Clownfish or Anemonefish...it's Nemo 😺 - Observed in 'Description'

Clownfish or Anemonefish are fishes from Subfamily Amphiprioninae in Family Pomacentridae.

♤ Class Actinopterygii (32,513) - Ray-finned Fish
☆ 32 Order Perciformes (11,248) - Perch-like fishes
• Family Pomacentridae (396)
◇ Subfamily Amphiprioninae (30)
▪︎ Genus Amphiprion (29)
▪︎ Genus Premnas (1)

In wild they all form symbiotic mutualisms with Sea Anemones. Depending on species Anemonefish are overall yellow, orange or a reddish or blackish color, & many show white bars or patches. The largest can reach a length of 17 cm while smallest barely achieve 7–8 cm.

Individual species are generally highly host specific. Sea anemone protects Anemonefish from predators, as well as providing food through scraps left from Anemone's meals & occasional dead anemone tentacles, functions as a safe nest site.

In return, Anemonefish defends Anemone from its predators & parasites. Anemone also picks up nutrients from anemonefish's excrement. Nitrogen excreted from Anemonefish increases number of algae incorporated into tissue of their hosts, which aids Anemone in tissue growth & regeneration.

Activity of anemonefish results in greater water circulation around Sea anemone & it has been suggested that their bright coloring might lure small fish to anemone, which then catches them. Studies on anemonefish have found that they alter flow of water around sea anemone tentacles by certain behaviors and movements such as 'wedging' & 'switching'. Aeration of host anemone tentacles allows for benefits to metabolism of both partners, mainly by increasing anemone body size & both anemonefish & anemone respiration.

Bleaching of host anemone can occur when warm temperatures cause a reduction in algal symbionts within the anemone. Bleaching of host can cause a short-term increase in metabolic rate of resident anemonefish, probably as a result of acute stress. Over time, however, there appears to be a down-regulation of metabolism & a reduced growth rate for fish associated with bleached anemones. These effects may stem from reduced food availability (e.g. anemone waste products, symbiotic algae) for the anemonefish.

▪︎ Sea Anemones are a group of predatory marine invertebrates constituting Order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance they are named after 'Anemone' a terrestrial flowering plant Genus in Buttercup Family (Ranunculaceae).

Sea anemones are classified in Phylum Cnidaria, Class Anthozoa, Subclass Hexacorallia. As Cnidarians, Sea anemones are related to Corals, Jellyfish, Tube-dwelling anemones & Hydra. Unlike Jellyfish, Sea anemones do not have a Medusa stage in their life cycle.