the clown fish

the clown fish, originally uploaded by jamesburden.

I’m fascinated by the natural world. I think it is beautiful, vicious, inspired and bizarre.

I think clown fish are very very cool fish. They have protective mucus coating their body so that they can live in poisonous anemones. The fish are therefore afforded protection from predators, and in return the clown fish eat small invertebrates which otherwise could harm the anemone.

Clownfish live in small groups inhabiting a single anemone. Heading up the group is a breeding pair, and they cohabit with a few smaller males. When the female partner dies, the male changes sex and becomes the female.

Our world is a place where truth perennially seems to be stranger than fiction.