Download Common Clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris

Common Clownfish
Amphiprion ocellaris
Size: Common Clownfish can grow up to approximately 11 cm in length.
Appearance: The body of the fish is bright orange, with three thick white stripes distributed
vertically across the body. These white stripes are accompanied by thin black stripes which
separate the white and orange coloring. Each of the fins also features a thin black outline.
Additionally, the Common Clownfish has between 10-11 dorsal spines, as well as 13-17 dorsal
soft rays.
Range/Distribution: These clownfish are found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, specifically in the
regions between Thailand, Northwest Australia, Singapore and Taiwan.
Habitat: Clownfish are the only species of fish that live among the tentacles of sea anemones—
other fish would be stung by the anemone, but clownfish secrete a mucus over their entire
bodies that makes the anemone think it is in contact with itself and therefore prevents it from
stinging. This is a symbiotic relationship between the anemones and the clownfish, as the fish
are protected from predators, and the anemone is maintained by the clownfish, which keeps it
parasite-free and well-fed. Anemones that provide homes for clownfish are typically found in
warm, shallow waters, and clam lagoon areas.
Prey: Clownfish eat a variety of creatures that are usually left over from their host anemones,
including zooplankton, copepods and isopods.
Predators: Predators to clownfish include larger fish, sharks, and rays.
Life Span: In the wild, clownfish can live to between 6 and 10 years of age.
Reproduction: Common Clownfish are protandrous hermaphrodites, meaning that all clownfish
are born with active male reproductive organs as well as dormant female reproductive organs. If
a female dies, the dominant male in the hierarchy will change into a female, and a secondary
male will become the dominant male. Females generally lay their 100 to 1,000 eggs in an area
close to the anemone where they reside, then males care for the eggs by keeping them clear of
debris, protecting them from predators such as other fish, and by fanning them with their fins.
After four to five days, the eggs hatch, at which point the young clownfish spend about two
weeks drifting around in the sea before finding a host anemone.
Conservation Status: The IUCN has not designated the Common Clownfish as a species with any
imminent threats to its survival.
Threats: Clownfish, as with many species that reside in tropical waters, are susceptible to
several threats associated with climate change, including loss of habitat, ocean acidification, and
increasing water temperatures. As the temperature of the ocean rises, more and more coral
bleaching events occur, which causes corals to expel their symbiotic algae and generally leads to
the death of the coral—this destroys critical reef habitats where anemones would usually be
found, and therefore causes a dilemma for clownfish. An additional effect of rising temperatures
is the strain it puts on clownfish reproduction. Clownfish will only reproduce if the water is
within a fairly narrow temperature range, and as the ocean temperature rises, more and more
clownfish are discouraged from reproducing. Finally, research has shown that with increasing
ocean acidification, clownfish are unable to detect the chemical signals necessary to locate their
anemone, leaving them exposed to predators and weakening their immunity to the anemone’s
sting.
What’s being done? Clownfish themselves are not the focus of any particular conservation
efforts, but much work is being done to support the health of coral reefs across the globe. This
includes reducing carbon emissions, recycling, and working towards the reduction of climate
change.
Fun Facts:
Marlin and Nemo from Pixar’s Finding Nemo are Common Clownfish.
Clownfish communicate with each other by slamming their teeth together to make clicking and
popping noises.
Clownfish form social hierarchies among groups, which helps to establish mating pairs,
dominant individuals and govern other social interactions.
References
http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Amphiprion-ocellaris.html (photo and information)
http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=29
http://tolweb.org/treehouses/?treehouse_id=3390
http://www.arkive.org/common-clownfish/amphiprion-ocellaris/