Clownfish are saltwater pets and can be found most commonly in the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. They are beautiful fish, and also you can keep them as your pet in an aquarium. It is easy to take care of them, and maintaining them will not gain much effort. However, sometimes they try to bite in times like when they are aggressive. So, you will probably be thinking right now, “Do clownfish have teeth?” if you are planning to raise them in your aquarium. Yes. They have teeth. We will provide you with more facts about it in this article.
Do Clownfish have Teeth?
Yes. Clownfish do have teeth. But like in many other aquatic animals, they do not have teeth in their jaws. Instead, they have teeth in their pharyngeal arch of the throat. So, it says that clownfish have pharyngeal teeth.
Otherwise, they do not have teeth. However, some species, like larger ones of clownfish, have teeth on their jaws.
Using these pharyngeal teeth, they crush and grind the food when eating. They do not chew like mammals. Clownfish are known as very aggressive animals, and they defend themselves and one another in any danger.
They use their teeth for protection. As they have a symbiotic relationship with sea anemones, they also protect them as well. They are really friendly, but they can be aggressive sometimes.
Clownfish use their pharyngeal teeth to communicate between themselves. A quick collision generates when banging the teeth together is the method they use to communicate.
How Many Teeth Do Clownfish Have?
Unfortunately, there are no answers to this question because no studies have been done to figure out the number of teeth a clownfish has. But we can assume that they might have a dozen or two by observing the number of teeth other fish have, which are similar in size to clownfish. But keep in mind that it can be less or more!
Are Clownfish Teeth Sharp?
No. Researchers say that their teeth are not very sharp. But their aggressive nature can increase the risk of getting injured when they bite. The effectiveness and the sharpness of their bites totally depend on their behaviour patterns when they are aggressive.
Do Clownfish Bite?
Yes. They appear to be very friendly and calm. But as I mentioned before, they are aggressive animals by nature. They do not hesitate to bite anyone for their protection.
Although you are their owner, they will nip at you, also. And when they live in the sea, if other fish comes into their territory, they will bite them.
Clownfish also bite animals who are a threat to their sea anemones as they have a symbiotic relationship. And there are also other facts that clownfish might become aggressive such as when protecting their eggs and partners.
When other clownfish or other fish interfere with the love life of two clownfish, the male clownfish of the couple will attack the intruding clownfish. That is a warning to be aware that it can’t be a part of their love life.
Clownfish also bite when anything or anyone comes to meddle with their eggs. They are frequently ferocious when performing their guard duties in the wild because if they fail to protect the eggs and the partner, the female clownfish will abandon the male clownfish for better-able mates.
Does a Clownfish Bite Hurt?
No. Usually, the clownfish bites won’t hurt unless the clownfish is too aggressive at the moment.
More often, there will be a scrap if it bites too hard. But you should be careful if you are interfering with them when they are guarding their eggs, protecting their partners and doing something for sea anemones.
Because some people who have experience with clownfish bites say that, in some instances, female clownfish can be too aggressive that it might even take your arm off!
Can I Touch My Clownfish?
No. It is advised not to touch Clownfishes. If you are breeding your own clownfish, that might be considerable but keep in mind that they can also bite.
It is advised not to touch clownfish because they have a protective layer of mucus on their skin. This mucus layer helps them not to get poisoned by the deadly sting of sea anemones. But when we touch them, there is a risk that this protective layer might be removed.
And it will harm the clownfish when they get near a sea anemone next time. Therefore, we must not touch them and bring harm to the poor animals.
And if there is a risk of getting bitten by clownfish when you breed them in your own aquarium, use gloves when putting your hand into the tank when feeding and cleaning.
I recommend that you never try to touch your own clownfish also for your safety and also for your pet’s safety.
Do Clownfish Bite Each Other?
Yes. Clownfish bite each other. Here are three common reasons;
Lack of Food
If the food supply is limited to the demand, they compete with one another and tend to fight with each other. Most aggressive clownfish bite and drive away the weaker ones from the food.
Dominance
If one clownfish wants to establish its dominance over the other ones, it will bite the other clownfish. Commonly, female clownfish are the stronger and male clownfish become the weaker ones.
Mating
If two clownfish are in a love relationship, the male clownfish of the couple will bite if another clownfish try to interfere with their relationship. The male clownfish tries to protect its female by biting and driving away the other clownfish. This happens when they are protecting the eggs too. When guarding, the male or the female clownfish will bite anyone who comes near the eggs.
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