# Clarifying the Size–Frequency Relationship in Clownfish Acoustic Signals

## TL;DR

This paper clarifies how body size influences sound production in clownfish, showing that previous findings were affected by flawed analysis methods.

## Contribution

The study reveals that analytical choices, such as pooling individuals and removing size–rank covariance, obscured natural size variation in clownfish acoustic signals.

## Key findings

- Small acoustic differences in clownfish were misinterpreted due to flawed analytical methods.
- Behavioral categories align with distinct size classes, requiring explicit consideration of morphology.
- Natural size variation affects acoustic signals in anemonefish.

## Abstract

Body size is the principal determinant of acoustic variation in anemonefish, reflecting both the mechanics of sound production and the size‐based structure of their social hierarchies. In
Amphiprion percula
, the absence of a reported size‐frequency relationship has led to the interpretation that small acoustic differences are rank‐specific. We show that this outcome stems from analytical choices that obscure natural size variation, including pooling individuals across groups and removing size–rank covariance. Because behavioural categories correspond to distinct size classes, morphology must be explicitly accounted for.