Animal Facts: The Clownfish

There are around 30 different species of clownfish, ranging from 16 to 7cm in size.
Many clownfish have a special relationship with sea anemones. The clownfish provide the sea anemones with nutrients and keep the tentacles clean and free from disease, while the sea anemones help the clownfish avoid predators and provide them with a safe nesting site thanks to their stinging tentacles. This beneficial relationship, where both species are getting an advantage by being dependent on one another, is called mutualism.
Many species of clownfish are born males but change to females at some point in their adulthood.
Clownfish are very popular in the global aquarium trade.
Two Disney films with clownfish as the main characters (Finding Nemo and Finding Dory) have helped them to become more known amongst the public, but they have also increased demand by aquaria and therefore placed pressure on their natural populations

Featured Event