[Whatigot]

my clowns both eat sps polyps.
I actually acquired my second clown goby from therealbigal, due to him watching this same sps nipping habit.
I have watched them do it time and time again.
I have also seen my pair clear of a section of sps for hosting their eggs and this is a completely different thing.

I HATE my clown gobies for this sps eating reason.
I can't say for sure that they are ingesting the sps but for the first 5 months I had them, they would not eat anything else, not during feeding or at any other time that I could see other than when they were nipping at sps.

They have learned to eat mysis and brine through watching the other fish, but this is only over the last month or so and this has not altered their appetite for polyps.

My larger colonies don't seem to mind too much, but my frags hate it.



Here is a small excerpt from wet web media....
Gobiodon okinawae Eating SPS Polyps - 08/22/05
Hi,
<<Hello>>
Last week bought a okinawae to put in my 60 gallon aquarium.
<<Fascinating little fish...but can be devils...>>
In the first 2 days he would not eat any brine shrimp or Mysis and I thought he was just scared and in a few more days would start eating. In the third day I noticed him biting the Acroporas and eating all the frozen foods.
<<Have experienced this myself.>>
I know that each fish has his own personality, but I wonder if it will ever stop eating the polyps.
<<Likely not before the decline of the coral(s) due to the constant irritation/predation.>>
And what about the Acroporas? Any reason for me to be worried?
<<In my opinion, yes. These fish are found naturally in the wild among these corals, but this behavior in the confines of an aquarium can/usually is lethal for the coral. I would suggest you remove the fish if you wish to keep the Acroporas.>>
Thanks in advance
Luis Lopes
<<Regards, EricR>>

I suspect that there is a major difference in this habit between wild caught and tank raised...