The clownfish, famous from the animated film “Finding Nemo,” is not only cute, but apparently intelligent as well. A new study published in Journal of Experimental BiologyThe anemone fish Amphiprion ocellaris is shown to be able to differentiate between species based on the number of white stripes on their bodies. Biologists have found that small clownfish often attack potential competitors with three white stripes, while showing little interest in fish of other species or those with fewer stripes. But how were fish able to distinguish between different animals?
The special type is the least tolerant
To find out, Kina Hayashi, Noah Locke and Vincent Loudet of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology raised a group of young NEMOs. The researchers isolated small groups of clownfish in individual tanks and filmed their reactions to anemonefish models painted with different numbers of white stripes.
Various clownfish species have been used as potential competitors, including Clark's anemonefish (A. clarkii), orange skunk anemonefish (A. sandaracinos), and saddle anemonefish (A. polymnus), but they are also species-specific invaders With it. Especially since these special types were the least tolerant. 80% of young animals resisted for up to 3 seconds. In contrast, the invaders had it easier than other species: the orange skunk clownfish – which has no side stripes and a white stripe on the back – scurried less agilely and was little harassed, while the Clark's clownfish and the skunk-backed clownfish The saddle – with two or three white stripes – was slightly disturbed.
Protection from hackers
Therefore, small fish showed little interest in patterns that did not contain stripes or those that contained only one stripe. Things looked very different with the models with the three stripes: they attacked the models. They also reacted more aggressively when fishing with two lines. “Thus, anemonefish can not only count, but can also distinguish between different species based on the number of white stripes. This ability allows them to defend their habitat from intruders while paying less attention to fish of other species that show little Interest in sharing a home in their anemones. press release.
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