That bright fish hiding in the anemone? That"s the spine-cheeked anemonefish, or the maroon clownfish, and it is not just a cute creature. Native to the Indo-Pacific, from western Indonesia to Taiwan and the Great Barrier Reef, this species lives on the edges of coral reefs. This fish is easily distinguished by the spine extending from each cheek—hence the name. Groups of spine-cheeked anemonefish form around a single dominant female, and if she disappears, the top male steps up—literally changing sex to take her place. It thrives in warm, shallow waters and sticks close to its chosen sea anemone.
Spine-cheeked anemonefish
Today in History
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Castle Stalker, Argyll, Scotland
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International Whale Shark Day
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Happy Thanksgiving!
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Ruins of Dunseverick Castle, Northern Ireland
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Pearl among the emeralds
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Its puffling season!
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A day for giving
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We’ve identified these ‘flying objects’
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Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, Fukushima, Japan
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Among the most photographed in the Rockies
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The beauty that lies below
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Chattooga River in the Appalachian Mountains, North Carolina, USA
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Crescent-tail bigeye fish, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
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Megalong Valley, Blue Mountains National Park, NSW, Australia
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World Water Day
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Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy
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La Rocchetta Lighthouse, Piombino, Italy
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Bandon Beach in Bandon, Oregon, United States
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Stealthy pollinators
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Traditional red fishermens cabins, Reine, Norway
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Przewalskis horses, Hustai National Park, Mongolia
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International Dark Sky Week
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Fireflies glowing above a stream, Okayama Prefecture, Japan
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The Nutcracker performed by the Turkish State Opera and Ballet in Türkiye
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Victoria Day
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The world’s greatest oasis?
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, United States
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