Why does my damsel do that???

[gemini9]

It seems like once a day, at least, that I notice, my Yellowtail Blue Damsel backs up into a hole in one of my live rocks, swooshes her tail around to stir up some sand, then swims back out. It's not even big enough to really be a cave or anything... it's just a hole in the rock about the same size as the fish with juuuust enough room to back up. Is she going in there to potty? Don't fish just go.. wherever they want? But that's what it really reminds me of... a cat going to the litter box and then buries the poo.... Weird... :squigglemouth: Maybe it's not a damsel maybe it's a catfish lol :tongue:

 

[LetItReef]

Marking it his/her territory. Our Blue spot damsel did similar to this.

 

[leptang]

Maybe a nesting behavior

 

[gemini9]

He/she does it in the same spot where my cleaner shrimp hangs out. Just now I saw her do it over in the same area, but in a different hole.... Maybe it is the territorial thing. But how? Is she leaving her scent there?

 

[MarkDarnell]

Both of my Damsels did that last night. However, mine did it right in front of my Starry Blenny that I added just last night. They would back their tail up to him, didnt matter where on the blenny, and would shake it back and forth and even bruch up against him. The Damsels didnt attack him, nip at him, or anything like that, just like they backed up to let the blenny know there were there.