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clown fish are prominent fish that stand out for their bright orangish or reddish color and distinctive appearance. Recently, people have become more knowledgeable about this species due to its feature in the movie, Finding Nemo. Still, there’s more to this delicious fish than just starring in animated films, starting with their symbiotic relationship with sea anemones, which gave rise to their nickname, anemonefish. So, what do clownfish eat? How do they find food and stay away?
We’re going to think about all these elements and show why the clownfish is such an interesting marine animal.
What foods do clownfish eat?
Clownfish eat zooplankton, phytoplankton, algae and a variety of other foods. They are omnivores that feed on a diverse selection of food in the ocean. Some of their diet is based on the food they catch themselves, but some other sources come from their symbiotic relationship with sea anemones. Consider the top foods that clownfish eats:
These are the most common foods that clownfish eat, and an interesting thing to note is that clownfish do not buy all of their meals in the wild. Instead, they form a symbiotic bond with sea anemones where the clownfish lives in the flowery-looking predator’s tentacles. The fish generates slime that protects it from the deadly sting of the tentacles, but other creatures aren’t so lucky.
When the sea anemone has finished eating something it has killed and caught, the clownfish will often eat what is left. The clownfish also benefits from the sea anemone by leaving some feces for their hosts to consume, which provides beneficial nutrients. This interesting living situation ensures that the clownfish can find and consume food in relative peace.
What do clownfish eat in captivity?
Clownfish are a very popular tropical fish for people to keep as pets. Due to their appearance in the aforementioned film series, these fish have become a hot item. In fact, they have been over-harvested in their natural habitat and now represent more than 40% of the ornamental fish trade around the world, along with other members of the family Pomacanthidae.
The systematic removal of clownfish from their natural habitat has resulted in some parts of the world losing almost their entire population of clownfish. They instead live in private aquariums where they rarely get the chance to breed while their natural habitat loses the benefit of their presence, especially the sea anemone.
When placed in aquariums, clownfish lose access to much of the food they usually eat in the ocean, and they often shy away from the sea anemone that leaves food for them.
In captivity, clownfish usually eat:
- My sister
- krill
- smelt
- Brine
- Frozen worms
- Calamari pieces
- Mussels in small quantities
- Prepare fish food
- Spinach
- Nor me
These are the most common foods available to clownfish when kept in an aquarium or as pets. These fish tend to be very territorial when introduced to a new environment, usually as a result of their instinct to live in a sea anemone and rarely venture out of the habitat.
How do clownfish find food in the wild?
Clownfish find their food in the wild in different ways, depending on what they are trying to eat. As we said before, the fish have a symbiotic relationship with sea anemones. They often sit between the tentacles of the host and wait for something tasty to float by.
Sometimes a small shrimp floats by that they can eat on their own, and other times they wait for the sea anemone to kill one of its prey and then eat the leftovers.
Clownfish rarely come out of the sea anemone, as this immediately makes them lose all their defenses. Sometimes, however, they leave to forage on the surface of a nearby reef, where they look for plankton and algae.
Other times, they will see one of their chosen foods floating in the water column, temporarily leaving their safe space and taking the food out of the water. They are not great hunters, but very opportunistic creatures that benefit from having sea anemones to keep predators at bay.
What predators eat clownfish?
Clownfish have very few ways to protect themselves as they are not fast swimmers nor are they able to ward off other predators. In fact, their best means of protection comes from the sea anemone. While some predators will learn a painful or deadly lesson by chasing the sea anemone when chasing a clownfish, sometimes they can successfully capture a clownfish just by having patience.
As we mentioned, clownfish sometimes leave the safety of their habitat to graze on the reef. That’s when predators strike, ducking in for a quick meal or catching them so they can be sold to others.
These are the most common predators of clownfish:
The barracudas are fast swimmers and have long snouts that allow them to easily grab clownfish, but they are the people that clownfish should be concerned about. Millions of these fish have been plucked from their native waters to decorate aquariums and live their lives as pets. They need careful housing and the presence of an anemone in their tank if they are to survive for a long time.
Unfortunately, humans are also damaging the reefs that clownfish live in and have cut down native populations, reducing the number of clownfish in the ocean. The overall impact on the species is unknowable at this time, but no creature poses as much danger to clownfish as humans.
Clownfish are famous but shy omnivores that feed on shrimp, other fish and various planktons. Their symbiotic relationship with sea anemones is remarkable and helps them stay safe and well fed. While these fish are beautiful, their physical features and presence in movies have made them a target for humans to collect, and as a result, the species can go down a difficult path.
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