Clarkii Clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii)

Many of these relatives of the star of Finding Nemo can be seen in the Mermaid Aquarium.  They tend to hang out to the left and right of the main viewing window on the vertical run of coral.  They form pairs and scope out a little plot of land, or coral in this case and set up a home.  You will see them chasing off other fish from the small area they call home and eventually will begin laying eggs and raising their young.  Once paired, the male and female are easily distinguished by size, with the female being the larger of the two.  Once the eggs are laid, the adults care for the eggs by protecting them from predators and cleaning algae and debris off the eggs by fanning them with their fins and pruning them with their mouths.

In their natural environment, you would find them in Indo-Pacific lagoons and outer reef slopes.  They usually make their homes in anemones, where the clownfish gains protection from predators and the anemone benefits from little bits of food the fish will drop – this type of relationship, where animals work together and both parties have something to gain is known as a symbiotic relationship.  They are omnivores, which means they, like most of us, eat meats and veggies, or algae.