Clownfish

Clownfish are beautiful little fish. As you enter the Shipwreck area, take a peek at the Clownfish swimming amongst Yellow belly blue damsels and Mushroom anemone. They don’t like to stray too far from their home base – usually a sea anemone. They are also able to change sex, which the dominant male would normally do when (if) the female dies.

Things to Do

Spot the Clownfish hiding in the Coral reefs
Watch how shy and secretive the Clownfish are
Watch how fast the Clownfish dash around their kingdom
Discover how Clownfish become immune to the sea anemones where they live


Scientific Name	Amphiprion percula
Home	Coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific
Size	Up to 4 inches
Animal type	Fishes
Relatives	Damselfish
Predators	Sharks, stingrays and other large bony fish
Conservation status	Not evaluated
Diet	Clown fish are omnivores. They will feed on drifting animals such as plankton, crustaceans, mollusks and algae. Around 20% of their diet is algae. Clownfish have a symbiotic relationship with anemones. The fish eat invertebrates that could harm the anemone, and the anemone gets nutrients from the waste of the clownfish. Clownfish have also been known to chase away butterflyfish that try to pick at the anemone

Clownfish can change sex when the female in a group dies
Clownfish make themselves immune to the stings of their home anemone
Clownfish don’t have a great sense of humour. They are called Clownfish because of their clown coloring
Clownfish are also called anemonefish
Clownfish have a special mucus coating that keeps anemones from stinging them
The clownfish is protected from predators by the anemone. Larger fish are kept away by the host’s stings
Clownfish also aid the anemones by chasing off larger fish that may harm the anemone
All clownfish start as males and some change to females as they age
Clownfish have to slowly introduce themselves before moving into an anemone. The fish will touch the tentacles of the anemone for several days or hours. The fish slowly forms a protective mucus layer after repeated exposure to the anemone
A school of clownfish has a top male and female in the social hierarchy. Only those at the top are allowed to mate
There are 28 species of clownfish