{"id":40476,"date":"2024-07-31T11:03:26","date_gmt":"2024-07-31T09:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/98ff5ef8-ac02-4ac7-be9f-c7d1684fdf2e"},"modified":"2024-07-31T13:28:45","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T11:28:45","slug":"clownfish-guide-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-amazing-sex-changing-colourful-real-nemo","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/clownfish-guide-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-amazing-sex-changing-colourful-real-nemo\/","title":{"rendered":"Clownfish guide: all you need to know about the amazing sex-changing, colourful real Nemo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Delve into the unique and complex biology of the clownfish, arguably the world\u2019s most famous fish says Kush Patel <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 31 July 2024 at 09:03 AM<\/p>

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Straddling the equator the Maldives achipelago consists of more than 1,000 islands ranging from Mal\u00e9, the densely populated island capital, to tiny sandbars that are drowned at high tide. <\/strong><\/p>

Born of volcanic eruptions that have long ceased and settled as 26 atolls, the Maldives is the epitome of paradise, with flour-soft sand, aquamarine waters and palm trees whispering in the breeze. But its true magic lies hidden under the water\u2019s surface, where gardens of coral are home to a multitude of jaw-droppingly vibrant and beautiful species.\u00a0<\/p>

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I\u2019m here to discover this underwater realm. Rey Gelera, resident marine biologist on Anantara Kihavah, guides me over the reef. As we dive deeper, he points out a small group of familiar, tangerine-hued fish decorated with white vertical bands. <\/p>
They are, of course, clownfish, immortalised in the movie Finding Nemo<\/em>, which tells the story of a male ocellaris clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris<\/em>) who has lost his partner to a barracuda (one of the world’s deadliest fish<\/a>), and his son, Nemo, to the aquarium trade.\u00a0<\/p>
<\/div><\/figure><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-clownfish-and-how-many-species-of-them-are-there\">What are clownfish and how many species of them are there?<\/h2><p>There are 28 species of clownfish, also called anemonefish, which live in the warm waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, particularly in coral reef habitats. These colourful creatures have become instantly recognisable and adored, but behind their flamboyant costume is a unique lifestyle, honed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/evolution-explained\">evolution<\/a>, complex social dynamics and mind-bending genetics.<\/p><p>I watch an individual prancing within a venomous anemone, which is home to these fish. This is the Maldivian (or black-finned) clownfish, endemic to the waters around India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-do-clownfish-look-like\">What do clownfish look like?<\/h2><p> A single white stripe adorns each cheek, breaking up an uniform orange that blends into black around the lower fins. This anemone is hosting four other fish, each a slightly different size. The largest is about 8cm long and female. <\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-clownfish-mate-and-reproduce\">How to clownfish mate and reproduce?<\/h2><p>The rest are male and their size relates to their social stature in that particular group. Only the largest male gets to breed with the female; the other non-related males must wait on the sidelines.<\/p><p>\u201cThe dominant breeding pair puts pressure on the other fish with the threat of eviction,\u201d says Peter Buston, a professor of marine and evolutionary ecology. \u201cThis \u2018bullying\u2019 actually maintains the size and<br\/>sex of the other males by controlling their gene expression.\u201d\u00a0<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-and-why-clown-fish-are-able-to-change-sex\">How and why clown fish are able to change sex<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Clownfish are renowned for their intriguing social dynamics. They are protandrous hermaphrodites, which means they are born male and stay male \u201cuntil the female dies,\u201d explains Peter. \u201cThe dominant male then becomes the female of that group, and each male climbs up a rank \u2013 so the second male now becomes the dominant male.\u201d<\/p><p> Recent studies have shown that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/fish\/the-sex-changing-fish-from-finding-nemo\">sex change in clownfish <\/a>is preceded by alterations in the brain; the physical switch to becoming a female can take months or even years. Taking account of this science means that Nemo\u2019s father, Marlin, would have been in the process of transitioning into a female during his mission to rescue his kidnapped son.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/animals-that-can-change-sex\">Discover other animals that can change sex<\/a><\/li><\/ul><p>I\u2019m curious as to why a dominant male would accept other males on his patch, especially as they don\u2019t help to care for the young. As it turns out, the non-breeding males enhance the health of the sea anemone by providing nitrogen from their excrement. <\/p><p>This, in turn, benefits the breeding pair, \u201cso they don\u2019t mind the others,\u201d says Peter. It seems waiting for their turn to breed is the main reason that the non-breeding males stick around. Besides, leaving your anemone home to find another is risky in a reef packed with predators.\u00a0<\/p><blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>hey are protandrous hermaphrodites, which means they are born male and stay male \u201cuntil the female dies,\u201d explains Peter. \u201cThe dominant male then becomes the female of that group, and each male climbs up a rank \u2013 so the second male now becomes the dominant male.