clowns are king ?

HiYaz

Now as most of you know I'm far from an expert with marine keeping - but over the last 10 months I have observed a behaviour and respectful ness of other fish species which all seem to agree - that the clown fish is king: nothing will challenge them and they will protect and even feed there anemones- I think its great but I don't understand why -

my wrasse (common local guy) who will smash anything that enters a tank with him (and kill them if they are not removed)...from eels to damsels...but he leaves the local clown alone, my Blue ring octopus which will eat anything that gets within its 8 arm reach will not even try to harm the mighty clown (even though the clown will annoy it very much), in fact I think the clown enjoys making him light up..... and nothing including larger lion fish etc will even look twice at trying to eat them - and - if the clown tells them to bugger off, they do!

Its all good but can a body explain this? I really want to understand it ....

It’s in the genes you might say!

The damselfish that adapted to a symbiotic life style with an amenone, called amphiprions, have the killer of many forms of marine life on its side and the genetic memory is in the others to keep them wary of the clown fish.

A lot of marine life can sense the chemical make up of the mucus that an anemone is coated in and the clown has this as their mucus.

Others can sense this and identify a potential anemone present,maybe,that’s a risk lots of marine life are not prepared to take, an anemone induced death!

The clown fish has a general mucus make up similar to over all anemones.

Once it selects an anemone to exist with, it consumes the individual’s mucus and excretes that chemical make up of mucus to that exact copy of the host anemone so the anemone does not know it is there.

Now you have a true symbiotic successful existence and respect from other marine life.

Unless the clown fish is under stress and the mucus production is affected and the anemone now knows it is there,then it becomes the anemones dinner!

Wow that's cool....

I understood the clown and anemone relationship - but not the reason why other critters seem to know its a "no go" for dinner.....


Very cool fish - I think our local clowns are awesome, we truely are blessed...

Thanks mate

HA!
Clowns are kings...yeah rite