Clownfish Are Hermaphroditic

OceanX Clownfish and Sea Anemone

Did you know that in a group of clownfish – also known as anemone fish (Amphiprioninae) – there's a strict dominance hierarchy? The largest and most aggressive female is found at the top. Anemone fish are protandrous sequential hermaphrodites, meaning they are all born males and become females when they mature. If the female anemone fish is removed from the group, such as by death, one of the largest and most dominant males becomes a female. The remaining males move up a rank in the hierarchy! D

Clownfish and their anemone