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><p>The reef I\u2019m diving is certainly chock-a-block with hungry mouths \u2013 triggerfish with warrior-like markings, enormous groupers, moray eels that slither into every crevice, and lots of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/fish\/shark-facts\">sharks<\/a>. The presence of predators is a sign of a healthy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/plant-facts\/habitats-vs-ecosystems\">ecosystem<\/a>, indicating plenty of prey and favourable habitat. <\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-pollution-is-affecting-the-ocean\">How pollution is affecting the ocean<\/h2><p>However, despite this abundance of life, there are signs that not all is well. Among the shoals of fish, a plastic bag lingers. On the shore, the high tide has dumped a menagerie of litter, including rubber sandals and an old chair.\u00a0<\/p><p>Hugo Tagholm, executive director of Oceana UK, elaborates on the scale of the plastic pollution problem: \u201cCurrently, the equivalent of a garbage truck of plastic enters our ocean every minute. By 2030, this will increase to two trucks every minute,\u201d he says. Hugo stresses the contribution of discarded, or ghost, fishing gear, one of the dominant causes of marine pollution. \u201cThis ghost gear has a profound impact on marine life \u2013 everything from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/birds\/\">birds<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/tags\/whales\">whales<\/a> gets caught in it or swallows it,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p><p>The<a href=\"https:\/\/oliveridleyproject.org\/\"> Olive Ridley Turtle Project<\/a> has found 601 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/sea-turtle-types\">turtles<\/a> entangled in 732 ghost nets in the Maldives. Along with the <a href=\"https:\/\/ipnlf.org\/\">International Pole And Line Foundation,<\/a> it is actively encouraging local fishermen to pick up this discarded gear to protect wildlife. Other organisations, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/theoceancleanup.com\/\">The Ocean Cleanup<\/a>, are collecting rubbish from ocean garbage patches and preventing more from entering our oceans from rivers, while larger movements, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/plasticseurope.org\/changingplasticsforgood\/global-plastics-treaty\/\">The Global Plastic Treaty<\/a>, aim to create a circular economy where plastics are reused and recycled.\u00a0<\/p><p>Chemical pollution is also a concern. Scientists have found that certain chemicals, including those from plastic bottles, cause the feminisation of clownfish. This is a serious issue for a species where gender plays a crucial role in its natural history and social life.\u00a0<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-\"\/><p>The current draws me closer to another anemone, its arms waving ominously. These appendages house nematocysts \u2013 paralysing, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/poisons-vs-venom-vs-toxin\">toxin<\/a>-laden harpoons used to catch passing prey, which is then guided into its mouth. It is hard to comprehend how clownfish can live with such a species, but evolution has endowed them with a solution: a coat of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/mucus-and-slime-explained\">mucus<\/a> that develops over time, after repeated contact with their host. Shielded from the sting, they appear to revel in the fronds\u2019 protective embrace.\u00a0<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-clownfish-habitat\">Clownfish habitat<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/07\/GettyImages-1B06802_0001.mp4\"\/><\/figure><p>Each clownfish species has co-evolved to live within one or more of 10 different anemones for almost their entire lives. In fact, this mutualistic relationship is one of the key triggers for the fish\u2019s diversity. <\/p><p>Different anemones live in different habitats, so clownfish have adapted and diversified accordingly. In a wonderful example of symbiosis, the fish provide their hosts with cleaning services and protection, chasing off anemone predators such as butterflyfish, whose long mouthparts can bypass the plant\u2019s sting. Nitrogen from the fish\u2019s excrement also enables the algae within the anemone\u2019s tissues to carry out photosynthesis, which nourishes both algae and anemone. In return, the plant provides a safe home for both algae and clownfish.<\/p><p>But this mutualistic lifestyle features a rather macabre intruder. A type of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/meet-the-cymothoa-exigua-parasite-the-tongue-eating-isopod\">crustacean called an isopod <\/a>can sometimes be found inside the fish. It lodges itself onto the fish\u2019s tongue, feeding on its blood. Under most circumstances, clownfish can still feed and survive, but in warmer waters or stressful environments their survival is compromised.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-do-clownfish-eat\">What do clownfish eat?<\/h2><p>As omnivores, clownfish enjoy a varied diet consisting of\u00a0algae, zooplankton, worms and small crustaceans<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-do-clown-fish-eggs-look-like\">What do clown fish eggs look like?<\/h2><p>At another anemone, I come across Clark\u2019s clownfish, emblazoned in a dark black suit with bold white stripes and fringed in honeyed orange. Sheltered by a small overhang, I notice tiny specks undulating in the current. As I get closer, they morph into pairs of eyes, cocooned in transparent capsules \u2013 they are clownfish eggs!