The Real-Life Stars of Finding Nemo

The creatures found in the classic Disney movie ‘Finding Nemo‘ are not just from the imagination of the animators. Many of these characters can be found in your home aquarium as well as in the wild. So which creatures were the original cast based on? Let’s take a look at some of the more popular “members of the cast.”

Crush and Squirt, the Sea Turtles

Role in Finding Nemo: Crush and Squirt, portrayed as laid-back surfers, capture the green sea turtle’s calm demeanor and longevity, epitomizing the ocean’s wise travelers who have a deep connection with the currents they navigate.

As for the babies being carried around on their mother’s backs, believe it or not, that is a behavior exhibited by some species, although mainly on the land. It seems like Disney went all out to give the movie a quasi-realistic edge.

Habitat: Green Sea Turtles are found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide, nesting on beaches but spending most of their lives at sea.

Diet: They primarily feed on seagrass and algae, helping to maintain the health of seagrass beds and coral reefs.

Fun fact: Sea turtles don’t have a favorite food (though most eat jellyfish or seaweed)

Bruce, the Great White Shark

Role in Finding Nemo: Bruce is a great white shark in ‘Finding Nemo‘. He is the leader of the Fish-Friendly Sharks support group. Despite his appearance, Bruce is a kind and pleasant shark. He is also shown to be jolly, laid-back, and a jokester. He is also honest and well-meaning. However, his personality is completely different when his hunting instincts start to kick in and change him into a mindless, carnivorous shark (temporarily).

Great Whites are known to frequent much of the southern coast of Australia which could be the reason why the filmmakers chose the accent for the character. However, sharks in the wild seem to have little intention of taking up a vegetarian lifestyle. Their sharp teeth need more than seagrass or seaweed.

Habitat: The white shark can be found in both near-shore coastal waters and offshore pelagic waters, with their preferred habitats changing as they age.

Diet: Newborn white sharks primarily feed on fish and other sharks. As they mature into adults, their diet expands to include sea turtles, seals, sea lions, porpoises, dolphins, and small whales.

Fun fact: Their Scientific Name of Great Whites actually refers to their teeth. They can sense a drop of blood from 3 miles away!

Bubbles, the Yellow Tang Fish

Role in Finding Nemo: Bubbles is the bright yellow fish that lives in the aquarium in the dentist’s office in ‘Finding Nemo‘. Bubbles get excited whenever the treasure chest in the tank pops open, and bubbles come out. This fish is based around the yellow tang.

This species is popular among aquarium hobbyists, although, like all tangs, they can grow quite large, so they need a lot of space. In the wild, these fish like to live in coral reefs. The reefs that they inhabit are typically at shallow depths.

Habitat: This fish is found in the tropical reefs of the Pacific Ocean around the Hawaiian Islands and in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida.

Diet: The yellow tang primarily feeds on algae. 

Fun fact: During the night, its color fades and when sleeping, Yellow Tangs sometimes attach themselves to rocks with their scalpels to prevent from floating away.

Dory, the Regal Tang

Role in Finding Nemo: Dory is an optimistic and bubbly blue tang who suffers from frequent short-term memory loss and finds herself wandering through the ocean with no place to call home. Sparking friendships with whomever she meets, Dory immediately offers to help Marlin find his lost child, and the two set out on an adventurous journey through the ocean. Dory becomes the loveable and forgetful sidekick of Marlin. Along the way, Dory’s kindness and bright spirit ease Marlin’s fears, and the unlikely duo finds comfort and family in each other.

Regal Tangs feed by grazing on rocks and off tiny creatures such as copepods. They have a beautiful, elegant swimming style which has helped Tangs become popular in aquarium mainstays. Surprisingly, the spine of a Regal Tang is incredibly sharp and can be erected for self-defense.

Habitat: Regal tangs are found all over the Indo-Pacific, though their numbers are sadly in decline due to habitat loss.

Diet: They are strict herbivores and should be fed dried seaweed and other plant-based foods.

Fun fact: Blue tangs are capable of adjusting the intensity of their hue from light blue to deep purple.

