The Curious Case of the Clownfish

Okay, nothing curious about this clownfish, really; I’m mostly just an alliteration addict.

The Curious Case of the Clownfish
03 February 2010
Atlantis Marine World, Riverhead, NY

The Yellow Tang in the Tank

I guess I must be on a Finding Nemo kick lately. First the clownfish, now the yellow tang (Bubbles, anyone?)… the regal tang (Dory) will be next, if I can manage it.

When looking at this picture closely, I thought the white spot near his tail was… ahem, a little inappropriate to be showing to an unknown audience, but it turns out that this is actually a bit of spine (thanks, Wikipedia, for squashing all my fish sex fantasies).

In any case, none of the online literature I can find tells me why this particular fish may have developed this particular bone… er, spine. Anyone an ichthyologist?

The Yellow Tang in the Tank
03 January 2008
Atlantis Marine World, Riverhead, NY

The Clownfish in the Aquarium

It is hard to photograph fish, even when they’re swimming around in their tanks! Most tanks are too dark, and it’s hard to even get a focus lock on them, much less take the photo with the proper exposure.

Fortunately these guys were polite enough to be in one of the better lit tanks, drifting nicely in and out of the nooks and crannies of their environment.

Fun fact: all clownfish are born male. When the current female dies, the dominant male will change sex and assume her place.

The Clownfish in the Aquarium
14 September 2007
Atlantis Marine World, Riverhead, NY