Clownfish live in small groups inhabiting a single anemone.
The group consists of a breeding pair, which cohabit with a few non-reproductive, "pre-pubescent", and smaller male clownfish.
When the female dies, the dominant male changes sex and becomes the female.
This life history strategy is known as sequential hermaphroditism. Because clownfish are all born as males, they are protandrous hermaphrodites (pro=first; androus=male).
This is in contrast with another form of hermaphroditism, known as protogyny, in which all fish are born as females but can change to males later.
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