Gill, the Moorish Idol

Role in Finding Nemo: Gill is part of the “Tank Gang” that helps Nemo escape the Sydney Harbor Aquarium and return to the ocean. A relentless and inspiring leader who will stop at nothing to return to the freedom of the ocean. This Moorish idol fish believes in the Tank Gang and concocts countless plans to bust them out of the aquarium. Gill is the first fish Nemo has ever met with a similar “fin difference,” quickly becoming a mentor and inspiration for the young clownfish.

Gill is the name of the grizzled veteran in the aquarium, the one who appears to be the leader. Their character is based on the Moorish Idol. They are similar in shape to the freshwater discus fish both having disc-like bodies, but they have a long flowing dorsal fin that sets the idol apart. The Moorish idol colors are also more striking than their freshwater counterparts. Like many reef fish, they are gorgeous, and when kept in the right conditions, they are pretty hardy. What’s interesting to note is that the dorsal spine of the Moorish Idol grows longer as the fish ages.

Habitat: Moorish idols prefer flat reefs in both murky and clear water.

Diet: Their diet consists of corals, sponges, tunicates and other benthic invertebrates. They perpetually forage for food.

Fun fact: It is said the Moorish idol got its name from the Moors of Africa, who supposedly believed the fish to be a bringer of happiness.

Marlin and Nemo, the Clownfish

Role in Finding Nemo: In “Finding Nemo,” Marlin and Nemo, both clownfish, play central roles. Marlin, Nemo’s father, embarks on a perilous journey across the ocean to rescue his son after Nemo is captured by a diver and placed in a fish tank in a dentist’s office in Sydney. 

Clownfish are probably the most popular saltwater fish to keep in an aquarium. They are hardy and relatively easy to breed by marine standards. This is helped by the fact that they can change their sex to form a mating pair.

There are 30 different species of clownfish. In the oceans, they have a symbiotic relationship with sea anemones and share mutual benefits. The anemones provide the clownfish with protection and shelter from predators with their stinging cells. The clownfish can lure prey in, providing a constant food source and removing parasites for a clean and healthy anemone/home.

Habitat: Clownfish are found in warm waters, such as the Red Sea and Pacific Oceans, in sheltered reefs or lagoons, living in anemones.

Diet: Clownfish are omnivores, feeding on a varied diet consisting of algae, zooplankton, worms and small crustaceans

Fun fact: Clownfish are all born male

Deb/Flo, the Humbug Damselfish

Role of Deb/Flo in Finding Nemo: Deb is a blue-and-white striped damselfish residing in a dentist’s fish tank in Sydne. She appears delusional, and has a split personality, believing her reflection is her sister, Flo, who may or may not exist. Eventually, she escapes into the ocean along with the other tank fish.

In the wild, Humbug damselfish are native to the western Pacific Ocean. They can inhabit reefs at depths of around 33 feet. Although small, these fish are very aggressive and territorial. They travel in schools, and their broad diet consists of copepods, algae, crustacean larvae, amphipods, tunicates, and fish eggs.

Humbug damselfish are great for those who would like to enter into the marine fish hobbyist world and fairly inexpensive. This species is readily bred in captivity, and while they can be territorial, they are hardy and not particularly sensitive to changes in water chemistry.

Habitat: Typically found in coral reefs, often congregating in groups above Acropora coral heads.

Diet: They are omnivores, consuming both plant-based and meat-based foods. Often, they feed on algae. You can provide them with frozen marine fish food, vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, and mysid shrimp. They also frequently eat dried flakes and pellets.

Fun fact: Humbug fish are very aggressive when protecting their eggs, which take 3-5 days to hatch.

Jacques, the Cleaner Shrimp

Role in Finding Nemo: Jacques is the cleaning shrimp in the aquarium at the dentist’s office. He hilariously cleans the “outside germs” off Nemo by rotating him underneath his own body.

In real life, these types of shrimp are commonly known as, literally by the moniker, cleaning shrimp. Marine fish hobbyists often set up a new tank with a collection of animals called “CUC” or “clean up crew.” Their habits make them ideal first tank mates. Cleaning Shrimp are vital members of the CUC.

