This isn’t the first time Disney’s inadvertently caused a run on pets. They even named the environmental impact a media property can propagate in the wild the “Nemo Effect.” The scientists concluded that in less than a year, Finding Nemo had contributed to a precipitous fall in the global population of the fish featured in the film. As scientists clamored to determine whether the release of Finding Nemo actually caused a global decrease in clownfish populations they honed in on one disturbing fact: “the population density of clownfish in areas closed to fishing and collecting was as much as 25 times higher in areas where fishing and collecting are allowed” after the film’s release. The film’s release itself had an unbelievable effect on clownfish populations around the world. “Parents whose children who fell in love with Nemo at the cinema are seeking out the clownfish in ever greater numbers, leading to over-harvesting of wild specimens because captive breeding programs cannot cope with demand,” said Hannah Strange, an environmental reporter for Times Online. As families watched the movie demand for aquarium fish increased. Participation creation is marketing’s version of mutualistic symbiosis.Įven the release of the film Finding Nemo had a symbiotic relationship with the aquarium business. In biology this kind of relationship between the clownfish and the sea anemone is called mutualistic symbiosis: a relationship between individuals of two species where both individuals drive a benefit. A Biological Basis for Participation Creation Marketing The Clownfish defends the anemones from Butterfly fish, who love to eat anemones and on an even more biological level the excrement from the Clownfish provide essential nutrients for the anemones.

The relationship between the fish and the sea anemone doesn’t end there. Clownfish and anemones live in perfect symbiosis. The clownfish are the only species of fish that can avoid the paralyzing effects of the anemone’s sting, making it the perfect place to lay their eggs and raise their young. However, a mucus coating protects the fish from the potent poison of the sea anemones in which they live. They conveniently make their homes in a poisonous sea anemone in the coral reef. Their challenge was to create a caricatured version of the coral reef that would suit the purposes of the story.” In order to do this, the animators at Pixar had to learn a lot about clownfish.Ĭlownfish, with their distinct orange, black and white stripes are certainly a fascinating species of fish. This team was “…responsible for the film’s rich and vibrant opening scenes and building the anemone home of Marlin and Nemo. The team assigned to animate the flora and fauna that live in the ocean spent an entire year researching the creatures that inhabit an ocean reef where Nemo’s clownfish family would make their home. The animators at Pixar are famously meticulous in their desire to create realistic animation sequences and Finding Nemo was no different. The underwater adventure follows Nemo’s shy father all the way from their home on the Great Barrier Reef to the hustle and bustle of Sydney Harbor. The delightful film followed a desperate clownfish in search of his son stolen from their coral reef. In 2003, Disney and the talented team at Pixar released their latest animated film, Finding Nemo.

Finding nemo fish species