Pink Skunk Clownfish (Amphiprion perideraion)
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Pink Skunk Clownfish Description:
Clownfish and Anemones have an incredible symbiotic ("living together") relationship rarely duplicated in Nature. These fish are commonly found swimming amongst the tentacles of both large and small Anemones at spectacular coral reefs. The reason Clownfish are not found at deeper depths is because of the dependence of the Anemone to be in water shallow enough to feed the zooxanthellae within its tentacles.
Clownfish build up a protective mucus covering on their scales that prevent the Anemone from being able to sting them. This may be accomplished in one of two ways: by the Clownfish absorbing the Anemones own protective mucus, which the Anemone uses to prevent from stinging its own body, or it may be that the Clownfish produces its own reactive mucus to the sting of the Anemone.
The little Clownfish will fight off intruders to protect its home at all costs. They will dart out from the tentacles to nip at the intruder and then shoot back into the Anemone for protection. Butterflyfish at the reef are very interested in eating the Anemone and the Clownfish will fight off even the largest Butterfly that approaches. Clownfish will also feed the Anemone with food it has captured in the water. These incredibly beautiful and intriguing fish are commonly orange, red, or pink with head or body stripes of white.These fish are the most common to be aquacultured in the United States. In the wild they live in small groups with one large dominant female, one smaller sexually active male, and a handful of smaller males and juveniles. When the female is lost the largest male will then change sex and become the dominant female with the other Clowns moving up the ladder behind it.
