The colorful clownfish, also known as the clownfish, which makes its home in the carnivorous and stingy sea anemone that lives in coral reefs, has a fun and easy-going reputation among humans. However, their true personalities aren’t necessarily suitable for Pixar movies. They very aggressively bully and defend their space from other clownfish, which they perceive to be enemies rather than part of the colony. Some new research suggests they can recognize fish they don’t want around. number of white bars on the body of the invading fish. For more information on the survey results, please visit The research began on February 1st. Journal of Experimental Biology.
[Related: Baby anemonefish can rapidly change their genes to survive in the sea.]
There is 28 described species of clownfish. They live in warmer waters. Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. This fish is only about 4 inches long and has 0 to 3 white stripes on its body. Scientists have observed that clownfish allow other clownfish to visit their habitat. However, if a member of the same species that is not part of the colony invades the home, the largest fish, or alpha fish, will chase and bite the intruder.
count bars
A research team from Okinawa University of Science and Technology conducted a study to understand how these fish decide who they want (and don’t want) in their schools. conducted two experiments Immature clownfish bred in a lab (Amphiprion ocellaris) I had never seen any other species. The team then recorded the fish’s responses to conspecific invaders and other clownfish species, including the Clark clownfish.A. Clarkie)orange skunk clownfish (A. Sandarasinos), saddle clownfish (A. polymnus).
In the first experiment, different types of clownfish with different numbers of white rods were placed in small cases inside an aquarium. They observed how often and for how long the fish stared at the case and circled around it.
They found that clownfish were most demanding of their conspecifics, which had three white bands. They fought 80% of his fish for up to 3 seconds and even kept her close for 11 seconds with one.
Invaders from other species had a better time. The orange water clownfish lacks sidebars and has a white line along its back that barely makes it stand out. Nijo’s Clark clownfish and Sanjo’s Saddleback clownfish had been “slightly bullied.” According to the team.
In a second experiment, the researchers showed a colony of clownfish different plastic discs. The discs were painted in clownfish color and the level of aggression of these fish towards ducks was measured.
Like live fish, the plastic model with two bars was slightly less likely to attack. Fish without bars had the least aggressive fry.
According to study co-author and ecologist Kina Hayashi,the results “suggest that the number of bars can be counted to recognize the type of intruder.”
previous research Clownfish have also been shown to respond much more positively to fish models with vertical rods than horizontal rods. This suggests that the amount of white color or the presence of white bands in general is not necessarily the determining factor in fish behavior.but This new study uses plastic discs There are only vertical bars and no other physical characteristics that tell the clownfish what species they are looking at. Researchers suspect that clownfish count the number of vertical white bars to determine how friendly (or not) they are to fake fish.
very strict hierarchy
The researchers also discovered that a strict hierarchy within clownfish colonies determines which particular fish attack intruders. Colonies in the wild typically consist of one alpha female, one beta male, and several gamma juveniles. Social status is determined by slight differences in body size.
[Related: Flamingoes have big personalities—and their friendships prove it.]
Their gender also plays an interesting role. All clownfish are born as a man, However, some individuals transform into females when they mature. Once the clownfish reaches adult size and sex is determined, the clownfish acquires her third and final stripe. The colony’s current alpha may even kick out colony members if they grow too large as a way to maintain the status quo within the group.
Although the study used fish in a lab environment that were not mature, the researchers still observed the same size-based hierarchy. The largest juvenile assumed the role of Alpha and led the charge against the intruders.
“Anemonefish are interesting to study because they have a unique symbiotic relationship with sea anemones,” Hayashi says. stated in a statement. “But what this study shows is that there is a lot we don’t know about life in marine ecosystems in general.”