Poems and Thoughts    by Frank Maurer

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Clownfish Development. Human-caused Climate Change is causing Animals change their behavior and body morphology. Some bird species have developed larger beaks. That helps them dispel excess body heat. Migrating animals which move with changing seasons, Have been reported to seek higher latitudes. Clownfish have also responded to these changes, By temporarily shrinking in response to heat stress. Versteeg, a Ph.D. student at Newcastle University, states: "It's usually assumed that growth is relatively one way, So, it's favorable to be a bit bigger. And we've not really seen before That they actually have this capacity or ability to shrink." One hundred thirty-four clownfish were measured monthly From Papua New Guinea reefs, Along with water temperature during a marine heatwave. The three inch Clownfish shrank with water temperature increase. And those that did shrink increased their survival By up to 78% from heat stress. The shrinkage is about one or two percent of the body size, Along with length reductions of only one and two millimeters. A smaller size is thought to require less food, Making the metabolism more efficient. When the water temperature lowered, the fish grew again. Frank Maurer 29 April 2026 1320 Hours.