Remember the famous orange fish with white stripes. Marlin and Nemo are the most famous clown fishes ever.  The Disney movie that made them famous was “Finding Nemo”.  There are 28 known species of clown fish living in warm waters of the Red Sea, Western Pacific Ocean, and the Indian Ocean.

Clown fish is also called clown anemone fish. Over the years, clown fish has developed a very unlikely friendship with the sea animal anemone. A sea anemone looks frightening and has stinging tentacles that trap other fish, poison them, and then eat them. However, clown fish makes home in the tentacles of Anemone and still goes unharmed. How? Clown fish has a layer of protective mucus that protects it from getting poisoned. Can you guess why clown fish is also known as anemone fish? Whatever fish is left over by anemone is finished by the clown fish. Clown fish eats both plants and animals. Their diet consists of whatever is available to them

Clown fish are not the only ones that benefit from the friendship. The clown fish return the favor by chasing away the bugs and parasites that bother anemone. They also eats up any dead tentacles anemone has.

Father clown fish is an involved parent. He prepares a nest before the mother clown fish is ready to lay eggs. He then guards the eggs after they are being laid. He makes sure the nests are clean, removing any debris that falls in it. The eggs hatch in about seven days, and a large number of fish fry is released in the water, therefore, maintaining  a large number of clown fish in the water.

Clown fish can hide from his predators except sharks and humans. Humans catch the clown fishes for the aquarium because they are so brightly coloured.  Humans are the biggest threat to them. Next time, think twice before buying a beautiful clown fish for your aquarium. Sea is where they belong, not aquariums!