 1 but that's how many territorial fish act.

 

[leahfiish]

I have a pair of cinnamon Clownfish and my female is often chasing the make in loops around the rocks and corals. It's very fast, but I have never seen her actually attack him and he doesn't seem very stressed. He is chased for a few seconds and then following her around again immediately after. It's actually pretty interesting to watch. I don't have any anemones and my clownfish swim all over the tank, although the male is a little bit more shy and mostly stays on the left.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I have seen maroons, clarkii complex and tomato complex all do this.

 

[Husker]

Interesting. I have had several clown species and anemones in the past, but never kept pairs together with an anemone in the same tank before. She was a lot more aggressive with him when they were first introduced, and was biting his fins. Now she just chases him and they look like they may be mulling over some spawning opportunities. I wonder if it is behavior evolved to prevent the males from eating the freshly fertilized eggs?

 

[eatbreakfast]

I've found males to be an effective addition to defending eggs, so not sure if the female driving him off is to protect eggs.

Also, if they are both unable to hold off an egg predator, both will eat the eggs to get the energy back to spawn ahain sooner, so driving the male off would be counter productive in that as well.

 

[DeniseAndy]

I have a pair of nigripes in my 210g and they were happily using the one bta near them. Then my other bts (which had my ocel pair) split. The nigripe decided to take over those two nems too. The female ocel died (I was on vacation and could not get her out). The babysitter got the male out and put in my sump. Now, the nigripes have three nems and they are not close to each other. They lay eggs at the double nem and she sleeps at the single nem while the male is always at the double. Crazy fish.