Tip of the Day – 11/6/2013

Did you know that clownfish don’t just reside in anemones, they also take care of them? We often witness clowns darting in and out of the tentacles of our anemones, but that’s normally the extent of what we witness. But every once in a while, clownfish will actually feed their invertebrate hosts. When the clownfish are fed larger food items, they will snatch them out of the water and spit them near the oral disk of the anemone. Of course, the anemone responds by gobbling up whatever is on the takeout menu for that evening. This behavior is wildly entertaining, and ultimately ends up benefiting both the clown and the anemone in the long run.