Thursday, July 19, 2007

TAMALE TOM

 tamale tom DSCN5765
This Tomato Clownfish Amphiprion frenatus Brevoort, 1856 is a rescued fish from a Vet`s office. I would never take any animal to that vet, after seeing what neglect the fish I rescued, were suffering. All the fish I took from him, [4 in total] are absolutely beautiful & in good health now. This clown called Tom, or Tommy Tomato, for short, is trying to get his pet anemone to grow, so he can better cuddle up in it.
This anemone has split numerous times into two clones of itself. From the original one, and I cannot tell the "mother" clone from any other, I have given away or traded or sold approximately a dozen. Although harmless to the Tomato, I get stung almost by just looking at it. It gives a little rash all over your body, but that goes away in about three months. NOT
I`m only kidding, folks.
It is an irritating rash, but you do have to be in close proximity to it. I now hardly feel it but still try to keep my distance. For instance I would never try & grab one bare handed, something one would never do anyway. It`s always, "handle with care" as with any living creature.
When I throw food in the tank at feeding time, the Tomato will often bring food into it`s orfice, & swim off to get some for itself.
I try & not keep anemones on principle, but I`m glad mine split so often, as my giving them to others, lessens the depletion of a little ecosphere in the ocean.
Factoid: When removing an anemone from the wild, you start a devastating chain of events that ultimately annihilates the little universe around it. The exact same destruction of this "universe" will happen if you remove the clownfish, also called an Anemonefish.
This happens because if you remove the clown, the anemone will be killed by a predator, free to do so, without the protection provided by the clown, & if you remove the anemone the clown will be killed by a different predator but will be dead nonetheless. From there, all other animals will lose the stabilizing presence of the symbiosis between the two.
The juvenile clowns will perish from lack of food, provided by the eating of the waste from crabs, who have been decimated by other predators, till all life, in a once small but thriving ecosystem, has disappeared. All this, a direct result of removing only one "card" in a house so fragily built.

15 comments:

Family Man said...

It looks as if the tentacles of the anemone are growing out of Tommy Tomato. Great shot Head.

olivia said...

Fascinating ... the photos and your notes.

Nancy P said...

What Olivia said.
Thanks for taking the time to explain that, kh.

Knucklehead said...

FM,
Did you mean, "great head shot?"
Hah, it`s still early & I`m "killing".
I like the shot for the same reason.
It looks like all one color, all one animal.
Have a nice day.
You can click on the header to see an image I stitched together of a reef my friend has on display at his aquarium store.
It is a world class reef populated with SPS [ small polyp stoney] corals, that are the envy of most reefers.

Knucklehead said...

Olivia, Thanks,
The next time I post a clownfish, I`ll explain the very unusual behavior involving sex change, & the natural chemically induced growth rate reduction.
Fascinating.
No, I`m not kidding.

Knucklehead said...

Nancy p
"Fascinating ... the photos & your notes.'
Thank you Nancy.
I feel the image is a help in explaining how things work, & the explanations give more depth to better enjoy the image.

Unknown said...

That clown has the look of bliss. If it wasn't for my aversion to rashes, that looks like it would be the perfect place for a nap :)

Knucklehead said...

Manny,
Yes, If you didn`t like going to sleep in that fluffy pink stuff with the Pink Panther on the label, then this is also not for you.

olivia said...

Hehe ... does it have something to do w/ a bowling shirt? :)

Knucklehead said...

Polyester & JohnsManville insulation don`t mix, Olivia.
God, what a horrible feeling.

boran2 said...

I love your dramatic lighting. Interesting notes too.

Knucklehead said...

Boran2,
Thanks, the dramatic pose accentuates the light, I think.
Sometimes I think my fish just want to be seen from their "best side".
The notes, I believe, retain the reader, to see more out of the image. I try to make the notes interesting yet not too long.
But I can`t write,"A fish", then leave.
See you at the Sat. Palooza.

Anonymous said...

what kind of anemone is that?
it's GORGEOUS

Knucklehead said...

This is an RBTA or Rose Bubble Tipped Anemone.
CLONE REVISITED DSCN0320 is one image in a post called "CLONE BABBYSITTING from August 10th 2007 which shows a clone from this very anemone. There are other examples of this anemone with the same clownfish on other posts on my blog also.

Anonymous said...

thank you.
they are so awesome, but so expensive...
:(