Acclimation or Innate Protection of Anemonefishes from Sea Anemones?

Abstract

Studies have shown that anemonefishes can acquire protection from the stinging tentacles of their host anemones through a behavioral process called acclimation. However, some investigators have suggested that anemonefishes are innately protected from all species of host anemones. To definitively test whether anemonefishes are innately protected from anemones, we forced naive anemonefishes, bred and raised in complete isolation from anemones, to contact the tentacles of Macrodactyla doreensis, Heteractis crispa, and Stichodactyla haddoni. Individuals of Amphiprion clarkii were protected when forced to contact the tentacles of all three anemone species. However, individuals of A. ocellaris and A. perideraion were stung by some anemones. All fishes went through acclimation behavior after the initial forced contact with anemones. Thus, anemonefishes are innately protected from some anemone species but must acclimate to live with others.