Clownfish And Sea Anemone
In the present times, clownfish is one of the most popular fishes of the seas, thanks to its portrayal in the motion picture Finding Nemo. Even before the movie was made, the clownfish impressed every man who saw it. With its bright colors that are contrasted with the white vertical streaks, these fishes are a sight to behold. Clownfishes are mostly found in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. They are popular inhabitants of the coral reefs.They get their name from their bright colors and active disposition. People may mistake these fishes to be little, bright fishes that are harmless. However, the fact is that a clownfish has a very aggressive temperament. It is known to guard its territory viciously. These are omnivores that eat algae, plankton, molluscs, when in the ocean. In aquariums they eat fish flakes and fish pellets.
Sea Anemone
Although, it won’t be wrong to call a sea anemone ‘the flower of the sea’, in reality it is a carnivorous animal of the salty waters. It is a polyp, that has poisonous tentacles with which it injects poison into its prey and kills it. Sea anemones have a soft, cylindrical body with a broad, circular foot at the bottom. On the top of its body, it has its mouth surrounded by tentacles with poison, that paralyze their prey. Then it grabs the paralyzed creature and shoves it down its mouth. Although, the sea anemone usually lies attached to the rocks and shells in the ocean, it may also slowly crawl the ocean floor with the help of its foot or swim using its tentacles. Read more on facts about sea anemones.
Clownfish and Sea Anemone - Symbiotic Relationship
Within the warm waters of the oceans, clownfishes are found living among the tentacles of the sea anemones. Such a small, seemingly so vulnerable, a fish living within the poisonous tentacles of a sea anemone! The very thought seems a cruel trick of nature. However, if the clownfish has been surviving within the deadly tentacles of the sea anemone, it is because the two have a give and take relationship between them. This relationship is known as symbiosis. After the sea anemone has eaten its meal, the clownfish feeds on the remains of the kill. It also eats up the dead tentacles of the sea anemone and thereby, keeps the environment around the polyp clean. It also helps its host in getting its prey. The clownfish attracts other fishes with its bright colors into the tentacles of the sea anemone, that the polyp kills with its poison and then devours. The feces of the clownfish also provides fertilizer to the sea anemone. The clownfish also chases away polyp-eating fishes like the Butterfly fish. As the clownfish actively swims around within the tentacles of the sea anemone, it increases circulation of water around the polyp. In return, the sea anemone provides protection to the clownfish, as the predators of the clownfish prefer to steer clear of the venomous tentacles of the sea anemone.
Well, but the question that how does the clownfish protect itself from the poisonous tentacles of the sea anemone, still remains to be answered. The body of a clownfish is covered with a coating of mucus, that is made of proteins instead of sugars. It is believed that this is the reason why the sea anemone does not view the clownfish as its enemy.
So, here goes the story of the symbiotic relationship of clownfish and sea anemone. This relationship shows, how living things have evolved relationships, with the help of which, they have ensured their survival.
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