In Beginner’s Luck, the main characters share a love of marine fish. All the species mentioned in the story are real—scroll down to see photos and fascinating facts about the saltwater creatures that bring Pete and Sue Ann together.
False Percula Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) These devoted partners mate for life and never stray more than a few feet from their chosen anemone home. When breeding, the male becomes the ultimate house-husband—he tends the eggs while the female patrols their territory, proving that the best relationships have clearly defined roles that play to each partner’s strengths.
Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) These anemones literally glow with excitement when happy, their tentacles fluorescing under blue light like nature’s own mood ring. They can live for over 100 years and will clone themselves when content, but they’re notoriously picky about tank conditions—much like some people are particular about their living arrangements before committing to love.
Group of clownfish swimming around a bubble-tip anemone
Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis) These romantic multitaskers are simultaneous hermaphrodites who take turns being male and female with their partner—talk about understanding each other’s perspective! They perform an elaborate courtship dance before mating, proving that even the smallest creatures know the importance of proper foreplay.
Cleaner shrimp
Mandarin Dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus) These shy beauties are notoriously difficult to please in captivity, requiring live food and perfect water conditions—but when they’re happy, they’re absolutely stunning. The males perform elaborate courtship displays at dusk, rising together with their chosen female in a spiral dance before releasing eggs and sperm in perfect synchronization.
Mandarins are reef dwellers who live among corals
Copepods These tiny crustaceans are the ultimate relationship food—they’re what keep mandarin dragonets satisfied and glowing with health. Like a thoughtful partner who learns to cook your favorite meal, culturing copepods shows dedication to making someone you care about truly happy.
Copepods
Lined Seahorses (Hippocampus erectus) The ultimate romantic role-reversal species where males get pregnant and give birth to hundreds of babies. They court with elaborate dances, intertwining tails and changing colors, then the female transfers her eggs to the male’s brood pouch—proving that in the best relationships, partners share the load however works best for them.
Seahorses often hold on to corals with their tails.
Mysis Shrimp These protein-rich morsels are like relationship comfort food—nutritious, satisfying, and easy to keep on hand frozen for when your partner needs feeding. Smart aquarists always keep a backup supply, just like smart partners always have chocolate or wine ready for emergencies.
Mysis shrimp
Baby Brine Shrimp (Artemia salina) These tiny, wiggling newborns are irresistible to even the pickiest eaters—sometimes you need to start with something small and lively to awaken someone’s appetite for more. Like a first kiss that’s so perfect it makes you hungry for everything that comes after.
Baby brine shrimp
Credits: All images from Depositphotos.com, with the exeption of Mysis: Perhols, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons