Many of us have seen the movie "Nemo"and fallen in love with the characters. And many in the diving community will argue over the voices and characterizations in the film....but it’s still fun to watch. But Clownfish are far more complicated than the film lets on!They lead a symbiotic life with the anemone’s they inhabit. They feed on small fish and parasites that might otherwise harm the anemones and their fecal matter provides nutrients. That wasn’t noted in the film :) But way more fascinating...they are hermaphrodites. They start life as males and as they mature, they will turn into females. In most cases the largest Clownfish in any anemone is the female and if she is eaten, then the largest male turns into a female and then each smaller size moves up the hierarchy! now THAT was certainly not in the film.
There is plenty more to learn about our seas and even the simplest looking fish can lead an incredibly complicated life. AND they are cute too :)

We see Clownfish on almost every trip aboard our Similan Liveaboards....drop us a line if you’d like to experience these yourself :)