Anemonefish
The Clown Anemone fish is one of Sydney Aquarium's superstars, thanks to the movie Finding Nemo, set right here in Sydney Harbour
Clown Anemonefish
Here at Sydney Aquarium we have an extra special affinity to these beautiful little fish, with the famuos animated movie Finding Nemo being set, at least virtually set, just moments away from us in Sydney Harbour.
On any day of the week here you're guaranteed to see children enthusiastically prodding their fingers against the glass shouting 'I FOUND NEMO!'. We have several displays containing these tiny, vibrant orange and white fish, including Mermaid Lagoon and the stunning Coral Cay exhibit.
The Clown Anemonefish became a very popular home aquarium pet following the movie, which although sparked a long-lasting love of the species amongst many, also sadly led to a surge in the numbers of unwanted specimens being discarded once their owner's enthusiasm for looking after them wore off. Happily though, the love affair with Nemo is still as strong as ever amongst most people today, with Nemo toys still being some of the most popular items on sale at the Sydney Aquarium Gift Shop.
Reaching a maximum length of just 8 or 9cm, the Clown Anemonefish is highly adapted to its environment, striking up one of nature's most unique partnerships as a defence mechanism. Early in their lives Clown Anemonefish develop an immunity to certain types of sea anemone, within the tentacles of which they hatch and are raised. However, it's a short-lived mode of protection, as it's believed that this immunity needs to be regularly maintained, seemingly wearing off if the fish leaves its host anemone for as little as an hour.