Anemonefishes - Pomacentridae

Compared with the other damsel fishes, the main differences are in the shape of the fins, all enlarged and rounded, including the tail, and in the colour. The background colour can be pink, orange, red, brown or black, always with white longitudinal lines or vertical bands. Anemonefishes live in symbiosis with few species of sea anemones. The anemone, with its stinging tentacles, protects the fish from predators. The tentacles explode when touched, injecting their poison into any aggressor or prey. The reaction is triggered by the contact, and it is inhibited by substances in the mucus coat: two tentacles belonging to the same anemone can get in touch without attacking each other.

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