Clownfish : Twisted and Confused

  

    

     One of America’s most famous and adored marine fish, the Clownfish, may be even goofier than their name suggests.  These cute orange and white fish that we have grown to love, thanks to the Disney movie “ Finding Nemo”, actually live a very twisted sexual life.  You see, the clownfish is hermaphroditic, meaning that they can play the role of both male and female fish.  Although this seems very strange to us humans, it is actually a fairly common practice in the aquatic world. There are said to be as many as 21 families of fish that behave in this kinky manner (Stephens). I don’t know about you but that makes me think twice about the cleanliness of the ocean we swim in.

     The clownfish specifically is known as a protandrous sequential hermaphrodite, not to be confused with the protogynous sequential hermaphrodites.  To break this down, sequential hermaphrodites are those which “develop as one gender before changing to the other gender” later in life (Cooney).  Of the sequential hermaphrodites there are the two types.  The protandrous start out as males and can later switch to females, while the protogynous develop as females first and then switch to males.  So let’s tie this all together in terms of the clownfish. 

     Imagine you are a clownfish that just hatched from its egg.  You start off life as an undifferentiated male with just your mom and dad around.  Sadly, something happens to the mother and she’s gone which just leaves you and your dad living in this small hypothetical population.  In the name of procreation your dad changes into a female to allow for spawning.  As if it isn’t weird enough, you now must breed with your female father to start a new generation.  This happens and a new generation of undifferentiated males is hatched.  Tragically, after the spawning season is over a shark swam in and ate the father! Being the oldest male you take a long look around and find that there aren’t any clownfish ladies swimming around and thus it becomes your turn to become a female.  This is the reproductive behaviors of the clown fish and in general for any sequential hermaphrodite (Cooney). 

     Although this seems very strange to us humans who don’t naturally change genders, it is both commonplace and beneficial for these fish.   For a small clownfish, it is a truly a “fish-eat-fish” ocean out there.  Living this type of hermaphroditic lifestyle ensures that there are always both male and females around to safeguard the population density.  

Sources:

BeckmanInstitute. “Sex-Changing Clownfish.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 27 September 2012. Web. 23 February 2014.

Chow, Samuel. Clownfish and Anemone. 7 October 2010. Ask Nature. Web. 23 February 2014.

Cooney, Patrick. “Finding Nemo Lied…” The Fisheries Blog.” The Fisheries Blog.com Web. 18 February 2014.

Stephens, Christina. “List of Hermaphrodite Animals.” Animals. Demand Media. Web. 18 February 2014.