The Change of Gender in Yellow Tailed Anemone Fish

by Charles Roring in Manokwari of West Papua - Indonesia

Coral reef is a unique environment. There are thousands and even millions of marine species living in coral reefs. Two of them are yellow tailed anemone fish and anemone. Anemone fish lives in symbiosis of mutualism with anemone. The tips of anemone shoots have venom that many fish cannot stand. Only the yellow tailed anemone fish that can live among the shoots of the anemone.

Sometimes when other fish are eating food, the yellow tailed anemone fish will steal it and put it under the holding of the shoots of the anemone. Other fish cannot retake the food because of the venomous shoots.

Sometimes the sea experiences hurricane. This influences the habitat of the coral reef. After a hurricane some marine species have been displaced to other places. For instance, the mother from a family of yellow tailed anemone fish left her husband and son when a hurricane happened. The husband will later change its gender from male fish to female fish. The son will later become the husband for his previous father that has now become a mother. So, they form a new family. The change in gender among yellow tailed anemone fish occurs naturally.

The existence of coral reef to us is very important. Most of the coral reefs eco-system are located in the tropical region along the equator. Coral reefs are part of the whole world's ecosystem which we should maintain and protect for future generations. Read more: Manado a well known city for scuba divers and Diving site and Coral Reef in Timor Leste