I'm very cautious about my puffer fish, because of his very sharp teeth and the potential to do damage to my fingers. I never really worried about any other fish. In the fresh water tank I've had the mollies pick on my hand, but that was more like eating dead skin (yes, I know, gross). today while I was feeding the anemones in the 20 gallon tank one of the skunk clown fish attacked my hand. It actually hurt and very much startled me. If course it didn't do any damage, because, unlike the puffer, the clown doesn't have sharp teeth, but they do have a bony structure, like flattened teeth, in their mouth that can hold onto prey or pinch a person's arm pretty good.
These amusing little yellow fish have become more popular in the last couple of years and so you are more likely to see them in your local fish shop. Prices have gone down from $15 just 2 years ago to $5 which is probably about where it will stay. Because these fish are small, brightly colored, interesting to watch, and affordable, many aquarists are going to think about getting one, or two, or three. By the time you are done reading this article you should know if the yellow clown goby is for you, and what you need to know to take care of it.
As I've mentioned, the main reason for the 20 gallon conversion was to buy a small puffer commonly called a Valentini or saddleback puffer. Prior to wanting to purchase one I would often see one in the various shops. Puffers in general are very interesting fish with complex and intelligent behavior. The Valentini was of particular interest to me because it remains small, unlike many marine puffers which easily reach 19 inches or more, a 3.9 inch fish was a lot closer to my liking.
Why a seafood restaurant on a fish-blog? Shouldn't it be like in Finding Nemo with the sharks, "fish are friends, not food"? No.fish are food, very tasty wonderful food. However, this isn't a restaurant review and it isn't the food I write about. The Islamorada's in Mesa has an 11,000+ gallons marine fish tank. On the table they have a little booklet with some basic facts about the tank.
I have in my tank a very interesting duo that provide a great example of a symbiotic relationship in nature. These two aren't the only ones that have such a relation ship. I have an anemone and a porcelain anemone crab. Of course many corals have zooxanthella. Oscar and Felix are just the most fun to watch.
