clown fish?

[kdpuffer]

alright that helps alot but i read that they metamorphisize at about 1 week old what is that all about and do they actually have a pupa similar to say a butterfly. do you know where i could look it up and maybe see pictures i find it very interesting that a fish is like an insect

[justinl]

the metamorphosis you are referring to is also called settlement. That is when a fish larva (which is still a fish, not insect) "metamorphoses" into something that actually looks similar to a miniature adult of the species and loses its photoactivity; most fish larvae are photoactic which just means they are attracted to the light. I think you are confused because of the terminology. A fish larva is nothing like an insect larva really, it's just a broad term for "baby".

[Der_Iron_Chef]

Clownfish will often spawn and lay eggs regularly. When the eggs hatch, they are larva, a newly-hatched fish which has not yet emerged from the nesting area. They will have a noticeable yolk sac, and need this yolk sac while their digestive systems are developing. At this stage, the fish are not prepared to hunt live prey, and are completely dependent on the yolk sacs. A fry is a recently-hatched fish, one which has fully absorbed its yolk sac and can now hunt and consume live food. (wikipedia.org)

I wouldn't say they are like insects, though.

[kdpuffer]

thanks guys i googled it aswell and your right not even close to an insect LOL the terminology threw me off there i have it all clear now thanks again. one more thing though my oscelleris clown is solitary in the tank with two anenomes a kenya tree and an xenia but he chooses to hang out in the top back corner of the tank usually facing down hugging the back wall. is there anyway to "help" him find a host anenome or will i have to wait and hope he is not the "special" one. i am in the process of trying to aquire another oscelleris think maybe the other fish might help show him the way?

[Der_Iron_Chef]

Getting clowns to host in an anemone/coral is random and there's not really much you yourself can do. Previous to adding another clownfish, though, I would read up on THIS.

[kdpuffer]

that was helpful. now i have an oscelleris about 3/4 to an inch long, the one i may be getting is about 1 1/2 inches, about what size do they actually become mature and develop the specific organs what do you think the chances are that mine is still undeveloped

[kdpuffer]

anyone have some sort of rough idea on size to age comparisons, the reading i have done says they will become mature and make the switch at 12-24 months old how big is a 12 month old oscelleris clown and how old do you think my 3/4-1" clown is

[kdpuffer]

bump