Clownfish like Amphiprion ocellaris (pictured in in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea) are known to make their homes amid the tentacles of sea anemones. A new study suggests that another species of clownfish (Amphiprion percula) may be shrinking to survive ocean heat waves.

To survive warming oceans, clownfish cope by shrinking in size.Scientists observed that some of the orange-striped fish shrank their bodies during a heat wave off the coast of Papa New Guinea. Fish that slimmed were more likely to survive.

Clownfish have been shown to shrink in order to survive heat stress and avoid social conflict, Newcastle University research reveals.