Clownfish have been shown to shrink in order to survive heat stress and avoid social conflict, Newcastle University research reveals. The fish, recognisable from the starring role in the film 'Finding Nemo', were studied by academics from the universities of Newcastle, Leeds and Boston, USA. The work was conducted in collaboration with Mahonia Na Dari Conservation and Research Centre, in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea. The team measured the length of 134 clownfish every month for five months, and monitored the water temperature every 4-6 days, during a marine heatwave which are becoming increasingly common as a result of climate change. Publishing in the journal Science Advances , they reveal the remarkable ability of clownfish to shrink, i.e. they can get shorter, in response to heat stress. Shrinking increased individuals' chances of surviving the heat stress event by as much as 78%. In a heart-warming discovery, they also show that coordination is important for clownfish...
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