60 Interesting Facts about Clownfish To Be Surprised - SeaFish (2024)

Discovering Nemo was little question the film that made clownfish a widely known species, however, what details do you really find out about these stunning fish?

Properly you’ve got here to a suitable place to seek out these details, right here we’ve got 16 enjoyable & fascinating details about clownfish.

Dr. Gregory Lewbart, Professor of Aquatic, Wildlife, and Zoologic Medication at North Carolina State College, spoke with us about a few of the lesser-known details about this fascinating species, in addition to some care pointers for potential house owners that may make caring to your clownfish simpler.

Clownfish are typically referred to as anemonefish.

The clownfish often known as the anemonefish are slightly fish associated with the household known as “Amphiprioninae”. They belong to the fish household with the identity “Pomacentridae”.

There are already been thirty species acknowledged. So “Nemo” as we all know him from the Pixar film has extra members of the family than you definitely suppose!

Do you know that the clownfish can also have the color yellow, reddish, or blackish with more often than not white bars or patches?!

The clownfish can develop as much as 18 centimeters (7.1 in) and the smallest will be barely 10 centimeters (3.9 in). Though don’t overlook that underwater an object is magnified by 33% so they seem larger for a scuba diver.

The clownfish live in an anemone that kinds safe (you may name it their home) and so they favor the underside of the shallow water in sheltered reefs or in shallow lagoons. For this reason not solely scuba divers can see them, but additionally while you exit for some snorkeling.

They belong to the damselfish family.

Clownfish grew to become massively fashionable because of the 2003 Pixar animated movie Discovering Nemo, wherein a nervous clownfish searches for his lacking son.

All clownfish are born male and a few develop feminine reproductive organs when wanted.

They’ve distinctive black, white, and orange markings, which is one of the interesting facts about Clownfish.

Moreover, buying a captive-bred clownfish for your tank is environmentally accountable and these fish are extra adaptable to residing in residence aquariums.

To catch their prey, clownfish swim onto the reef the place they appeal to bigger fish, that are stung by the anemones.

The anemone then eats the bigger fish, leaving the stays for the clownfish, which is one of the interesting facts about Clownfish.

In addition to fish stays, clownfish eat algae and plankton.

Do you know that there are NO clownfish within the Atlantic Ocean?!

In a gaggle of clownfish, the biggest and most aggressive feminine is discovered on the prime and so they change intercourse sooner or later in life?!

Because of this, they’re born male and after they get mature, they develop into females. If the feminine anemonefish is far away from the group, for instance by demise, one of the many largest and most dominant males will develop into a feminine. The remaining males will transfer up a rank within the hierarchy.

Do you know that clownfish typically eat a little little bit of the tentacles of their host anemone?!

A feminine clownfish can lay around 600 up to 1500 eggs rely upon her measurement.

Father clownfish is a devoted and caring dad or mum. He prepares the nest for the mom clownfish to put the eggs in. He guards the eggs after being laid and cleans the nest, by eradicating the particles that fall on it.

Attributable to their tiny measurement, clownfish are attacked by some predators like stingrays, sharks, eels, and different large fish. However, clownfish are tough to catch as they conceal within the sea anemone.

The most important enemy of clownfish is people. People catch clownfish to show in their aquariums. The opposite threats are ocean air pollution, destruction of the habitat, and overfishing. Fortuitously, the inhabitants of clownfish remain to be secure, and they aren’t on the checklist of endangered species.

The male clownfish is the protector of the eggs that can hatch after 6 until 10 days.

They will develop between two to five inches, which is one of the interesting facts about Clownfish.

They’re a hardy, peaceable group of fish that develop to be around three to 4 inches and are comparatively simple by way of care.

“Clownfish seem like significantly long-lived, and may in all probability stay as much as 30 years, however, a lifespan of 10 to 15 [years] appears about common,” he mentioned.

That is each a blessing and a curse, relying upon your targets. These fish aren’t for house owners on the lookout for a short-term pet, confirms Lewbart, so you should definitely plan accordingly.

In captivity, they will stay for as much as 5 years.

Translation: They eat each meat and vegetation. The typical clownfish weight loss plan sometimes consists of algae, zooplankton, worms, and small crustaceans.

Finally, when feeding any clownfish, selection is the important thing, mentioned Lewbart. “A combination of frozen meals, flakes and pellets, and greens ought to do the trick,” he mentioned. He suggests minimizing or excluding stay meals, as they will typically carry parasites and different pathogens.

As far as how a lot it is best to feed your clownfish, he mentioned that this will typically be tough to estimate, however, suggests one methodology: the rule of 5 minutes.

“See how a lot a fish can eat in 5 minutes after including meals in the tank,” he mentioned. “This often works out to about one-to-three p.c of their body weight.”

A clownfish can stay as much as 10 years, which is one of the interesting facts about Clownfish.

Clownfish make up 40% of marine decorative commerce. The fish are both captured from the wild or bred in captivity.

Percula clownfish introduces itself to the anemone by performing a dance.

Out of 1,000 several types of anemones, solely ten can host clownfish, which is one of the interesting facts about Clownfish.

Clownfish acquired their identity from the stripes and bouncing actions, which make them seem like clowns.

Clownfish have totally different names in numerous languages. In Russian, they’re known as obyknovennaya rybka-kloun, in Japanese kakure-kumanomi, and in Danish klovnfisk.

All clownfish are born males. Some flip into females when the dominant feminine of the group dies. The change can’t be reversed.

If stored as pets, clownfish can survive just for two to 5 in an aquarium. They stay longer in the wild.

Clownfish will be stored in saltwater aquariums or tanks as pets, which is one of the interesting facts about Clownfish.

