Clownfish “count” white stripes to determine if an invader is friend or foe | Ars Technica

Many people tend to think of clownfish, with their distinctive white bars against an orange, red, or black background, as a friendly sort of fish, perhaps influenced to some extent by the popular Pixar film Finding Nemo. But clownfish can be quite territorial when it comes to defending their host anemone from intrusion by others, particularly those from their own species. A new paper published in the Journal of Experimental Biology describes how clownfish determine if a fish approaching their home is friend or foe by "counting" the number of white bars or stripes on their bodies.

@Sam Smith #fish #science

https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/02/clownfish-count-white-stripes-to-determine-if-an-invader-is-friend-or-foe/?