Anemone Fish is a fish that became famous in Disney’s movie “Finding Nemo.”
Many species have a bright orange color with patterns.
Anemone Fish always seems to be hiding in sea anemones.
Is it because it is a shy fish?
Let’s explore what kind of fish Anemone Fish actually is together.

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～ Basic information. ～

Perciformes－Pomacentridae－Amphiprioninae－Anemonefish genus.

Clown anemonefish length:8～12㎝.

Anemone Fish mainly inhabit tropical coral reefs.
In Japan’s seas, they live in Izu Peninsula, Okinawa, and Ogasawara, and the species of Anemone Fish varies depending on the area where they live.

Anemone Fish live in groups of several fish while hiding in sea anemones.
It is relatively easy to distinguish between males and females.
The reason is that gender is determined by body size.

To distinguish between males and females, look for the two largest fish in the group.
The largest Anemone Fish in the group is female, and the next largest is male.
Other Anemone Fish are neither male nor female.
It’s strange to think that they are neither gender.

The mystery of Anemone Fish doesn’t end there.
If the female dies, they can no longer reproduce.
What happens if that happens?

At that time, the second largest male changes sex to female.
Sex change is the process of changing gender.
Is it easy to change gender?

Anemone Fish are born with both ovaries and testes, so they can become either male or female.
Therefore, when the male changes sex to female and there is no male left, the next largest Anemone Fish changes sex to male.
They have continued to reproduce while changing gender within a group of several fish.

Cute fish as a pet.

If you want to keep a rare animal as a pet, you may need to follow the laws established by your country.
This time, we will introduce whether it is possible to keep Anemone Fish at home in Japan.

Since the release of “Finding Nemo,” the popularity of Anemone Fish has skyrocketed.
Due to the influence of the movie and their cute appearance, they have become popular as pets.
Some people even keep them with “Palette Surgeonfish,” which was the model for Dory’s partner.
It’s an ideal combination for fans of the movie.
Let’s find out how to raise Anemone Fish, which are popular as pets.

What should I feed them?

Feed Anemone Fish with artificial feed made for omnivorous marine fish sold at pet shops.

As for how to feed them, give them an amount that they can eat divided into 2-3 times a day.
If there is a lot of leftover food, the water will become dirty quickly.
Observe how much Anemone Fish you are keeping and give them an appropriate amount of food.

About the breeding environment.

・A covered aquarium.
・Filter.
・Lighting.
・Heater.
・Water thermometer.
・Artificial seawater ingredients.
・Hydrometer.
・Substrate.
・Dechlorinating agent.

There are also sets for keeping marine fish that are sold, so one way for beginners to keep them is to purchase a set.

Points to pay attention to when breeding.

1）Keep the water temperature stable.
It is ideal to keep the water temperature at around 25℃ throughout the year.
Anemone Fish are marine fish, so they are more sensitive to changes in water temperature than freshwater fish.
Be sure to check the water thermometer and respond accordingly by turning on the heater.

2）Manage water quality carefully.
Artificial seawater made by the owner using artificial seawater ingredients is essential for marine fish.
Be careful to create it at the specified concentration.
Also, be sure to check it carefully because the salt concentration may increase due to evaporation of the aquarium water.

3）Regularly replace aquarium water.
If you don’t clean and replace the aquarium water regularly, it will become dirty.
Ideally, replace the water every two weeks.
Using a hose for changing water is convenient because it sucks up dirt hidden in the substrate.
Replace about one-third of the water.
If you replace too much water, the water quality will change significantly and it will become a bad environment for fish.

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Anemone Fish’s Q&A.

Where does the name Anemone Fish come from?

Anemone Fish is called “kumanomi” in Japanese, but why is it called “kumanomi” in Japanese?
We will introduce the origin of the name.

The name “kumanomi” comes from the makeup of Kabuki actors.
That makeup is called “kumadori.”
The white lines of kumadori and kumanomi look similar, so it was named “kumanomi.”

