Clownfish

Clownfish or anemonefish are fishes from the subfamily Amphiprioninae in the family Pomacentridae. About twenty-nine species are recognized, one in the genus Premnas, while the remaining are in the genus Amphiprion.

In the wild they all form symbiotic mutualisms with sea anemones. Depending on species, Clownfish are overall yellow, orange, reddish, or blackish, and many show white bars or patches. The largest can reach a length of 18 centimetres, while some can be as small as 10 centimetres.

Clownfish are native to warmer waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans, including the Great Barrier Reef and the Red Sea. While most species have restricted distributions, others are widespread. They are generally highly host specific, and especially the genera Heteractis and Stichodactyla, and the species Entacmaea quadricolor are frequent partners.

Clownfish are omnivores. Algae accounts for around 20 to 25 percent of its diet in the wild (and should also account for its amount of algae diet in captivity as well). It has also been suggested that the activity of the Clownfish results in greater water circulation around the sea anemone.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clownfish - 29.09.2010