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It often indicates a user profile. Log out. US Markets Loading H M S In the news. Robert Ferris. The Disney movie "Finding Nemo" left out a few fascinating details about clownfish. They pair up with a single male, the largest of the males available, to mate for life.
The anemone protects them from predators with its stinging tentacles. The females lay eggs and the males fertilize them. After that, the mother defends the nest, protecting it from predators, and the father tends to the eggs.
Clownfish, Amphiprion ocellaris Sometimes, other nonreproductive male fish are allowed to also live on the same anemone with the mating pair. If, for some reason, the female disappears, her male mate begins — almost immediately — to take on female behaviours, such as aggressively defending the nest. So, there is a need for strong coupling; the two fish depend on each other. Sperm is cheap to make, so a small male can make plenty of sperm to fertilize all a big female's eggs.
This is why switching from male to female makes sense for clownfish—it works for their specific mating strategy. She interweaves pop-culture images and contemporary analogies with scientific facts. The fact that one fish can change sex bi-directionally throughout its lifetime was a big surprise to me—and is truly amazing when you consider the energy costs and amount of work that sex change entails. Skip to main content. Follow us email facebook twitter instagram youTube pinterest rss.
A clownfish hides out in an anemone in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Wait, what?
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