So what are the fish in finding nemo? One of today’s most popular movies is Finding Nemo. Did you know that each character in the movie is based on a real life fish! The two main characters are Nemo, a clown fish and Dory a Blue Tang. Here are the fish, their role in the movie and a little bit about each fish. The two
what are the names of the fish in finding nemo
Clown Fish - Nemo & Marlin (Nemo’s dad)
Possibly the most famous of the Finding Nemo characters and has seen a huge increase in clown fish sales as a result. These are also known as anemone fish as this is where they live and is their main defence. Anemones are small creatures that are found on coral reefs. They are harmful to a lot of fishes but the clownfish is immune to its toxins and so this creates what is called a symbiotic relationship between the two. Clown fish clean and bring food to the anemones and in return the anemone provides a place for the clown fish to hide away from predators.
Clown fish have developed immunity to the anemones toxins. This is achieved by the fish rubbing itself against the anemones and building up a layer of mucus on its skin. This then protects the fish from the anemones harmful toxins.
Most famous for its orange, white and black colouring you will also find clown fish in many other colors as there are 28 different species of clownfish. They generally grow to about 3-4 inches in length and live in group with one dominant female.
Clown fish make noises to communicate and it is reported that they make popping and clicking noises. They are omnivores are enjoy feeding on algae, worms and small crustaceans.
Clown fish are hermaphrodites. This means they are all born males. The largest male, during mating, will turn to female. Once changed to female they stay female and are unable to turn back to males. They are also monogamous which means that stay with the same mate for life.
During mating the male prepares a nest and then chases a female towards the nest. As the females passes over the nest she will lay 100-1000 eggs. The male then passes over the eggs and fertilizes them. The male then attends to the nest where he fans the eggs. Eggs hatch 6-8 days after fertilization has taken place.
what kind of fish is Dory
This fish is famous enough to get its own movie in the second instalment of the Nemo films called Finding Dory!
What type of fish is dory, this fish can go by many different names such as Regal Blue Tang, Palette Surgeonfish or the Hippo Tang and other than Nemo himself this is one of the most striking and memorable fish from the movie. Indeed in real life this fish is also fascinating to watch.
As juveniles, these fish are actually yellow with blue spots. It is only as they mature do they adopt their striking blue color.
The males are larger in size than the females and they live in the Pacific Ocean on coral reefs. They have sharp spines on both the top and bottom of their bodies which act as defence but more importantly they have a venomous spine at the base of their tail fin. This venom can even be harmful to humans!
Alongside this, and possibly their most unique form of defence, is that they play dead! When Blue Tangs feel threatened they will lie on their sides and stop moving. Most predators are put off by a dead fish so this tactic works a treat.
Blue Tangs help keep coral clean by feeding on any algae that settles on the coral. In return the coral provide great places for the fish to dive in to and hide from predators.
They also use the coral for breeding. Arguably they are not great parents as once the female has dropped her eggs on to the coral, the male then fertilizes and they both leave the eggs unattended with no further care for their young.
Yellow Tang – Bubbles
Bubbles is the much loved Yellow Tang in Finding Nemo and features in the dentist’s fish tank.
Yellow Tang originate in the Hawaiian Islands and very much enjoy coral life. They can live up to thirty years in the wild. They are another species that looks after the coral by feeding on the algae so effectively cleaning the algae off the coral.
These fish have spines on their dorsal and anal fins. They also have a sharp white spine both sides of their tails which acts as their defence.
Yellow Tangs are quite fast swimmers. This is achieved from the mucus that covers their bodies which makes them very streamlined and fast.
These fish change color too. During the day you will see them as the bright yellow you expect but at night they turn a greyish yellow which makes them less obvious to predators. At night you will also notice a white lateral stripe appear along their bodies.
Another time you will see a difference in appearance is during mating. Males take on a shimmery look which is thought to be more attractive to females.
Royal Gramma – Gurgle
These fish are stunning to watch with their bright yellow and purple coloring. They are peaceful fish and are shy and passive. They can however be quite territorial.
Royal Grammas is very hardy fish. They are resistant to most common diseases. As a result of this, if you are new to keeping fish as a hobby, these fish make the perfect fish for beginners.
They eat plankton, brine and Mysis shrimp. They will also eat parasites off the skin of other fish so very good fish to have in your aquarium. Feeding Royal Grammas is very easy as they absolutely love to eat!
All Royal Grammas are born female. The most dominant female will turn to male and grow larger than the females. During mating the male builds a nest, the female then drops 5-40 eggs in to the nest and the male fertilizes them.
gill finding nemo
With their distinct black, white & yellow coloring, there is only one species of Moorish Idol which makes them quite unique. They are found across the Pacific Ocean. They are not generally seen in aquariums as they are very difficult to keep in captivity. They are also very picky eaters which is another reason keeping them in captivity is difficult.
Moorish Idol fish mate for life which makes them very endearing. However it also makes it virtually impossible to breed them in captivity. You will often see adults in pairs. Groups are only seen when the fish are juveniles.
They have a spine in front of the eyes which is larger in males than females.
They eat sponges, shrimp and brine. If their chosen food is not available they will often starve rather than eat what is available.
They spawn in to open water. The females leave an egg cloud which the males swim through to fertilize. The fertilized eggs then float to the surface to grow.
Porcupine Puffer fish – Bloat
Porcupine puffer fish are nocturnal and are not very good swimmers. They are considered semi aggressive. They are not good swimmers as they do not have pelvic fins. They instead use their pectoral fins to move around.
