Description:Reinhard Dirscherl / Alamy
For anyone who has ever found clowns a bit sinister comes news that even clownfish are dressed to scare – but the warning message they send to other animals is unique. Whereas many small animals are brightly coloured to let predators know they are poisonous, clownfish use their colourful bodies to advertise the fact that nearby sea anemones are dangerous.
Clownfish are a familiar feature of dentist office aquaria, and also found fame in the film Finding Nemo. But although the fish are …