You’ve probably seen the Nemo movie. The famous protagonist of this film is a clown fish. However, do you know what they are like and what is their inseparable friend in the oceans?

This fish only measures about 10 centimeters and weighs approximately 10 grams, so it is very small, there are 28 species of different sizes and colors. Some are pink, red, yellow, black, brown, all combined with white stripes down the sides. Although the most popular are those with orange borders like Nemo; this species is known as anemone clownfish.

Their place of residence is the Red Sea, also the Indian and Pacific oceans, Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia. Their diet consists of algae, worms, zooplankton and small crustaceans.

Interestingly, the clown fish has an inseparable friend. It is the anemone, a half plant half animal creature, with many poisonous tentacles or arms and is found on rocks or corals at the bottom of the sea. The clown fish lives in close harmony with the anemones, since it serves as protection against its predators.

On the other hand, the clownfish is responsible for keeping the anemone clean by feeding on its food scraps and parasites. Therefore, they form a good team, this action is called symbiosis. But why doesn’t anemone poison affect clownfish? The answer is that this fish has a special layer of mucus that covers its skin and provides protection from poison.

Fun facts

• Clownfish live in communities and under the orders of a guide fish and this is a female.
• They are excellent parents: the female can lay up to 1,000 eggs near the anemone. The male takes care of them until they hatch after four or five days.
• It can live from 6 to 10 years in its natural habitat.