But what do we really know about these amazing creatures that are found all around the Gili islands? Firstly, Nemo was originally named a False Clown Anemonefish (Amphiprion percula) and is part of a big family of numerous species of anemonefish.
The fish grow up to about 11 centimetres and live in venomous anemonies. Their symbiosis with anemones is extraordinary: while an anemone (with its stinging cells) protects an anemonefish from predators, the brightly-coloured fish attacks prey for the anemone.
Divers from Gili Air Divers usually notice that the lively anemonefish always move very quickly — and sometimes it even seems as though they are dancing.
The fact is that by moving very quickly anemonefish, or Nemos, protect themselves from the stings of the anemone that they inhabit.It has been said that anemonefish can create a mucus which carries the anemone’s chemical signature and therefore protects them from the poisonous stings. Gili Air Divers staff always ensure that clients understand that anemonefish are not at all aggressive, and that they are always fun to watch underwater.
They usually live in an anemone as a small monogamous family of a pair of adult anemonefish and several small juveniles, which are not actually their real offspring, but juveniles that were brought to the anemone with currents and waves. Another amazing feature of these small and lively animals is their way of changing sex during their life cycle. All anemonefish are born as males. Later, the largest one in an anemone takes the leading role and transforms into a female.
If a female dies, within a week another male will change sex to ensure there is a leader in an anemone.
There are a lot of diversities around the Three Gilis (Lombok’s north-west islands of Air, Meno and Trawangan), where divers can get up close to anemonefish at dive locations such as the Air Wall, Frog Fish Point, Mirko’s reef, Shark Point, Bounty Wreck and Manta Point. Did you know that you can hear anemonefish underwater? At Gili Air Divers, we always like to take our time and let our customers listen to the sounds of these small, colourful creatures. It’s well worth the experience.
source:enchanting-lomboksumbawa.com
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