Developmental and interspecific variations in the
protection of anemonefishes from being stung by sea
anemones were observed (Elliott and Mariscal, 1996).
Whereas the eggs of anemonefishes were protected from
anemones, larval fishes were captured and killed by the
symbiotic anemones, but recently metamorphosed juvenile
fishes were not harmed, suggesting that during
development the juvenile fishes develop some protection.
Host specialists like P. biaculeatus are only protected from
the natural host (E. quadricolor), but are stung by all other
anemone species.