Clownfish Has Real-Life 'Finding Nemo' Moment in Viral Video

A video of a clownfish jumping out of its tank and onto the floor has gone viral on TikTok.

The footage of the colorful fish shared by TikTok user @amydoessomestuff evoked memories of Finding Nemo, the animated movie about a lost clownfish from the ocean who ends up in a fish tank and plots an escape.

The clip was captioned: "This just happened while i was live [crying laughing emoji] she may be 13, but she's still got a lot of life left in her #nanatheclownfish."

Also known as the anemonefish, clownfish exist in a "mutually assistive symbiotic relationship" with sea anemone, which protects them from predators and provides food scraps, according to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Using its bright colors, clownfish lure other fish into the anemone, where they're killed by the anemone's poison and eaten.

The clownfish's attempt at a great escape is not unusual and actually "happens all the time," according to an article in Fishkeeping News by Jeremy Gay, the author of The Perfect Aquarium: The Complete Guide to Setting Up and Maintaining an Aquarium.

Gay said: "Tank-bred clownfish jump out of tanks, especially when newly introduced, and especially at night. They'll get out of the smallest gaps so you'll need a really tight-fitting cover to keep them in."

So why do fish jump? The U.K.'s Environment Agency says "jumping fish is a sign that they are in difficulty."

Gay said mixing different clownfish in a tank can cause "confrontation and quarreling," which can ultimately result in the fish bailing out of the tank.

"Even in tanks of five feet or more, the safest bet is to have just one pair of clowns, of the same species. Add three individuals and the third will get bullied and die," he explained.

"Mix common clowns with larger, more aggressive species like Maroon or Tomato, and the bigger, more aggressive pair will chase, harass and bully the more placid commons...or even kill them. And when all this is happening your commons are prone to jumping again."

TikTok user @amydoessomestuff said in her viral video that the incident took place when the cover was briefly removed from the tank while she was changing the water.

The video shows her placing her hand inside the water-filled tank while holding a large pair of tongs before the clownfish suddenly jumps out of the water and hits her body before falling to the floor. Startled, @amydoessomestuff later picks the fish up off the floor and places it back into the aquarium.

When user maudelatwin asked: "isn't that a sign that something is wrong with their water?...," the original poster replied: "i'm kidding, i think she was trying to go for my hand and missed."

Several TikTokers were both amused and impressed by the seemingly feisty clownfish.

In a comment that got 14,300 likes, user @delai.rdm simplye wrote: "Flying nemo," while @jo_galah said: "haha she's seen Finding Nemo too many times....on the lookout for ESCARPAY."

In a comment that got 888 likes, user NonInfluentialUnicorn: "I can't stop laughing, she is willing to give her life in the war against people hands!"

User Blissfulblues said: I cannot believe the height she got. She's one determined lady."

Ali said: "i can't believe she flooped in to you on the way down."

Newsweek was unable to independently verify the video and reached out to @amydoessomestuff for comment.