Did my Foxface kill my coral beauty angel. very strange behaviour

[dave48]

This morning I find my coral beauty angelfish lying on its side on the bottom of the tank panting weakly and obviously on its way out. I then watched my one spot foxface go to the dying cba and literally sit on it and adopt his brown camo colouring with spines partially erect. After a few minutes he then swam off and turned yellow again. He then returned to cba and repeated the performance. This was repeated several times until I could net the dying cba and put him in my qt. He was soon dead and on inspection there wasn't a mark on him.
All parameters good and all other fish corals, shrimps etc in good shape.
Anyone seen this behaviour before? I can only draw the conclusion that the cba had been stung to death. what do you think?

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I have on multiple occasions seen a fox face act in a way, That is looking protective over sick or injured fish..

You can tell when a fish has been hit with the FF spines. It will look like a line of white pimples.

It sounds like your FF was being a good friend, till the end. I'm sorry about your loss

 

[mrpontiac80]

I have on multiple occasions seen a fox face act in a way, That is looking protective over sick or injured fish..

You can tell when a fish has been hit with the FF spines. It will look like a line of white pimples.

It sounds like your FF was being a good friend, till the end. I'm sorry about your loss

I’ve never witnessed that, but I have witnessed several times when my foxface will stop fish that are bickering by getting between them and extending its spines. From the description the op gave my first thought was protection also. Sorry to hear about your fish.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

but I have witnessed several times when my foxface will stop fish that are bickering by getting between them and extending its spines.

Yup. I call all of mine the sheriff's for that reason as well. I consider them like the playground, supervisor.

 

[dave48]

Yup. I call all of mine the sheriff's for that reason as well. I consider them like the playground, supervisor.

thats interesting. I admit that it did look as if the foxface was guarding a dying friend but I find it hard to accept that fish are capable of that. Emotion doesnt figure largely in life on the reef.

 

[mrpontiac80]

thats interesting. I admit that it did look as if the foxface was guarding a dying friend but I find it hard to accept that fish are capable of that. Emotion doesnt figure largely in life on the reef.

I hear you loud and clear but just look at animals protecting their young and or each other and clearly they have some emotion. We have all seen fear exhibited in fish, and I for one feel the foxface in general is definitely a peace keeper.

 

[Jasongtr]

Agrre with whats been said in my experience, our FF gets in-between the CB and our leopard wrasse, clearly protecting the wrasse and does it alot

 

[Goaway]

This reminds me of an old myth I grew up with. "Animals don't have feelings."

 

[Mark Goode]

This reminds me of an old myth I grew up with. "Animals don't have feelings."

This is an interesting, and eye-opening read. It begins with an octopus called Heidi dreaming of catching and eating a crab (her colour changes matched those made when hunting / eating crabs).

When Animals Dream

A spellbinding look at the philosophical and moral implications of animal dreaming

press.princeton.edu

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

thats interesting. I admit that it did look as if the foxface was guarding a dying friend but I find it hard to accept that fish are capable of that. Emotion doesnt figure largely in life on the reef.

I get it.


I've been Amazed at them on a few occasions.

 

[aSaltyKlown]

This reminds me of an old myth I grew up with. "Animals don't have feelings."

Reminds me of a line in the Nirvana song, Something In the Way

It's okay to eat fish
'Cause they don't have any feelings

 

[dave48]

Sorry guys. still not convinced there is any science behind this. Fish cannot have morals or emotions.
I understand anthropomorphism can be fun and heartwarming but........

 

[Cthulukelele]

Foxfaces and angels are on the smarter end as far as fish we keep in my experience, and they're both very active shoaling algae grazers. I don't know that the foxface would necessarily have been being a friend, but it would probably recognize another grazer it considers part of its shoal isn't feeling well and want to defend it. In the wild foxfaces will look for large groups of tangs swimming together to signal to it where to graze.