The cleaner shrimp is one of many species of decapod crustaceans. There are three separate families that branch down, including Hippolytidae, Stenopodidae, and Palaemonidae. The Pacific cleaner shrimp, spotted shrimp, and banded coral shrimp are examples of the wide variety within the families. In the wild, the shrimp is known to rid other fish of their parasites.

Habitat: Cleaner shrimp live in or around coral reef caves or rock ledges at depths of 16 to 131 feet (4 to 40 meters

Diet: These are animals that feed on potentially harmful algae or waste from other fish.

Fun fact: Most Cleaner Shrimps are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female reproductive organs.

Gurgle, the Royal Gramma

Role of Gurgle in Finding Nemo: Gurgle is the fish that is obsessed with keeping everything clean. He is a germophobe and incredibly pessimistic, doubting the possibility of Gill’s plans working and getting increasingly nervous and frustrated when the plan to break the tank filter goes into motion

The two fish that look very similar are the False Gramma and the Royal Gramma. Gurgle is most likely based upon the royal gramma due to the physical characteristics with the dot on the dorsal fin and fade coloring from purple to yellow. They are known in the reef-keeping community as being a great fish for a community set-up as they rarely display aggressive tendencies and are very friendly fish. Just like the cleaner shrimp, the Royal Gramma cleans other fish by eating parasites on other fish.

Habitat: They live in reef environments of the tropical western Atlantic Ocean.

Diet: The royal gramma is a planktivore, eating mostly zooplankton and crustaceans.

Fun fact: Its coloration tends to fade when water conditions are less than ideal.

Peach, the Pink Sea Star

Role of Peach in Finding Nemo: Peach is a pink-red starfish who can apparently understand human language in the movie. She is usually seen attached to the side of the tank, watching the dentist do his dental work on different patients. She announces what is going on to the rest of the Tank Gang.

There are lots of species of starfish, or sea stars, and many look similar. However, Peach is most probably based on a Pink Sea Star. They are not commonly found in the waters around Australia, so the dentist in the film probably had his imported. Unlike the animated version, sea stars do not have eyes on top of their body, although they do have mouths on the underside of their body. They use their mouths when grazing rocks to scrape and remove algae to eat. Interestingly if they lose a leg, they can grow back a new one.

Habitat: Sea stars occupy every type of habitat, including tidal pools, rocky shores, sea grass, kelp beds, and coral reefs. Some sea stars even live in sands as deep as 20,530 feet (9,000 meters).

Diet:  They usually feed on coral, sponges, clams, oysters, sand dollars, and mussels because these animals also attach themselves to rocks and move slowly, so they’re nearby.

Fun fact: The Pink Sea Star does not have any blood or even a brain.

Mr. Sting, the Eagle Ray

Role in Finding Nemo: A stingray and Nemo’s enthusiastic teacher, Mr. sting takes pride in sharing the curiosities and marvels of the world with the class and encourages every student to be a brave explorer. 

The spotted eagle ray features a highly angular disc and a long, broad snout with a V-shaped internasal flap. Its ventrally positioned mouth is well-suited for feeding on benthic prey. The broad, short body disc is about twice as wide as it is long. Large spiracles are located near the origins of the pectoral fins.

Habitat: Spotted eagle ray occurs across the Indo-Pacific and Eastern and Western Atlantic in tropical and warm temperate waters.

Diet: Clams, oysters, shrimp, octopus, squid and sea urchins as well as bony fishes provide prey for the spotted eagle ray.

Fun fact: The wingspan of eagle rays can reach a maximum width of 9.8 feet.

Bloat, the Porcupine Fish

Role in Finding Nemo: Bloat is a part of the “Tank Gang” that helps Nemo escape the aquarium and return to the ocean. An open-minded and supportive blowfish, Bloat is proud to be part of the Tank Gang family and helps keep everyone’s spirits up, even when things seem bleak.

Pufferfish, also known as blowfish, can inflate into a ball shape to escape predators. These clumsy swimmers expand their elastic stomachs with large amounts of water (and occasionally air), swelling to several times their normal size. Some pufferfish species also have spines on their skin for added protection against predators.

