The secret behind clownfish stripes and more fishy fascinations

The secret behind clownfish stripes and more fishy fascinations

From Short Wave by NPR

May 4, 2026 · 13 min

About this episode

Ari Daniel discusses the fascinating behaviors and adaptations of various fish species.

We reeled in science reporter Ari Daniel for this episode who grants us three wishes in the form of three fishes. He takes us on a trip around the world to learn about how a clownfish in the western Pacific loses its stripes as it grows up just to fit in, a fat French fry of a fish that can scale a 50-foot rockface in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the remarkable rearing of a pea-sized Pokémon-like fish at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Together, these stories reveal just how remarkable and diverse these unassuming creatures are. If you liked this episode, check out our Sea Camp series . Interested in more fishy science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org . Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

People in this episode

Guest: Ari Daniel

Topics covered

  • clownfish
  • fish behavior
  • marine biology
  • aquarium
  • wildlife
  • science reporting

Keywords

  • clownfish stripes
  • fishy science
  • marine life
  • aquatic creatures
  • Shedd Aquarium
  • Democratic Republic of Congo

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NPR

Places: Democratic Republic of Congo, Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, western Pacific

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