Archive · 22 May 2025
Clownfish Shrink to Survive Marine Heatwaves, Study Finds
Imagine the ocean gets a fever, and clownfish get stressed.
Scientists discovered that clownfish, like tiny superheroes, can shrink themselves to survive the heat!
They measured clownfish in Papua New Guinea and found most shrank at least once.
The shrinking helps them save energy and handle the heat.
When the water cooled, they grew back.
This shrinking trick helped the clownfish live through the heatwave.
However, it could also lead to fewer eggs and a smaller future population.
Adult clownfish were found to shrink and regrow in response to marine heatwaves.
Researchers tracked 67 breeding pairs of clownfish in Papua New Guinea for about 180 days.
71% of females and 79% of males shrank at least once during the heatwave.
Shrinking helped reduce mortality, with those shrinking multiple times surviving the heatwave.
Shrinking may help clownfish survive but could affect future reproduction by producing fewer eggs.
- Who
- Researchers studied wild clownfish (Amphiprion percula) in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea.
- What
- Clownfish shrink to survive marine heatwaves.
- When
- During the 2023-2024 marine heatwave.
- Where
- Kimbe Bay in Papua New Guinea.
- Why
- To understand how clownfish adapt to the stress of hot water during marine heatwaves.
- Reefs Affected
- 84%
- Heatwave Duration
- 2023-2024
- Clownfish Pairs Studied
- 67
- Location
- Papua New Guinea
- Death Risk Reduction
- 78%