Habitat: Most puffers are found in tropical and subtropical ocean waters, but some species live in brackish and even fresh water. 

Diet: The diet of the pufferfish includes mostly invertebrates and algae. Large specimens will even crack open and eat clams, mussels, and shellfish with their hard beaks. 

Fun fact: Pufferfish are the only bony fish that can close their eyes. They are the main cause of fatal food poisoning in Japan. 

Anchor, the Hammerhead Shark

Role in Finding Nemo: Anchor is a main character and one of the three vegetarian sharks that Marlin and Dory encounter while searching the ocean. He is a frustrated hammerhead shark who is part of the “Fish Are Friends, Not Food” support group.

Anchor has the distinctive T-shaped head that is characteristic of hammerhead sharks, which enhances sensory perception in real hammerhead sharks. Hammerhead sharks are among the most recognizable sharks in the ocean, with their unique head shape giving them their name. Their wide-set eyes provide a broader field of vision compared to other sharks. Additionally, hammerhead sharks possess ampullae of Lorenzini—sensory organs that act like a sixth sense. These electroreceptors allow hammerhead sharks to detect the electrical fields of prey species, even when buried under the sand.

Habitat: Great hammerheads occur in tropical and subtropical coastal waters, near continental shelves, coral reefs and in deep waters.

Diet: Diet consists primarily of stingrays, other rays, and skates. May also consume other sharks, including other hammerhead sharks, and bony fish, including groupers and sea catfish, squid, and bottom-dwelling crustaceans.

Fun fact: A hammerhead shark uses its wide head to trap stingrays by pinning them to the seafloor.

Tad, the Longnose Butterfly Fish

Role in Finding Nemo: Tad is a minor character in the movie. He is the son of Bill, who along with Pearl and Sheldon, befriends Nemo in school. He admits himself to being obnoxious.

The Longnose Butterflyfish is a stunning marine species with a distinctive “butterfly” shaped body. It can be easily identified by its long snout, setting it apart from other Butterflyfish. This popular aquarium fish has the unique habit of occasionally swimming on its side or even upside down.

The longnose butterflyfish bears the distinction of being the first Hawaiian marine organism to be collected and named by European scientists.

Habitat: The habitat of the longnose butterflyfish is in the deeper waters on the outer side of the reef.

Diet: Mysis, clams, mussels, or oysters

Fun fact: They have a bright yellow body with a black eye spot on the back of the anal fin to confuse predators.

Sheldon, the Seahorse

Role in Finding Nemo: Sheldon is an H₂O-intolerant seahorse with an appetite for trouble who taunts Nemo to swim beyond the reef.

Seahorses are adorned with small, spiny plates that extend from their head to their curled, flexible tail. Their tail is adept at grasping objects, allowing these fascinating creatures to anchor themselves to vegetation. When swimming, seahorses utilize their dorsal fin for forward movement. To control their depth in the water, they regulate the air volume within a small pocket inside their body known as a “swim bladder.”

Male Seahorses are uniquely known for carrying their offspring during reproduction.

Habitat: All seahorses are marine species. They are typically found in seagrass beds, mangrove roots, and coral reefs, in shallow temperate and tropical waters.

Diet: Seahorses mainly eat small crustaceans like amphipods and other invertebrates.

Fun fact: Adult seahorses eat 30 to 50 times a day if available.

Pearl, the Flapjack Octopus

Role in Finding Nemo: A cute little flapjack octopus, Pearl is quick to make friends with Nemo. Like the little clownfish, she has one limb that is shorter than the others, but since she has seven others nobody really notices it too much. Pearl gets teased by the other kids because when she gets over-excited, she inks.

When resting on the seafloor, which it frequently does, this octopus resembles an uncooked pancake, with its gelatinous body appearing domed and lumpy. The flapjack octopus propels itself through the water by pulsating its body and using its distinctive webbed arms, resembling the movement of a jellyfish.

Habitat: Coasts of Japan and California; however, they are thought to inhabit deep waters worldwide.

Diet: The flapjack octopus eats worms and other small invertebrates that live hidden in the seafloor sediment.

Fun fact: It looks like a pancake that shape-shifts into an umbrella.

FAQs