Baby Clownfish are More Adventurous Than Adults: 'Nemo' Travels Across the Open Ocean

First Posted: Sep 18, 2014 09:52 AM EDT
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Clownfish spend their entire lives nestled within the protective tentacles of anemones, using them as a shield against predators. Yet now, scientists have found that these fish may be a bit more adventurous in their youth. They've discovered that baby clownfish may travel hundreds of kilometers across the open ocean before settling down in an anemone of their own.

"This is an epic journey for these tiny week-old fish," said Steve Simpson, one of the researchers, in a news release. "When they arrive at the reef, they are less than a centimeter long, and only a few days old, so to travel hundreds of kilometers they must be riding ocean currents to assist their migration."

The researchers made the discovery after using DNA fingerprinting to identify local, long-distant migrants and hybrid individuals from populations throughout the entire Omani clownfish species range. In all, the scientists examined 400 fish, which were harmlessly caught during 92 dives. By examining the genetic signature of each fish, the scientists could tell where it came from.

In the end, the DNA evidence showed that the majority of migrant fish travelled from north to south. In order to test whether this was due to prevailing currents or not, the scientists then created an oceanographic model for the region. In the end, they found that the migration pattern did correspond to the dominant ocean currents in the area.

"This study is furthest anyone has tracked the dispersal of coral reef fish, and it demonstrates that distant populations in the marine environment can be well connected," said Simpson. "Our ability to predict how far fish larvae disperse helps us to manage coral reef ecosystems. Understanding connectivity means we can protect populations that are most sensitive, harvest from populations that have a regular and consistent turn-over, and design coherent networks of marine protected areas."

The findings are published in the journal PLOS One.

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