Head to head
Yellow Clown Goby vs Clownfish
Yellow Clown Goby
VS Clownfish
The yellow clown goby and the clownfish share the word clown but little else, one a tiny goby that lives among coral branches and the other a damselfish sheltered by a sea anemone.
| Yellow Clown Goby | Clownfish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Gobiodon okinawae | Amphiprion ocellaris |
| Fish group | A goby | A damselfish, an anemonefish |
| Home | Branches of living coral | Host sea anemones |
| Protection | Toxic skin mucus | A mucus coat, partly acquired from the anemone, that stops stings |
| Size | Only around 3 cm | Around 6 to 11 cm |
| Social life | Usually a pair on a single coral colony | All born male; the dominant fish becomes female |
| Native range | Western Pacific | Eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Yellow Clown Goby vs Clownfish: common questions
Is the yellow clown goby related to the clownfish?
No, the yellow clown goby is a goby and the clownfish is a damselfish, so the shared word clown reflects colour and character rather than kinship.
How does each fish protect itself?
The yellow clown goby coats its skin in toxic mucus and lives among coral branches, while the clownfish is protected from its host anemone's stings by a special mucus coat.
Which fish changes sex, the yellow clown goby or the clownfish?
The clownfish, which is born male and becomes female if it is the dominant fish, whereas the yellow clown goby is usually found as a pair on one coral colony.