omegaverse is OVER in 2026 we are sexualizing the social dynamics of CLOWNFISH
clownfish have a symbiotic relationship to anemones, which they use for protection. because they have this symbiosis, they don’t have many other defense mechanisms. in an anemone, clownfish will live in groups of 2-6 individuals. these groups have strict hierarchies based on body size. the largest fish in the colony is the breeding female, and the second largest is the breeding male. clownfish can change sex in order to maintain this structure. clownfish are incapable of reproduction until they make it to the top of this hierarchy. when one of the breeding pair dies, the other fish move up in rank. when clownfish mature, they may either move to a new anemone and start a new colony, or join an existing colony if no anemones are available. despite the size-based hierarchy, juvenile fish that join an existing colony have an advantage if they are small and have slow growth rates. otherwise, they will likely be chased away by the other non-dominant fish who do not want to risk losing their turn to be one of the dominant pair. non-dominant fish will rarely leave their colony, even if they have low ranking, because they do not want to risk being out in the open unless they know there is an open anemone nearby. wild clownfish also have a very long lifespan for fish - they can live for 20-30 years, meaning they might spend decades waiting for their turn to breed.