Ideally, clownfish are in a position to cohabitate with many different species—together with damsels, gobies, puffers and stay corals, you identify it—confirms Lewbart (in fact, you’ll wish to keep away from species equivalent to groupers, scorpions, seahorses, sharks and rays, all predatory fish that may eat clownfish).

In case your aim is to combine your new clownfish with different species that they get together with, they need to be bought in small teams consisting of 1 species and launched to the aquarium concurrently Lewbart mentioned.

Introducing totally different species of fish, in addition to corals, vegetation, and different invertebrates, is among the riskiest of endeavors on the subject of pet fish maintenance, he mentioned.

For starters, any new vegetation or fish will have to be quarantined at the very least 30 days earlier than being added to the prevailing system/aquarium. “I can not inform you what number of occasions newly-introduced animals unfold pathogens to established tank residents,” Lewbart mentioned.

Scientific Classification And Species Of Anemone:

Clownfish belongs to the Amphiprioninae within the Pomacentridae household. There are around 28 to 30 species of clownfish present in yellow, orange, maroon, and different colors. Percula Clownfish is the commonest. It’s 5 inches long and vibrant orange in shade with white stripes.

Eggs will be laid all yr round, which is one of the interesting facts about Clownfish.

Some females even lay eggs amongst the anemones. This beauty can be part of your Instagram story design that others will love.

The clownfish stay in small teams known as the varsity, which consists of the mating couple and their offspring. These territorial fishes fiercely defend their houses against different clownfish.

If the feminine clownfish dies or is far away from the group, essentially the most dominant male would flip feminine and develop into the top. The remaining males will transfer up the rankings on the hierarchy.

Clownfish share a symbiotic relationship with anemones, due to which they’re named anemonefish. The partnership is undeterred by the truth that anemones have tentacles that may sting. In reality, this four-inch fish lives among the many tentacles, thus looking for safety from predators. Questioning how the toxic tentacles don’t hurt the clownfish?

A layer of mucus on the pores and skin makes the fish proof against the stings. Clownfish additionally will get to eat the leftovers from the anemone’s meal.

The anemone additionally advantages from having the clownfish round because the latter nibble parasites and useless tentacles that irritate the previous. Typically, the clownfish convey meals for the anemone to eat and supply vitamins from their droppings. This is among the fascinating details about clownfish for teenagers to know!

Clownfish are omnivorous animals, which signifies that they eat vegetation and animals. Apart from the useless tentacles and the leftovers of the anemone, clownfish eat plankton, mollusk, zooplankton, phytoplankton, small crustaceans, and numerous algae.

Algae covers 20 to 25% of their weight loss plan. The weight loss plan of a clownfish depends on its species, the world of its habitation, and the meals accessible. In captivity, clownfish are fed fish flakes, fish pellets, and different vitamins.

Clownfish are an energetic species of fish and are sometimes discovered doing numerous types of acrobats, which is one of the interesting facts about Clownfish.

They’re additionally very aggressive and violent by nature. They assault divers vehemently in the event that they sense any hazard from them.

Clownfish talk by producing ticking noises with their pharyngeal tooth which can be aligned with the throat. The male clownfish create sound pulses on explicit events whereas the females produce aggressive sounds.

Clownfish aren’t the very best swimmers within the ocean. They spend a lot of time hiding in the water. After they enterprise out, their swimming sample may be very erratic. On occasions, they swim sideways whereas, on different events, they swim rapidly for brief bursts.

Anemonefish require a saltwater aquarium of at the very least 30 gallons, armed with the correct gear—equivalent to satisfactory filtration, pumps, water dietary supplements, and stay rock and sand.

As such, clownfish do require stricter tank upkeep than different species. They require a water temperature between 72 and 78 levels Fahrenheit, and a pH of 8.1-8.4 (as extra fundamental pH ranges are sometimes indicated for saltwater aquariums). Moreover, Lewbart recommends a 25 to 30 p.c tank water change month-to-month.

Whereas these fish are comparatively easygoing, the majority of the heavy lifting for brand-new clownfish house owners is usually sustaining a correct atmosphere.

Determine if in case you have the time correctly to keep your clownfish’s atmosphere earlier than buying one.

They make their houses amongst reefs, which is one of the interesting facts about Clownfish.

Clownfish are endemic to the nice and cozy waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, together with the Nice Barrier Reef of Australia and the Pink Sea. They often inhabit the bottom of sheltered reefs or shallow seas. The clownfish migrate to deeper water through the winter season to maintain their heat.

Some clownfish reside within the tropical waters among the many coral reefs. Clownfish that inhabit the coral reefs drift on a hundred occasions close to coral heads. When somebody bothers them, they barb into the hole among the many corals.

Clownfish have a small and flattened body, and a projecting dorsal fin. They use the pectoral fins in a paddle-like method.

The color of the clownfish relies upon the kind of the species, however, a lot of the clownfish are yellow, black, orange, or purple with white stripes or blotches.

The longest a clownfish can attain is 18cm or 7.1 inches. The smallest clownfish so far was 4.9 inches lengthy. The typical weight of a clownfish is 250 grams. The form and measurement differ from species to species.

Feminine clownfish can lay as many as 1,000 eggs through the full moon. The eggs are positioned on the underwater rocks and the male clownfish handle them till they hatch.

The incubation lasts six to 10 days and ends with an infinite variety of clownfish showing two hours after nightfall. Virtually all of the fertilized eggs hatch and attain maturity.

Feminine clownfish lay as many as a thousand eggs on coral or rocks on anemones.

Males guard the eggs until they hatch after 4 or 5 days, which is one of the interesting facts about Clownfish.