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Clownfish

Firas Abdul

MalikFish Biologist

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The Clownfish is a type of fish that lives in salt water habitats. It have a few ocean predators, but their greatest threat is humans (Rhyne, et al. 2012). People who catch clownfish and keep them as pets in aquariums are making a mistake (Timm, et al. 2008, Fish base, 2012). In captivity, the clownfish can live 5 years only but in wild they live about 10 years (Hill & Scott, 2012, Bonin, 2012). Typically very bright, orange fish that have three white stripes, one at the head, middle and tail (Brainard, 2012). The males tend to be significantly smaller than the females. If you look really closely, you may notice that there are thin black lines around the white stripes (Ferrari , et al. 2012). Also, the tips of their fins have a thin black rounded stripe (Shaye, et al. 2012).

Introduction:

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External Anatomy:

Source: Rhyne, et al. (2012).

Figure (1):Review of Clown fish External Anatomy 3

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Perciformes

Family: Pomacentridae Subfamily: Amphiprioninae Genus: AmphiprionSpecies: Amphiprion percula

Local Name: Orange clownfish

Classification:

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Common Clown fish types:

Ocellaris ClownfishTrue Percula Clownfish

Cinnamon Clownfish

Pink Skunk ClownfishBlack and White Ocellaris Clownfish

Clarkii ClownfishBlack Saddle Back ClownfishFiji Barberi Clownfish

Maroon Clownfish

Tomato Clownfish

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1. Life Span : 6-10 years.2. Max size: (15 cm).3. pH : 8 - 8.4.4. Temperature : (24- 28 C).5. Salinity: (1.020 - 1.026 ppt).6. Habitat: Warm waters. 7. Food: algae, zooplankton,

worms, and small crustaceans.8. Reproduction:. Female can

lay up to 1000 eggs at a time and they hatch in about 7 days.

Clown fish characteristics :Algae

Zooplankton

Crustacean & worms

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Video (1): Clown fish behavior in cold waters.

Source: Prosek, (2010). 7

1. Clown fish are poor swimmers and never venture far from their host anemone.

2. Fascinating ability of the Clown fish to switch sex. This Fact makes this fish even more of a rarity.

3. Male take care of the young till they reach sexual maturity.

4. They are generally very peaceful, but may become territorial and fight. When they are born.

Clown fish facts:

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Distribution of Clownfish:

Figure (2): You can find Clown fish in the these zones. They live in the Warmer waters of the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean. They are also found in northwest Australia, southeast Asia, Japan and Malaysia.

Source: A. I. M. S., (2012).

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Commensalism: one benefits, one is unaffected.

Clown fish gets

protection Anemone

is unaffected

Clown fish & anemone:

Source: Prosek , (2010). 10

Video (2): Clown Fish & anemone relationship.

Source: (Ferrari , et al. 2012).11

1. The spawning season of the clownfish in all year season, especially warm season.

2. The command of the group is usually the largest aggressive male will pair off with the female to breed. The rest of the males in the area will not breed with the female.

3. During the fertilization if the female dies because of hungry. Then the male changes sex.

4. They lay their eggs in a save place near the Anemone they live in.

Life Cycle of the Clownfish:

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Source: Pitkin, (2001).

Figure (3): Life Cycle of the Clownfish:13

Source: Saenz, et al. (2011).

Video (3): Clown Fish changing sex.

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Source: Saenz, et al. (2011).

Video (4): Clown Fish mating.

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Figure (5): Top 20 marine aquarium fish imported into the United States.

Source: Rhyne et al. (2012).16

ReferencesAustralian Institute of Marine Science. (2012). Hoskyn Island’s Reef:

intensive surveys--trends in fish abundance. Retrieved August 15, 2012, from http://data.aims.gov.au/reefpage2/rpdetail.jsp?fullReefID=23080S&sampleType=FISH.

Bonin, M. C. (2012). Specializing on vulnerable habitat: Acropora selectivity among damselfish recruits and the risk of bleaching-induced habitat loss. Coral Reefs 31:287-297.

Brainard, R. E., C. Birkeland, C. M. Eakin, P. Mcelhany, M. W. Miller, M. Patterson, and G. A. Piniak. (2012). Status Review Report of 82 Candidate Coral Species Petitioned Under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. U.S. Dep. Commerce, NOAA Tech. Memo., NOAA-TMNMFS- PIFSC-27, 530 p. + 1 Appendix. Page Russell The Journal Of The Bertrand RussellArchives.

Ferrari, M. C. O., R. P. Manassa, D. L. Dixson, P. L. Munday, M. I. McCormick, M. G. Meekan, A. Sih, and D. P. Chivers. (2012). Effects of ocean acidification on learning in coral reef fishes. PloS One 7:e31478.

Fish base. (2012). Orange clown fish. A page with clownfish facts. Hill, R., & Scott, A.. (2012). The influence of irradiance on the severity

of thermal bleaching in sea anemones that host anemone fish. Coral Reefs 31:273-284.

Pitkin, L. (2001). Coral Fish. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.

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ReferencesProsek, J. (2010). Beautiful friendship. National Geographic Magazine,

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/print/2010/01/clownfish/prosek-text.

Rhyne, A. L., M. F. Tlusty, P. J. Schofield, L. Kaufman, J. A. Morris, and A. W. Bruckner. (2012). Revealing the appetite of the marine aquarium fish trade: the volume and biodiversity of fish imported into the United States. PloS One 7:e35808.

Saenz-Agudelo, P., G. P. Jones, S. R. Thorrold, and S. Planes.( 2011). Detrimental effects of host anemone bleaching on anemone fish populations. Coral Reefs 30:497-506.

Shaye, W., Miyoko, S., and Patrick, D.(2012). PETITION TO LIST EIGHT SPECIES OF POMACENTRID REEF FISH, INCLUDING THE ORANGE CLOWNFISH AND SEVEN DAMSELFISH, AS THREATENED OR ENDANGERED UNDER THE U.S. ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT. Center for Biological Diversity.351 California Street, Suite 600 San Francisco, CA 94104. p:90.

Timm, J., M. Figiel, and M. Kochzius. (2008). Contrasting patterns in species boundaries and evolution of anemone fishes (Amphiprioninae, Pomacentridae) in the centre of marine biodiversity. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 49:268-76.

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