Clownfish or
anemonefish are
fishes that, in the wild, form
symbiotic mutualisms with
sea anemones and are unaffected by the stinging tentacles of the host anemone, see . The sea anemone protects the clownfish from predators, as well as providing food through the scraps left from the anemone's meals and occasional dead anemone tentacles. In return, the clownfish defends the anemone from its predators, and parasites. Clownfish are small-sized, , and depending on species, they are overall yellow, orange, or a reddish or blackish color, and many show white bars or patches. Within species, there may be color variations, most commonly according to distribution, but also based on sex, age and host anemone. Clownfish are found in warmer waters of the
Indian and
Pacific oceans and the
Red Sea in sheltered
reefs or in shallow
lagoons. In a group of clownfish, there is a strict
dominance hierarchy. The largest and most aggressive fish is female and is found at the top. Only two clownfish, a male and a female, in a group reproduce through
external fertilization. Clownfish are
sequential hermaphrodites, meaning that they develop into males first, and when they mature, they become females. ==Description==