Spine-cheeked anemonefish in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea Jul 2, 2025

Spine-cheeked anemonefish in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea

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. It 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. Spine-cheeked anemonefish thrive in warm, shallow waters and stick close to their chosen sea anemone.

© Fred Bavendam/Nature Picture Library

palette

Today in History

Jul 2, 2018Keep watching the skies
Jul 2, 2019Sequential images of a total solar eclipse
Jul 2, 2020All Rhodes lead to the beach
Jul 2, 2021A meerkat stands alone
Jul 2, 2022Halfway Day
Jul 2, 2023Its Halfway Day!
Jul 2, 2024The ruins of Italica, Andalusia, Spain

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 26, 2023Venice Skatepark, Los Angeles, California
May 26, 2018Honoring the first American woman in space
May 25, 2025Butchart Gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada
Aug 16, 2022National Roller Coaster Day
Jan 5, 2020Digging the birds
Jul 21, 2022Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds, England
Mar 18, 2021A sizzling summit hides in the clouds
Feb 4, 2024Devetashka Cave, Devetaki, Bulgaria
Aug 19, 2018Oh, the places you’ll go
Oct 21, 2024Cypress trees in George L. Smith State Park, Georgia
Nov 19, 2023Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve, Estonia
May 7, 2024A duckling swimming in a water meadow, Suffolk, England
Aug 22, 2023Amphitheatre of El Jem, Tunisia
Jul 8, 2024National Blueberry Day
Aug 12, 2021Haven t you herd? It s World Elephant Day!
Feb 13, 2024Mardi Gras
Apr 14, 2021Nothing plain about it
Jul 1, 2022Tour de France
Feb 4, 2018Male kori bustard, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Jul 25, 2025Colorful houses of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Jan 7, 2019An avian predator built for the snow
Mar 15, 2020Celebrating 200 years of statehood
Oct 30, 2018A species worth defending
Mar 7, 2025Plum blossoms in China
Jan 28, 2024Channel Country, Australia
Feb 18, 2021A river runs through it
Aug 17, 2025International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend
Feb 22, 2019A rest stop for the birds
Jul 6, 2020Welcome to the Ring of Fire
Jan 21, 2020Observing a squirrelly day