I watched this clownfish (smaller of the couple) for about 5 mins and the mouth was open like that the entire time. Does anyone know if this is normal behaviour or an anomaly?
The location is Pulau Siladen, Bunaken national park, Indonesia.
timo
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What's up with this clownfish?
7 posts
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Most likely a tongue parasite. The parasite, an isopod, first attaches to the tongue and then feeds on it replacing it in the mouth of the fish. The fish can still feed - afterall that is in the parasite's interest. If the fish dies so does the isopod.
Usually you can see a couple of beedy black eyes if you look in detail inside the mouth.
Alex
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Nice pic Timo - colour is a bit cooked though - not such a nice diagnosis from Alex, how is it nature is so darn ugly when you get to the detail...
And there was I thinking that it was probably just a female....
( Running for cover.... )
Paul C
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This fish is a male!
Alex
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Sorry you are correct Alex - I hadn't zoomed in.....
Paul C
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And there was I thinking that it was probably just a female....
( Running for cover.... )
Paul C
Brilliant ! That is exactly the joke my father used when we were fishing: nice its an international joke...or thruth
Gerard
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colour is a bit cooked though
So I see, now that I look at it for the first time on a real monitor.
Seems no matter how much I calibrate my laptop screen (a small Dell, that is), it always lacks the saturation of a real one. Oh, well.
timo
