One of the biggest attractions of coral reefs is, without any doubt, its spectacular and colorful fauna. Among the most famous fauna of the tropical seas is the clownfish, an iconic animal of coral reefs and probably one of the most famous animals in the world thanks to recent animated films.
General characteristics of clownfish
This small fish can grow between 10 and 20 centimeters depending on the species and the females are larger than the males.
We can find clown fish of orange, red, pink, yellow, and even black colors ... all with the characteristic bands of white. The color is very characteristic of each species, but without a doubt, the orange clownfish with white bands is the most famous of them all.
In the wild, clownfish usually live between 5 and 10 years.
Where does the clown fish live?
The clown fish lives in the Pacific Ocean and in the Indian Ocean. It is a fish of tropical waters, so we can mainly find it, among others, in the Red Sea, in Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, China, Australia, Polynesia ...
It is found in coral reefs at shallow depth, between 3 and 20 meters. Specifically we find the clownfish swimming among the tentacles of the anemones.
Why the clown fish lives in the anemones?
The clown fish lives in the anemones because it has established a relationship of mutualism, that is, a relationship in which both parties benefit. Each species of clownfish has a predilection for one or more species of anemones in particular.
Living among the tentacles of the anemones is a great survival tactic since, being toxic, they protect the clownfish from any predator that tries to eat it. In exchange for this protection, the clownfish eats possible parasites and algae that may harm the anemone and the waste that may remain between its tentacles after feeding. In addition, the fecal waste of the clown fish supposes an extra contribution of nutrients for the anemone
How is it possible that the anemone does not bite the clown fish?
The anemone does not bite the clown fish because it is covered by a mucosa that protects it against the stinging tentacles.
Little is known about this mucus, but one of the main characteristics is that it lacks a substance that triggers the action of the nematocysts. That is to say, that by not having that certain substance, the anemone does not inject its toxins.
Clown fish are not born being immune to the toxins of the anemone but thanks to this mucus, little by little they adapt until they are completely immune from adults.
Because the anemones feed on fish, before settling in it the clown fish has to swim gently and throughout the anemone, performing a kind of dance, so that it gets used to it and does not try to eat it.
Threats of the clown fish
Because of the famous global warming and the acidification of the oceans, clownfish face the disappearance of their home, the coral reefs.
Its population has been affected for years because they are highly demanded fish for aquariums thanks to the ease of their maintenance in captivity. The big problem of being fish for aquariums are the techniques that are used for it. As regrettably happens today in many areas, illegal and little - or nothing - regulated fishing techniques are used.
The most used technique is fishing with cyanide since this substance "stuns" the fish, thus facilitating its capture. The problem with this technique is that the cyanide kills the coral and stays inside the fish system, which seems to be fine but after a few days it dies. This causes a situation of vicious circle, since when dying so soon the fish, the buyers demand more and, as it is a profitable business, it returns to the sea to fish more fish with this technique to satisfy the demands.
In addition, it should be noted that after the premiere of "Finding Nemo", the demand for clownfish for aquariums increased dramatically. Scientists fear that, recently released the movie "Finding Dory", the demand for surgeonfish will shoot, which could pose a serious risk to the survival of this species since it does not support the captivity very well, and unlike the Clownfish, it takes two years to reach sexual maturity and it does not reproduce as continuously as its co-star.
The clown fish is just another victim of greed and human immorality, which little by little, with excessive and illegal fishing, pollution, and global warming, is charging its most precious treasure, the seas, home of such beautiful creatures