Clownfish | Marine Biology

Common Clownfish

Now that we’ve established that life does not survive without corals in the last post, let’s move on to some of the species that really depend on corals. Let’s talk about Amphiprioninae, or more commonly known as Clownfish.

There are at least 30 known species of clownfish, most of which live in the shallow waters of the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the western Pacific. 3 out of the 30 types of clownfish are; Common Clownfish, True Percula Clownfish and Cinnamon Clownfish. Today, we’ll be talking about the Common Clownfish.

True Percula Clownfish

So, which type of coral do these clownfish claim as their home? Well, they make their homes on Sea Anemones. Sea Anemones are a type of coral that is classified under the same class. Their bodies are composed of an adhesive pedal disc, or foot, a cylindrical body, and an array of tentacles surrounding a central mouth. The tentacles are triggered by the slightest touch, firing a harpoon-like filament into their victim and injecting a paralyzing neurotoxin. The helpless prey is then guided into the mouth by the tentacles.

Cinnamon Clownfish

I hear you asking, but if the Sea Anemones contain paralyzing neurotoxins, how are Clownfish able to make this animal their home? It is believed that the clownfish is protected due to a mucus coat on the outside of its skin, this is because the mucus coat they produce is sufficient to protect them from the anemone’s sting. Others, however, must acclimate to the host anemone before they can move freely among its tentacles without being stung. Clownfish have a special relationship with the anemone and are very important to them. They are a large help to the anemone as they clean the anemone by eating the algae and other food leftovers on them. They also protect the sea anemones by chasing away polyp-eating fish, such as the butterfly fish.

Though they spend much of their lives swimming among the tentacles of their host anemone, common clownfish occasionally leave to feed. They are plankton pickers; they visually seek and eat individual zooplankton or phytoplankton floating in the water column. They also likely eat algae from the reef surface. Because of the protection afforded them by their host anemones, common clownfish have few predators, but they are at risk of predation when they leave the anemone to feed. Clownfish are omnivores, which means they eat meat and plants.

Sea Anemone

Surprisingly, all clownfish are born male. They have the ability to switch their sex, but will do so only to become the dominant female of a group. The change is irreversible.

Clownfish lay their eggs in batches on coral, rock or next to the sea anemone that they call home. The male clownfish will build a nest on the rock or coral near the anemone in order to be provided with protection from predators. Breeding starts by the male chasing the female to the nest where the eggs are released. One hundred to one thousand eggs are laid. The male clownfish guards and protects the eggs until they hatch. They hatch within 4 to 5 days. Clownfish eggs can be hatched anytime during the year. Male clownfish are the primary caretakers for their young, with females only helping on occasion.

If you enjoyed reading this, you might like my previous post on Corals, check it out !

https://musings-of-a-musical-biologist.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-colonies-of-ocean-marine-biology.html

Citation:

Types of Clownfish-

https://www.buildyouraquarium.com/types-of-clownfish/

Sea anemones-

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/sea-anemones

Why Clownfish don’t get stung by Sea Anemones-

https://asknature.org/strategy/mucus-coat-protects-from-sea-anemone/

Symbiotic Relationship-

http://tolweb.org/treehouses/?treehouse_id=3390#:~:text=Clownfish%20have%20a%20special%20relationship,such%20as%20the%20butterfly%20fish.&text=Clownfish%20have%20a%20special%20relationship,such%20as%20the%20butterfly%20fish

Diet-