Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 150, June 2017, pp. 1-29. | Page 16
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various combinations when they are being attacked or are attacking. The loudest
three are the Clark's Clownfish, Tomato Clownfish, and Pink Skunk Clownfish
(Animal World).
The behaviors between the same species of clownfish are very interesting and
easy to identify. Constant dominating displays by a female prevent a male from
changing sex. An aggressive clownfish will displays "agonistic behavior" while
the subordinate clown will display “appeaser behavior.” The aggressive fish has
specific actions in which the subordinate clownfish reacts to:
o
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If the aggressive fish, typically the female, is chasing and chirping, the
subordinate clownfish, which can be a male or sub adult, will rapidly quiver
their body as they drift upward and they will produce clicking sounds.
Jaw popping by the aggressive clownfish results in the subordinate clownfish
shaking their body or head.
Ventral leaning by the aggressive clownfish results in the subordinate
clownfish quivering.
An aggressive clownfish displaying a dorsal leaning results in the subordinate
clownfish performing ventral leaning (Animal World).
The relationship between a Sebae Clownfish and their host sea anemone is
known as symbiosis, where they provide benefits to one another. The immunity
of the clownfish to the sting of an anemone's tentacles allows them to dwell in
this host, preventing larger fish that would otherwise eat the clownfish from
getting at them. The bright coloration of the clownfish may also alert tell the
predator that they will be stung if they get too close. The clownfish will, in turn
protect its host from fish that eat anemones. In fact, a study was done in the wild,
where they removed clownfish from the anemones, and these anemones were
quickly attacked by various fish. The clownfish will also clean off debris, snack
on the remnants of any meal the anemone has captured and provide the
anemone "nutrition" in the form of waste that the clownfish produce (Animal
World).
Sex: Sexual differences
Females are larger than the males (Animal World).
Breeding and Reproduction
The Sebae Clownfish, though a more difficult fish to maintain, has been bred in
captivity and the fry successfully reared. All clownfish are undifferentiated when
born but they are sex switchers. With certain social cues they change into juvenile
males, and then when the opportunity arises a dominant fish will become female.
Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 150 – June 2017