The most famous fish in the world
Clownfish belong to the group of anemonefish: All anemonefish are born male. The dominant, largest animal in an anemone is always the only female. If the female dies, the strongest male will transform into a female within a week. In the wild, female clownfish usually lay their eggs under the full moon; the larvae hatch after only 6 days.
They even live among poisonous anemones, but are not injured by them, as they let the anemone tentacles roam over their bodies until they are immune to the poison. The clownfish lives in a symbiosis with its anemone: even if it lives in the ocean, it is not a good swimmer and therefore never strays far from its anemone.
At the same time, it can also protect the anemone by frightening its predators by swimming out when they are feeding.
But not all anemones enter into a symbiosis with anemonefish. Those in which anemonefish live, however, have a very special “personal care service” - the anemonefish removes debris, debris and parasites from the anemone.
Although anemones are more animals than plants, some actually photosynthesize - they use sunlight to produce energy.
Keep an eye out for the clownfish in the tropical coral reef.
It's a man's world
Some species of clownfish are born exclusively males; in each group only one of them will change sex when the last female (formerly a male) dies.
Family life
Clownfish live in family groups made up of parents and their offspring.
Initially, the father of the crowd takes care of the offspring. It cleans the eggs on the bottom of the native sea anemone and keeps curious conspecifics away from them. Later - as larvae - the animals pour into the sea.
