Clownfish: A Little Creature In the Coral Reef

clownfish, nemo

Damn, who doesn't know about this little character, popularly known for the films "Finding Nemo" and "Finding Dory" which made people easily identify it. The real name of this orange and white color creature is clownfish and some individuals also resemble dark black and white in color.

There are at least 30 clownfish species, most of them live in the shallow waters of the Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and the Western Pacific.

Like all other clownfish, they spend most of their life feeding on the tentacles of their host anemone. They feed themselves on zooplankton and phytoplankton floating on the water column. Sometimes, they also prefer to eat algae present on the reef structure. 

What makes them more interesting? We all know specific animals change their sex to meet the demands of their life. Usually, they change from female to male, but the clownfishes can change from male to female. They hatch as males and join the individual groups on the anemone. Only the largest female and the male in the group can reproduce. The female lays the eggs on the reef surface and together they guard the eggs until they hatch. If anything happens to the female, the male changes its sex to female and the second largest male becomes active. Together, they reproduce and the other group continues to subordinate.

The common clownfish have become popular in the aquarium trade. Most of the individuals are available in the aquarium store. The conversation status of this little creature is still unknown.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Fish That Can Save The Coral Reefs

Image
The reef provides a safe haven for millions of extraordinary creatures and plants. But if left grows unchecked they can literally kill the reef.  Parrotfish are the most important creatures when it comes to protecting the health of the reef. They eat the dead and algae-covered coral, allowing fresh coral to form and rebuild the reef. Without parrotfish, the entire reef will die quickly.  There are almost 95 different species which are found in coral reefs, rocky coasts, and seagrass beds, and can play a significant role in bioerosion. Each species has a different color scheme and can change their color as they go from babies to adults. This tremendous creature spends 90% of the day by eating dead algae and coral. When eating corals that contain rock, which then leads to white sand poo, a parrotfish can release up to 5 tons of sand per year. As participating in the hygiene of the reef their teeth become filthy, so every day they need a cleaning section. At the cleani
Read more

Sea Turtles: The Endangered Species

Image
Sea Turtles have outlived almost all the prehistoric animals once they shared the planet. Marine turtles inhabit the oceans open waters and coastal habitats, feeding on jellyfish and other aquatic plants and animals. They are the live representatives of a group of reptiles that traveled our sea for more than 100 million years.  Importance of Sea Turtles These sea turtles have been living for more than 100 million years and maintaining a fundamental link in the marine ecosystem. They maintain the health of seagrass beds and coral reefs that benefit the valuable species such as lobster, shrimp, and tuna. Having outlived million years they can hold their breath up to five hours. They also transfer the vital nutrients from oceans to beaches and dunes. The seven extant species are The Green, Loggerhead, Kemp's Ridley, Olive Ridley, Hawksbill, Flatback, and Leatherback, which are endangered. Five of the seven species are found in tropical and subtropical waters. The other two sp
Read more

What Gives More Oxygen on Planet Earth?

Image
Everybody knows that plants and trees produce oxygen for the earth. But, do you know that oceans and seas contribute more oxygen. Produced by marine plants, algae and single-celled organisms called phytoplankton. These may not be seen by the naked eye but produce more, which is not even close to the proportions produced by the trees and plants. The ocean produces oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis, which converts sunlight and carbon dioxide and can use as energy. One type of plankton, Prochlorococcus releases tons of oxygen into atmosphere. So small, that can millions can be present in a single drop of water. It produces 20% of the oxygen to the earth biosphere, which is more than the rainforests on land combined. Scientists mention that a single cell can give oxygen for one in every 5 breaths we take. Calculating the amounts of oxygen on oceans may vary because of the change in climate conditions, geographic location and with the tides. It is also important to remember that the
Read more