It is no secret that on May 30, 2003, when the movie Nemo came out, this little fish captured the attention of people around the world, including myself. Nemo was the cute name for the character back then, but the real name for this species is ‘Clownfish’. This beautiful species is found in coral reefs in the tropical Pacific, the coast of Southeast Asia as far north as Japan, and Indian oceans from the northwest.
As a general rule, Clownfish gain immunity from poisonous anemones by copying the molecular structure from the tentacles and reproducing it over their scales as mucus, allowing the fish to go inside the anemone and not get stung. This is a slow process that is sometimes painful for the fish.
This interaction is a survival tool for both species, mostly in the wild, creating a unique symbiotic relationship.
Why Do Clownfish Play With Poison
This symbiotic relationship starts when the anemone coral and clownfish live together in harmony where they benefit from each other.
As a whole, animals, like human beings, need communities to reach their goals and make them feel safe and secure. For Clownfish, this isn’t an exception, besides the danger of the relationship.
In the wild, the anemone, with its deadly, poisonous tentacles, acts as a fortress to protect the clownfish from predators. This makes it a great place to call home and raise the little newborn fish.
On the other hand, the fish brings lots of food to the anemone and keeps it clean, in addition to eating small invertebrates that are dangerous to them. As I mentioned before, the process of the clownfish being accepted by the anemone will be a dangerous one.
But what if the clownfish decides to move to another anemone?
If the clownfish tries to move to another anemone, the process has to start from the beginning. It will need protection or mucus for this new coral; this mucus is what prevents the arms from shooting its harpoons between them when they come into contact.
In reality, many clownfish these days are bred in tanks. Therefore, they will never encounter a predator, and the relationship between both isn’t necessary. Clownfish have everything to live an awesome life in a home aquarium.
But as you may know, what works in theory never perfectly applies to real life. Watch this video of an anemone eating a clownfish in an aquarium in just one minute.
Do Clownfish Change Gender
In captivity, clownfish can live, on average, 3 to 5 years, whereas in the wild they can live to 10 years. The average size is around 3 to 4.3 inches but they can grow to 7 inches.
As a general rule, all clownfish are born male, and they may turn into a female when there is not a dominant female in the group. If she dies or disappears, the largest male will turn into a female, and the next male in the hierarchy will become the dominant male.
How does this process work? Imagine the dominant female at the top of the hierarchy, and then the dominant male, and all the subordinate males under that. If the dominant female dies or goes away, the largest male will turn into a female, and the next male on the hierarchy will become the dominant male.
Anemones That Can Host a Clownfish
This table is related to the article; Clownfish and Anemone Matches by The Spruce Pets.
| Clownfish | Anemones |
| Cinnamon, Red, and Black (Amphiprion melanopus) | Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) Leathery (Sebae) Sea Anemone (Heteractis crispa) |
| Clark’s Yellowtail (Amphiprion clarkii) | Carpet Sea Anemone (Cryptodendrum adhaesivum) Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) Beaded (Aurora) Sea Anemone (Heteractis aurora) Leathery (Sebae) Sea Anemone (Heteractis crispa) Magnificent Sea Anemone (H. magnifica) Sabae Sea Anemone (H. malu) Corkscrew (Long Tentacle) Sea Anemone (Macrodactyla doreensis) Giant Carpet Sea Anemone (Stichodactyla gigantea) Haddon’s (Saddleback Carpet) Sea Anemone (S. haddoni) Merten’s Carpet Sea Anemone (S. mertensii) |
| Maroon, Spinecheek, White-Stripe, Gold-Stripe (Premnas biaculeatus) | Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) Corkscrew (Long Tentacle) Sea Anemone (Macrodactyla doreensis) |
| Ocellaris, False Percula (Amphiprion ocellaris) | Magnificent Sea Anemone (Heteractis magnifica) Giant Carpet Sea Anemone (Stichodactyla gigantea), Merten’s Carpet Sea Anemone (S. mertensii) May adapt to Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) in aquariums; also known to host the Haddon’s Saddle Carpet Anemone (Stichodactyla haddoni) |
| Orange Skunk (Amphiprion sandaracinos | Leathery (Sebae) Sea Anemone (Heteractis crispa) Merten’s Carpet Sea Anemone (S. mertensii) May adapt to other anemones in aquariums |
| Percula, True Percula, Clown Anemonefish (Amphiprion percula) | Leathery (Sebae) Sea Anemone (Heteractis crispa) Magnificent Sea Anemone (H. magnifica) Giant Carpet Sea Anemone (Stichodactyla gigantea) Merten’s Carpet Sea Anemone (S. mertensii) May adapt to Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) and other anemones in aquariums |
| Pink Skunk Clownfish (Amphiprion perideraion) | Magnificent Sea Anemone (Heteractis magnifica) Leathery (Sebae) Sea Anemone (Heteractis crispa) Corkscrew (Long Tentacle) Sea Anemone (Macrodactyla doreensis) Giant Carpet Sea Anemone (Stichodactyla gigantea) |
| Red Saddleback, Fire (Amphiprion ephippium) | Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) Leathery (Sebae) Sea Anemone |
| Saddleback (Amphiprion polymnus) | Haddon’s (Saddleback Carpet) Sea Anemone (S. haddoni) Leathery (Sebae) Sea Anemone (Heteractis crispa) |
| Sebae, Seba’s (Amphiprion sebae) | Haddon’s (Saddleback Carpet) Sea Anemone (S. haddoni) |
| Skunk (Amphiprion akallopisos) | Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) Leathery (Sebae) Sea Anemone (Heteractis crispa) |
Are Clownfish Poisonous To Humans
Clownfish create a layer of mucus to protect themselves from the anemone’s poisoned tentacles; this layer does not affect humans. If you were to touch it, you might remove this protective layer, leaving it vulnerable to anemone stings.
So remember, you may look, but please don’t touch it!
Conclusion:
There you have it! Clownfish are not poisonous and can’t harm humans. They create a layer of protection to share their habitat with anemone corals in a unique symbiotic way.
Remember that clownfish are amazing and gorgeous pet fish to have in your aquarium, and they are easy to care for. However, anemones will require more experienced care.
I hope this article helps you be closer to this amazing fish. Keep shining with your saltwater aquarium, Chao.