Clownfish have adapted to life on the reef by developing a symbiotic relationship with the anemones. Clownfish are small and would be preyed upon by larger fish if they were not living within and protected by the stinging tentacles of the anemone. The clownfish is covered with a specialized mucous that gives it immunity from the sting cells on the host anemone. Safe within the anemone tentacles, the clownfish can feed on planktonic organisms that float by.