domino damsels and lionfish

[watermama]

In my 90g I have a volitan lionfish that is now blind. To make a long story short, he ate a mushroom coral which made him very ill. He was sick (dark in color, constant swimming, some spines down, not eating or responding) for well over a week. As he started to improve, I was advised to try live food to tempt him to eat (not realising that he was blind) so 2 very small dominos were added. Later I found out that he could not see them, or anything else for that matter. Right now, he is doing extremely well...his color is good, all fins open, swimming in a normal manner (with only the occasional bumping into stuff) and eating well. I have to feed him with a feeder stick but he does take it. I am still soaking all foods in vitamins in the hopes that it will help him with his eyesight.
My question is this, if he remains blind, can I leave the dominos in the tank with him and his companion the yellow tang? The tang seems to like having the dominos around, and the damsels are getting along quite well right now.
How aggressive will these fish get? I also have read varying reports on how big the domino actually gets...everything from 2" to 4" to bigger than tangs!!
Thanks for any help!

[Ninong]

According to Fishbase http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/Spec...rimaculatusert the maximum size of a Domino Damsel is 11cm (SL) or 4.33" (SL = Standard Length, without the tail).

According to Robert Fenner's http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dascyllu.htm their maximum length is 5-1/2" (I guess that's TL, Total Length).

They do have a reputation for being pretty feisty. I have no idea if the Lionfish will be able to eat them if he is blind. Probably not. But sight is only one of the senses that fish use to locate prey and avoid bumping into things. Probably their most important sense organ is their lateral line. It's the lateral line that senses slight differences in water pressure enabling them to swim around the tank like crazy without bumping into the glass walls or the live rock. The lateral line is what makes it possible for hundreds of shoaling fish to turn in unison. Of course, Lionfish are not known for their swimming prowess so the Damsels are probably safe in the same tank with a blind Lionfish, unless they allow themselves to be cornered.

Maybe Frank Marini can tell you if a blind Lionfish can eat a small Damsel. I think I'll email this thread to him for you.

[FMarini]

Hi:
Ninong contacted me about this.
To my knowledge lionfish are not equipped w/ additional special radar or sensory organs (beyond the lateral line-like petersons elephant nose fish or black ghost fish) which allow them to see in the dark or even in complete blindness.
Infact I can tell you that lionfish can't find food in complete darkness. Lions are pretty much eyesight and scent based hunters. My guess is that the damsels will be fine. As Ninong pointed out lionfish are not well known swimmers and i suspect the damsels will swim circles around the lion.
I fear for the lion who will not know if he travels into the damsels territory and get picked on.

You may have to stickfeed the lion forever, his eye sight prolly won't return unless the damage to the optic nerve was only imflammation based. I would continue feeding the lionfish items like gulf shrimp w/ shell on dipped in a little selcon/zoecon, and rotate this food w/ other smelly SW food items like squid, clams, crabmeat. If anything the lionfish will smell these food when they hit the water. In his blindness he most likely will be unable to pinpoint where the food is, unless it literally hits him in the nose. (I've had to care for a blind harlequin tusk this same way)

Your damsels should be fine
Thanks for the invite into the post
frank

[watermama]

Thanks for the replies!
Frank was kind enough to help me with my lion when he first became sick (over at RC), but I didn't think to ask him about the damsels! Thank you again Frank for your excellent advice!
Yeah, I basically have to bang him on the nose with the food, but he sure takes it well enough. I am hoping that this is only temporary....but even if it's not, he has a life long home with me anyways. I will watch though that the damsels don't start picking on him! It's good to know that they shouldn't get any bigger than 5" too....