Purple Tang nipping off antennae off of cleaner shrimp

[JediCruz]

So my cleaner shrimp molted this morning and later in the day, I saw my purple Tang nipping off the antennae. Poor guy was trying to get away from the Tang. Now he has short stubs left where the magnificent antennae used to be. I know he’ll grow them back on the next molt but has anyone seen their fish do this to their cleaner shrimp?

 

[reefz]

Interesting, I’ve never heard of this. Maybe feed your fish more lol.

Bump…

 

[James M]

Shrimp are very vulnerable after a molt so the tang probably saw an opportunity

 

[JediCruz]

Interesting, I’ve never heard of this. Maybe feed your fish more lol.

Bump…

Lol. They’re fed too well actually. I guess he’s just a fatty wanting to eat anything possible (except the GHA…. SMH)

 

[JediCruz]

Shrimp are very vulnerable after a molt so the tang probably saw an opportunity

That’s crazy. I know I’ve seen a broken antenna here or there over the past year but never like this. Hopefully it won’t happen to him like that again.

 

[Wendi1bird]

This has happened twice to my cleaner shrimp. I didn't know if it was my purple or powder blue tang.

 

[Spicoli]

Confirmed occurance in my tank. Purple tang is fat and well fed, and a super alpha. I'm 90% sure PT is the one who gives my 3 cleaner shrimp crew cuts. It sucks. I've tried feeding to over come and it seems uncontrollable. I've not had a shrimp die from it, but who knows or if he catches one in a molt. I'm also suspicious of my threadfin butterflies, they seem to pick at everything.

 

[diverrad]

so after clipping my shrimp, my purple rang was swimming around munching on the shrimp tail. Yup he ate the shrimp, here’s the fun part the tang is about 2”. The shrimp was bigger.