The clownfish is a kind of fish. Clownfish habitat is usually a coralreef. Clownfish live in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, from northwest Australia to the coast of South East Asia as far north as Japan.[1] Often, they live in symbiosis with other animals, for instance, the sea anemone. They live in anemones which are like plants under the sea. Anemones eat fish by killing them with their poisonous tentacles. Scientists believe that clownfish are protected from the poison because they are coated in a type of mucus.[1]
Some kinds of clownfish can grow up and reach 18 centimeters (7.1 inches). Sometimes clownfish only grow 10 centimeters (3.9 inches). They can be orange, yellow or they may look a little red.
Clownfish eat small invertebrates that are dangerous to the anemones. That helps the anemones and the clownfish. This is called mutualism.
Video of a clownfish swimming around an anemone.
Many people like having clownfish in their aquarium because they are some of the easiest salt water fish to keep and care for. They became particularly popular after the film Finding Nemo. There are 28 species of Clownfish. Clownfish are born male but when they grow older some develop into females.
