Common clownfish in a sea anemone, Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia
© Magnus Lundgren/Nature Picture Librar
Reefside roommates. Common clownfish, Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia
Sea anemones may look like underwater flowers, but they're actually animals—close relatives of jellyfish and corals. Anchored to rocks or reefs, they use a sticky base and a crown of waving tentacles armed with tiny stingers to capture passing prey. Those stings can paralyse small fish, yet one famous neighbour is immune.
In the image, a common clownfish peeks out from its sea anemone home in Indonesia's Raja Ampat Islands, a remote archipelago at the heart of the Coral Triangle, known for extraordinary marine diversity. The clownfish's special mucus coating protects it from harm, allowing it to shelter safely among the tentacles. In return, the fish helps deter predators and drops food scraps the anemone can eat.
In the reefs of Raja Ampat, moments like this play out everywhere—quiet alliances that keep the waters humming with life.
Related Images
Oyster farm offshore from Notojima Island, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan
Dr Sylvia Earle explores the Great Barrier Reef in a scene from Mission Blue
Glass octopus in the Atlantic Ocean off Cabo Verde
Moon jelly and an aggregation of stingless golden jellyfish, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia
Blue linckia sea stars at New Ireland in Papua New Guinea
Common octopus in sea grass in the Gulf of Lion in the Mediterranean Sea
Dragonfly fossil, about 150 million years old, in Solnhofen, Bavaria, Germany
Spanish shawl nudibranch on kelp off Santa Catalina Island, California, USA
Bing Today Images
