Pet Forum / Aquaria / Marine Reef / October 2006

Add a lion fish to get rid of that female clown !!!
I believe after that the Lion fish will turn male.
Grrrrrrrr

Clownfish Change Size and Sex to Move Up the Ranks
What the movie "Finding Nemo" doesn't tell you about clownfish is that
they're all transsexuals. In a study published in the journal Nature,
evolutionary biologist Peter Buston and colleagues report that clownfish in
Papua New Guinea reefs can change their sex at will for social reasons.
Clownfish live in strict hierarchical communities. Each neighborhood is
dominated by a top-ranking female breeder. Her male partner is next,
followed by up to four progressively smaller, non-breeding fish. When the
dominant female dies, her mate changes sex and becomes female. The
top-ranking non-breeder becomes a sexually active male, and all the other
fish shift up a rank. Clownfish also appear to regulate their size in order
to remain part of the group. Each fish keeps its body mass 20 percent
smaller than the fish directly above it in social rank, probably to avoid
conflict. Fish who disrespectfully outgrow their rank are rejected by the
clan.