Also, “kuma” means to hide.
There is also a story that Anemone Fish became “kumanomi” because they hide in sea anemones.

Why does Anemone Fish live there?

Anemone Fish live by hiding in sea anemones.
The reason is to be protected by sea anemones.

Sea anemone tentacles contain poison, so Anemone Fish’s natural enemies cannot approach them.
Some species of Anemone Fish swim slowly, so they try to stay as close to sea anemones as possible.

Does sea anemone poison work on Anemone Fish?
Actually, Anemone Fish are protected by a special mucus on their body surface, so sea anemone poison does not work on them.
They survive while coexisting with sea anemones to protect themselves.

What does Anemone Fish eat?

Anemone Fish are basically omnivorous.
They eat plankton, small shrimp, crabs, or algae attached to sea anemones.

Can Anemone Fish live in any kind of anemone?

Not all types of sea anemones can coexist with Anemone Fish.
The sea anemones that are compatible with Anemone Fish vary depending on the species of Anemone Fish.
Here are some types of sea anemones that Anemone Fish can easily coexist with:

・Magnificent sea anemone.
・Leathery sea anemone.
・Gigantic sea anemone.
・Haddon’s sea anemone.
・Entacmaea ramsayi.
・Heteractis aurora.
・Long-tentacle anemone.

Some people may wonder if they should also keep sea anemones when keeping Anemone Fish.
Compared to Anemone Fish, sea anemones are difficult to keep and are not recommended for beginners.
It is not necessary to have sea anemones when keeping them as pets.
If you really want to provide a hiding place for your Anemone Fish, you can try artificial sea anemones that are also available for sale.

How many eggs does Anemone Fish lay?

Anemone Fish lay about 100-400 eggs per spawning.
The male takes care of the eggs instead of the female.

Although they lay many eggs, not all babies can grow up in nature.
Some survive and grow up from hundreds of babies, while others die out completely.
Anemone Fish lay many eggs because only a few can survive and they want to leave as many offspring as possible.

Why does Anemone Fish make a ticking sound?

Anemone Fish are fish of the damselfish family, so they have a strong territorial awareness.
They will intimidate you if you approach their territory.
How do they intimidate others with their small bodies?

The intimidation method is to spread their fins and make a “clicking” sound from their mouth.
Anemone Fish have teeth so they can make sounds.
If you ignore their intimidation and approach them, they may bite you so be careful.

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Type of Anemone Fish.

・Clown anemonefish.
・Anemone Fish.
・Pink anemonefish.
・Saddleback clownfish.
・Tomato clownfish.
・Yellow clownfish.
・Two band anemonefish.
・Orange Fin Anemonefish.
・Red saddleback anemonefish.
・Eastern clown anemonefish.
・Spinecheek anemonefish.
・Dusky anemonefish.
・Tomato anemonefish.
・Barrierreef anemonefish.
・Mauritian anemonefish.
・Maldive anemonefish.
・Seychelles anemonefish.
・Wide-band Anemonefish.
・Whitesnout anemonefish.
・Whitebonnet anemonefish.
・Northern Indian anemonefish.
・Threeband Anemonefish.
・Skunk anemonefish.
・Allard’s Anemonefish.

Bibliography.

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こんにちは!ジンベエさん「あの人気者、カクレクマノミには不思議がいっぱい」
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暮らしーの「カクレクマノミはどんな海水魚?特徴や生態、飼育方法までご紹介!」
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海水魚ラボ「クマノミとイソギンチャクの相性～水槽内で共生をたのしみたい」
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http://xn--lckia8j5ch1g.biz/archives/110

Aquamuseum.net「カクレクマノミはほかの魚が近づいてくると”かちかち”音を(なぜ)(どうやって)音を出すのですか?」
http://www.aquamuseum.net/content/himitu/fq-01.html

アイキャッチ画像
https://unsplash.com/photos/HDVmdzQxAds