Interesting Symbiotic Relationships

[Svaillan]

Hey everyone,

I put a smaller (about 3”) two spot brissletooth tang in my tank about a week ago. He has been extremely shy and usually hides in my rockwork while I am in the room.

I also have a small black yellowtail blenny that’s been in the tank for about a month and a half. Over the past couple of days, I notice that they are out eating together quite often. A few times now I have come in the room (my home office) to do some work and the tang will go hide, but the blenny will go rub up against the tang until it comes back out to eat.

I now notice that if the blenny is out, they are ALWAYS together. It made me curious what other weird relationships have been established in other peoples tanks?

The picture is bad (as I had to digital zoom to not scare the tang away) but here they are together:

 

[vetteguy53081]

Not unusual. My powder blue and gem tang hang out together

 

[MarshallB]

Fish are extremely social. The majority of my fish are usually all together on one side of the tank or another. If one fish leaves the school and goes to the other side of the tank, others follow.

I love watching my leopard wrasse following around my goby hoping he unearths something he can snack on.

 

[WheatToast]

I would not dare to add this to my current build, but I would love to own an Anemone hermit crab (rare and stunning in my opinion, but not reef safe).
https://m.liveaquaria.com/product/624/?pcatid=624
They have some on Diver’s Den currently.
https://m.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+4&ddid=563673
https://m.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+4&ddid=563827
https://m.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+4&ddid=562948

 

[Karen00]

I would not dare to add this to my current build, but I would love to own an Anemone hermit crab (rare and stunning in my opinion, but not reef safe).
https://m.liveaquaria.com/product/624/?pcatid=624
They have some on Diver’s Den currently.
https://m.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+4&ddid=563673
https://m.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+4&ddid=563827
https://m.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+4&ddid=562948

This is the craziest pairing I have seen yet!! I love it that the crab moves the anemone over each time it upgrades its shell. That is priceless!!

 

[Karen00]

My goby/shrimp pair are obviously not super interesting given how common they are but I'm amazed everytime I see them out together with the goby playing the part of advanced guard to ensure the coast is clear for his shrimp companion. This is my first saltwater tank so it's all new to me and even though I have freshwater tanks I haven't seen pairings like this in the freshwater world although I'm sure there are. I can watch my salty dynamic duo for hours!!!

 

[LiveFreeAndReef]

I had a female clown and green chromis that were in love with eachother, they were always together. Unfortunately Ms. Clown went rug surfing during a thunderstorm..so the chromis is getting buddybuddy with my six-line wrasse

 

[bdare]

I love watching my acro crabs defend their pocilipora colony against my anemones. Also love watching porcelain crabs in their nems alongside the clowns.

 

[jasonrusso]

No question, goby and shrimp. 2 totally different species that have it in their DNA that they are supposed to like each other.

 

[Karen00]

No question, goby and shrimp. 2 totally different species that have it in their DNA that they are supposed to like each other.

It's like they have magnets inside them that are genetically coded to pull each other together. It's amazing to see.

 

[ctopherl]

My midas blenny used to try and shoal with my pair of lyretail anthias. After researching, turns out they frequently do this in the wild! He always annoyed them in a "younger sibling" kind of way, always poking around.

 

[jasonrusso]

My goby/shrimp pair are obviously not super interesting given how common they are but I'm amazed everytime I see them out together with the goby playing the part of advanced guard to ensure the coast is clear for his shrimp companion. This is my first saltwater tank so it's all new to me and even though I have freshwater tanks I haven't seen pairings like this in the freshwater world although I'm sure there are. I can watch my salty dynamic duo for hours!!!

My goby usually abandons the guard duty when it's feeding time, lol

 

[jshep13]

In my tank, purple firefish and red banded snapping shrimp.

 

[Karen00]

My goby usually abandons the guard duty when it's feeding time, lol

Mine too! Haha.

 

[kzitzman1]

My goby/shrimp pair are obviously not super interesting given how common they are but I'm amazed everytime I see them out together with the goby playing the part of advanced guard to ensure the coast is clear for his shrimp companion. This is my first saltwater tank so it's all new to me and even though I have freshwater tanks I haven't seen pairings like this in the freshwater world although I'm sure there are. I can watch my salty dynamic duo for hours!!!

I had fresh water tanks for years before moving to my salt water a little over a year ago. We got a yellow watchman goby and a pistol shrimp (now have two pistol shrimp that paired with the YWG) and they are fun to watch. Over the months both the goby and shrimp have really become brave and even hang out in the open when my hand comes into their territory. The shrimp will dig way out from their rock and constantly change and move paths around.

 

[Karen00]

I had fresh water tanks for years before moving to my salt water a little over a year ago. We got a yellow watchman goby and a pistol shrimp (now have two pistol shrimp that paired with the YWG) and they are fun to watch. Over the months both the goby and shrimp have really become brave and even hang out in the open when my hand comes into their territory. The shrimp will dig way out from their rock and constantly change and move paths around.

Mine have also become quite brave. They even venture out well beyond their rock nowadays which is always a surprise to see. It's also amazing to see the constant aquascaping that goes on. The sand around their rock has become like mountainous sand dunes and it changes almost everyday. I'm in awe at how much sand such a little shrimp can move and the whole time his goby bff hovers over him as he moves around the tank. Haha.

 

[Bob Escher]

My goby/shrimp pair are obviously not super interesting given how common they are but I'm amazed everytime I see them out together with the goby playing the part of advanced guard to ensure the coast is clear for his shrimp companion. This is my first saltwater tank so it's all new to me and even though I have freshwater tanks I haven't seen pairings like this in the freshwater world although I'm sure there are. I can watch my salty dynamic duo for hours!!!

I have a pair as well, and I love them

 

[Svaillan]

I have a pair as well, and I love them

Are the goby/shrimp pairs always pistol shrimp, or will they pair with other shrimp as well?

 

[Karen00]

I have a pair as well, and I love them

Me too! I'm positive that no matter how many inhabitants I get this pair will be my favorite! They're just so fascinating and comical at the same time!

 

[Bob Escher]

Me too! I'm positive that no matter how many inhabitants I get this pair will be my favorite! They're just so fascinating and comical at the same time!

I agree with that. I e been in the hobby for 8 years and I like mine