Study finds clownfish shrink in response to rising ocean temperatures

A RECENT study has revealed that clown anemonefish are capable of shrinking in size as adult individuals when exposed to heat stress, providing new insight into how marine species are adapting to climate change.

- USHA PERI @ Vishakhapatnam

The research, conducted on clown anemonefish populations in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea, monitored 67 breeding pairs over a six-month period between February and August 2023, during the world’s fourth global coral bleaching event during the year, when water temperatures exceeded the long-term average by 4°C.