Clownfish hosting Wellso

[eric.battani]

Instead of hosting an anemone, this clownfish likes to host my wellso. The wellso doesn't seem to mind cause it stays inflated all the time.

 

[dbl]

It seems clowns will allow just about anything to serve as a host. Great picture by the way. Just keep an eye on it so it doesn't love your wellso to death!

 

[eric.battani]

It seems clowns will allow just about anything to serve as a host. Great picture by the way. Just keep an eye on it so it doesn't love your wellso to death!

This wellso seems not to mind. When I first got it a few months ago, my mandarin hosted it. I know that seems odd behavior for a mandarin goby but it did.
Luckily i have a few other corals that the clownfish hosts besides the wellso and the clown is usually swimming for frog spawn to hammer then back to the wellso.

 

[H@rry]

They'll host just about anything. I has one that hosted a powerhead.

 

[Jonathan blackwood]

My goby host mine all day lol

 

[Jonathan blackwood]

Just lays on it, guards it, becomes one with it lol

 

[cookr959]

I saw a clown at Petco hosting a snail it was the funniest thing I have ever seen a clown host

 

[mattsreefadise]

The only thing I've noticed from clowns hosting coral is that it takes the coral awhile to adjust and then has a slower growth rate than anything else not being hosted.
Probably from having to heal from the clown moving around in it and tearing it's tissue

 

[Tahoe61]

A host invites others to their residence, anemone to clown, coral, heater, pump.....to the clown. A Clown Fish is never the host, a clown visits or resides. Yup a silly pet peeve, but significant when communicating the behaviors of Clown Fish.

Clowns in the wild rarely venture far, they reside in the safest place and defend that residence. This seems to upset newer hobbyist but it's the nature of fish. As Clowns mature they can become more confident and venture farther, but they stake out a territory and defend it.

Some LPS and other inverts (clams) handle the presence of a clown while others over time become stressed. Tissue recession is a common problem when clown reside in LPS or other corals. Even smaller anemones may perish in presence of a larger more passionate Clown.

Keep an eye on the coral for signs of chronic stress.