Clownfish

Clownfish are brightly colored reef fishes in the subfamily Amphiprioninae. They live among sea-anemone tentacles, gaining shelter while helping defend their hosts.

Sea anemone: A predatory marine invertebrate that anchors to surfaces and captures prey with stinging tentacles. Its tentacles shelter clownfish from predators and provide the setting for their symbiosis.
Amphiprioninae: A subfamily of damselfishes containing clownfishes and their close relatives. This taxonomic group defines which fishes count as clownfish.
Marine aquarium: A saltwater aquarium designed to keep marine organisms alive in controlled conditions. Clownfish are popular aquarium fish, though captive breeding can reduce pressure on wild populations.
Ocellaris clownfish: A small orange-and-white anemonefish native to the Indo-Pacific. This familiar species is the model for the clownfish character in Finding Nemo.
Mutualism: An interaction between species in which both partners benefit. Clownfish and host anemones exchange protection, food, and other benefits.
Damselfish: Small to medium-sized marine fishes in the family Pomacentridae. Clownfish are damselfishes adapted to life with anemones.
Captive breeding: The reproduction of animals under human care to maintain or increase managed populations. Aquaculture has supplied many aquarium clownfish without collecting them from reefs.
Clown anemonefish: An orange-and-white anemonefish, Amphiprion percula, native to the western Pacific. It is closely related to the ocellaris clownfish but has distinct markings and range.
Nematocyst: A microscopic stinging capsule used by cnidarians to capture prey or deter threats. Anemone nematocysts make the clownfish’s ability to remain unharmed remarkable.
Coral reef: A marine ecosystem built largely by reef-forming corals and inhabited by diverse organisms. Many clownfish species live in the shallow tropical reefs where their host anemones occur.

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