When Boxfish Turn Rogue: The Mystery of Missing Abalones In this follow-up to my private ocean journey, I reveal a surprising twist: my last three abalones have vanished without a trace! This discovery derails my earlier plan to breed abalone and sea snails for a self-sustaining supply of seafood. Suspecting foul play, I focus on the boxfish - the probable ringleader of a group of Bumblebee Gobies who've shown highly tactical feeding behavior. At first glance, it seems the boxfish isn't getting any food. I drop shrimp into the tank, only to watch the Gobies distract the boxfish's head while their comrades snatch up the shrimp morsels. However, the boxfish remains remarkably healthy and even more energetic than before, raising an obvious question: how is it staying so well-fed? I propose a theory that the boxfish waits until the Gobies are asleep at night, then devours whatever remains - abalones, in this case. If this is true, it's a strategic response to daytime bullying. Meanwhile, the tank's once-thriving abalone population has been reduced to zero. The only survivors in the shellfish department are a few sea snails, who are still managing to breed, at least for now. Perhaps it's only a matter of time before those, too, become midnight snacks. This story underscores the complexities of multi-species aquarium setups. While many fish appear peaceful by day, nighttime can reveal entirely different dynamics - some even revert to their wild predatory instincts. If you're an aquarist with dreams of cultivating your own abalone or sea snails, beware: not every tank-mate can coexist harmoniously. The tactical intelligence displayed by Bumblebee Gobies adds another dimension: fish are more cunning than we often believe, forming alliances or feeding strategies to outcompete tank-mates. By showcasing these unexpected twists, I hope to enlighten fellow aquarium enthusiasts about potential pitfalls when mixing species. From cunning Gobies to clandestine boxfish, you never know what secret alliances might be forming once the lights go off.
#Boxfish #BumblebeeGoby #AquariumLife #Abalone #Shellfish #MarineHobby #UnderwaterMystery #FishTactics #NighttimeFeeding #TikTokNature #MarineEcosystem #AquariumEnthusiast #boxfish