Clownfish

Photo: Andrew Lamb · CC BY-NC

The Maldivian clownfish — a species whose range extends to Sri Lanka's east coast — tends multiple anemone colonies across Coral Garden's shallow plateau, its bold black-and-white-and-orange coloration advertising its immunity to the stinging tentacles that protect both fish and anemone host. Social groups are strictly hierarchical, with the dominant female being the largest individual and the only one to breed; if she is lost, the dominant male changes sex to replace her. Observing a clownfish pair tend their egg clutch attached to the rock immediately beneath the anemone is one of Coral Garden's most rewarding behavioural sightings.