\u00a0<\/p><p>The male gives them plenty of attention, checking over each individual, fanning them and keeping them clean. Male clownfish provide 90 per cent of parental care, while the females concentrate on defending the territory. Peter Buston recently discovered that when the eggs hatch at night, \u201cthe breeding pair provides safe passage for the vulnerable fry into the open ocean by nipping at the anemone\u2019s nematocysts\u201d. This usually happens during a full or new moon, when the strong current sweeps young away.\u00a0<\/p><p>As I scrutinise these tiny fish living out their lives in the underwater world, a shadow drifts over us like a plane coming in to land. A seven-foot nurse shark oscillates from side to side, making me flinch. Its size is both thrilling and unnerving. On its belly are two remoras, clamped on via suckers on the tops of their heads. Twisting around, I celebrate the moment with my wife, who is as awestruck as I am.\u00a0<\/p><p>Having observed one of the reef\u2019s tiniest residents and one of its largest, it seems to me that the Maldives has it all. We encounter hawksbill turtles plucking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/news\/marine-mammal-strandings-linked-to-algae\">algae<\/a> off the coral, angelfish parading their finery and neon parrotfish munching on coral (they produce so much sand in their excrement that 85 per cent of Maldivian beaches are effectively <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/fish\/queen-parrotfish-mucus-bubble\">parrotfish<\/a> poo).\u00a0<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-threats-do-clownfish-face\">What threats do clownfish face?<\/h2><p>Fish are above, below, to the left and right of us, feeding, schooling and chasing one another. They are also quite noisy. Listening intently, I can make out the various pops, squeaks and whistles of fish communication. Indeed, so significant is the sound that scientists are using this \u2018soundscaping\u2019 to judge and monitor the health of coral reefs. The more sound there is, the greater the biodiversity. This reef is protected and flourishing, reflected in the din around me.<\/p><p>Elsewhere in the world, clownfish are faring less well. <em>Finding Nemo<\/em> resulted in an increase in demand from the aquarium trade for these species, and scientists simultaneously reported a reduction in wild populations, such as on the Great Barrier Reef. Ironically, the conservation message from the film \u2013 that clownfish don\u2019t like living in tanks \u2013 was missed by some. Clownfish are one of the most frequent species taken from the wild, making up 43 per cent of the global marine ornamental trade. \u201cI hardly see clownfish when I swim on reefs close to Mal\u00e9,\u201d says my guide Rey.\u00a0<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/facts-about-coral-reefs\">Coral bleaching<\/a> is a threat, too, with mass coral-bleaching events increasing in frequency due to climate change. Bleached anemones affect the metabolism, growth, behaviour and reproduction of their resident fish, frequently resulting in local extinctions. Innovative coral restoration programmes are in progress \u2013 including one run by Rey \u2013 which aim to expand reefs by transplanting live coral in the hope it will form new colonies. Scientists are also identifying and propagating heat-tolerant coral species, stabilising reef rubble (fragments of reef on the ocean floor that still provide habitat) to promote reef recovery, and even creating clouds to reduce sunlight-induced heat damage.\u00a0<\/p><p>These strategies can buy time, but we must do more. The need to save Nemo and his friends is now more urgent than ever. The future of this colourful, iconic and biologically fascinating little fish, and its ocean home, is firmly within our hands.\u00a0<\/p><p><strong>Kush Patel has<\/strong> <strong>a deep interest in the natural world and aims, through his wildlife and travel writing, to inspire others to preserve our rapidly diminishing wilderness.<\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Delve into the unique and complex biology of the clownfish, arguably the world\u2019s most famous fish says Kush Patel <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":40477,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"9"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/clownfish-guide-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-amazing-sex-changing-colourful-real-nemo.jpg",2560,1696,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/clownfish-guide-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-amazing-sex-changing-colourful-real-nemo-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/clownfish-guide-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-amazing-sex-changing-colourful-real-nemo-300x199.jpg",300,199,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/clownfish-guide-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-amazing-sex-changing-colourful-real-nemo-768x509.jpg",768,509,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/clownfish-guide-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-amazing-sex-changing-colourful-real-nemo-1024x678.jpg",800,530,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/clownfish-guide-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-amazing-sex-changing-colourful-real-nemo-1536x1018.jpg",1536,1018,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/clownfish-guide-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-amazing-sex-changing-colourful-real-nemo-2048x1357.jpg",2048,1357,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Delve into the unique and complex biology of the clownfish, arguably the world\u2019s most famous fish says Kush Patel","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/40476"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}