Losing Nemo: clownfish could vanish for good due to climate change
- Peculiar mating habits mean star of Pixar’s animated blockbuster is particularly vulnerable to warming seas
- Vibrantly coloured species relies on coral for survival and is unable to adapt quickly enough to environmental threats
The star of Pixar’s blockbuster Finding Nemo may be about to vanish again – this time for good – as its peculiar mating habits put it at risk from climate change, scientists said on Tuesday.
They observed the vibrantly coloured clownfish – which live in anemones – for more than 10 years around Kimbe Island off eastern Papua New Guinea.
A team from France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) along with other scientists established that the fish were picky about the way they choose their mates.
Given that both anemone and their clownfish tenants ultimately rely for their survival on coral, which is under threat from warming seas and threats such as pollution and human intrusion, they may need to adapt quickly.
The scientists say this can be achieved only with great difficulty.
“The reproductive success of a population is what guarantees [its ability] to adapt,” CNRS researcher Benoit Poujol SAID.