When they are frightened they expand by swallowing water or air and puff up to look like a large ball. Alongside this, they also extend long spines to make themselves look even fiercer to any predator. As a last resort of defence the internal organs of the porcupine puffer fish are poisonous as they contain toxins. This makes them a very unsavoury meal! With all this in mind, the puffer fish has very few predators.
They feed on small carbs, molluscs and sea urchins and have a small beak to help break the shell or crustaceans armour.
They breed in groups of males with one female and spawn on the surface. It is almost impossible to breed porcupine puffer fish in captivity.
Black & White Damsel fish – Deb
These fish have 3 black vertical stripes on a white body. They are renowned for being very aggressive especially as they mature to adults.
They are extremely territorial and once they have located a home in the coral they tend to stay there. The coral benefits from having this fish make its home here because it feeds the coral with its waste and also maintains water movement around the coral which also keeps it clean.
All black & white damsel fish are born female. The largest fish will turn to male and cannot turn back to a female. If the male is removed then the next largest female will change to male. These fish can turn to male on demand.
Similar to the clown fish, black & white damsel fish communicate through a series of chirps and pops. They live in groups of 3-25 fish and feed on filamentous algae, fish eggs and larvae.
They are not great swimmers so tend to stay close to the coral so they can quickly hide if a predator arrives.
During spawning the pecking order is enacted. The alpha male and female will spawn first with the next in line only spawning after the alpha pair has finished.
longnose butterfly fish – Tad
This is a peaceful fish that is distinguished by the split of color either side of its mouth. Above the mouth is black and below the mouth is white. The yellownose butterfly fish groups as juveniles but as adults tend to stay in pairs only. They have a black spot on their tails which is there to confuse predators.
Whilst peaceful, they are territorial. This is perhaps due to the monogamous tendency of this fish, as a pair they like to own their coral! The female defends the food resource whilst the male defends the territory.
They are carnivore and feed on crustaceans, fish eggs and urchins.
Great White Shark – Bruce
“fish are friends, not food” is Bruce’s famous saying in Finding Nemo. Great White Sharks are well known but are often portrayed in a very aggressive context.
Their huge mouths are filled with rows of sharp teeth that allow for their carnivorous diet of sea lions, fish and even birds.
The females are larger in size and dominant as a result. Size matters in the shark world. Great whites can live up to 70 years old in the wild.
They are pretty much found across all oceans and are top of the food chain with no natural predators. The Killer Whale seems to be the only other ocean going animal that might cause them some hassle but this is normally a defensive threat rather than the Killer Whale seeking food.
A fascinating fact of the Great White is the use of its ampullae of Lorenzini. This is an organ which is effectively electroreceptors. The Great White is such an awesome hunter as it uses this to detect the electromagnetic field of its prey. This allows fast and accurate attacks.
Breeding is something that is seldom caught on camera but females sharks develop and hatch eggs within their uterus giving birth to shark pups after an 11 month gestation period.
Sea Horse – Sheldon
Almost majestic in their movements the Sea Horse is a very unique looking creature. This is the only fish in the ocean that has a neck. There are 45 different species of sea horse and so they can be seen in many different sizes and colors.
Sea horses are classified as fish however they do not have scales. Instead they have rings around their bodies which hold bony plates. This also means they do not have any need for ribs as the rings act in the same way as ribs would.
Sea horses are not very good swimmers. This is because they flutter their dorsal fin to swim whilst using their pectoral fin to steer.
They feed on small crustaceans and are heavily reliant on their camouflage to catch their prey. They also have to be very patient as staying still and letting your dinner come to you can take some time.
Sea horses go through a courting ritual that can last many days. After this ritual the females lays her eggs in a pouch within the male’s abdomen. The pouch acts as an incubator where the eggs are fertilised and develop. Once hatched the male will eject the babies in to open water. There can be up to 1500 babies with each hatching.
Pacific Cleaner Shrimp – Jacques
This particular shrimp is brightly colored and is distinguished by its red and white stripes down its back. Not that they can enjoy each other’s coloring because they are actually color blind!
Known as the Pacific Cleaner Shrimp. This is because they eat parasites and dead tissue off other fish. They quite often have a ‘client’ fish that they clean. This symbiotic relationship suits both the fish, which is being cleaned, and the shrimp that is getting their food.
Shrimps are all born male and are able to change to females for mating. Fertilsied eggs are attached to the abdomen of the shrimp whilst they grow.
Juvenile shrimp go through 14 different stages before entering adulthood.
Leather Sea Star – Peach
The sea star has 5 arms which gives it a star appearance. They have a very sulphur like pungent smell. They move extremely slowly across any surface but can also swim in open water by moving their 5 arms around. This is also very slow for them.
They feed on algae but are most famous for eating invertebrates such as anemones, urchins and sponges.
Their most common predator is actually another starfish species known as the Morning Sun Star.
Females release eggs in to the water column where they are fertilised by the males.
Spotted Eagle Ray – Mr Ray
Rays are fascinating creatures. They can be up to five metres in length which makes them fairly magnificent in the water. They are black in color with white rings across the top of their body. Their underneath is white.
Whilst you may see Rays in groups they are more commonly seen as lone swimmers. From the surface Rays are renowned for jumping out of the water and this is a spectacle that is viewed by humans regularly!
Rays generally only have one natural predator and that is sharks! Themselves they eat small fish and crustaceans but one of their favourites is octopus. Their mouths are located on their underside so they can feed off the bottom or during a chase in open water.
They have venomous spines behind the pelvic fin which can be ejected in defence. Very rare but this has been the cause of injury to humans over the years.
When mating, the male will clamp the females so that their under-bellies are facing each other and are connected. The female grows the eggs inside her to incubate them and gives birth to live pups.
