Clownfish

Clownfish are popular aquarium pets and now famous movie starts, thanks to Finding Nemo and now Finding Dory.

Nemo and his dad, Marlin, are ocellaris clownfish, also called false clownfish or clown anemonefish. Anemonefish are so-named for the sea anemones in which they make their homes.

There are 28 species of anemonefish, and they come in many colours, such as pink, red, yellow, black, brown and multi-coloured stripes.

Clown anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris) are called false clownfish because they resemble the orange clownfish

(Amphiprion percula).

Habitat

False clownfish live in the coral reefs off the coasts of Australia and Southeast Asia as far north as southern Japan. They are found mainly around certain kinds of anemones, a creature that anchors itself to the sea floor and uses its tentacles to attract food. The anemone’s tentacles have stinging cells called nematocysts that release a toxin when prey or predator touches it.

The difference

There are some subtle differences between them,

• The clown anemonefish has thin black bands, while the orange clownfish has thick black bands separating the orange and white coloration of the body.

• The clown anemonefish often has a slightly less brilliant colour than the orange clownfish.

• Viewed head-on, the clown anemonefish’s head appears plain while the orange clownfish’s head has a pronounced bulging face similar to a frog.

• The clown anemonefish’s eyes are greyish orange and appear to be larger than they actually are; the orange clownfish has a bright orange iris, which has the effect of making the eyes look smaller.

Diet

Clownfish are omnivores, which means they eat meat and plants. They typically eat algae, zooplankton, worms and small crustaceans.

When small, the fish tend to stay within the confines of their anemone host. As they get larger, they will seek out food, though they don’t venture much more than a few meters from the anemone, according to the ADW.

(Courtesy: Livescience)

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 23rd, 2016