1.0reef Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 Introduction Clownfish refer to species from the genera Amphiprion and Premnas. As of now, almost every species has been introduced to and bred in captivity. They're close relatives of Damselfish and are included in the same family known as Pomacentridae although they inhabit a separate subfamily called Amphiprioninae. Clownfish inhabit waters throughout the Indo-Pacific region, reaching across to the Seychelles, Coral Sea, Sea of Oman, Fiji, and subtropical Australian waters. Another notable aspect of these fish is their ability to be hosted by anemones, this symbiotic relationship allows Clownfish to be protected by the anemone from predators, in return Clownfish have a tendency to place food in their anemones and will also help keep predators of the anemone away. In the wild Clownfish tend to be hosted by a few specific species of anemones, but in captivity, they can be hosted by most anemones, corals, or even a powerhead in the tank. Clownfish are a cornerstone to our hobby along with the efforts to breed the species we keep. This guide will help identify characteristics common to each valid species, later I'll add possible species, geographic variants, and captive varieties. First, some helpful links and articles from Reefs 2 Rainforest: Clownfish Diversity: A Treasure & A Challenge Geographic Variants Within the 30 Current Species of Clownfishes Playing With Matches: Hybrid Clownfishes New Age Mutant Clownfishes Raising Clownfish Anemonefishes and Their 2014 Taxonomic State Species & Complexes Here's the entire list of species and complexes from Anemonefishes and Their 2014 Taxonomic State Amphiprion Subgenus Actinicola (Percula Complex) Amphiprion ocellaris Curvier, 1830 – Ocellaris, False Percula Amphiprion percula (Lacepede, 1802) – Percula, True Pecula, Perc, Orange Subgenus Paramphiprion (Saddleback Complex) Amphiprion latezonatus Waite, 1900 – Wideband, Blue Lipped, Latz, Amphiprion polymnus (Linnaeus, 1758) – Saddleback Amphiprion sebae Bleeker, 1853 – Sebae Subgenus Phalerebus (Skunk Complex) Amphiprion akallopisos Bleeker, 1853 – Skunk Amphiprion leucokranos Allen, 1973 – Whitebonnet Amphiprion nigripes Regan, 1908 – Blackfooted, Blackfoot, Maldives Amphiprion pacificus Allen, Drew & Fenner, 2010 – Pacific, Pacific Skunk Amphiprion perideraion Bleeker, 1855 – Pink Skunk Amphiprion sandaracinos Allen, 1972 – Orange Skunk Amphiprion thiellei Burgess, 1981 – Thielle’s Subgenus Amphiprion (Includes both Tomato and Clarkii Complexes) Tomato Complex Amphiprion barberi Allen, Drew & Kaufman, 2008 – Fijian, Barberi Amphiprion ephippium (Bloch, 1790) – Fire, Red Saddle Amphiprion frenatus (Brevoort, 1856) – Tomato Amphiprion mccullochi Whitley, 1929 – McCullochi’s, Mcc Amphiprion melanopus Bleeker, 1852 – Cinnamon, Red & Black Amphiprion rubrocinctus Richardson, 1842 – Australian, Ruby Clarkii Complex Amphiprion akindynos Allen, 1972 – Barrier Reef Amphiprion allardi Klausewitz, 1970 – Allard’s Amphiprion bicinctus Rüppell, 1830 – Twoband, Red Sea Amphiprion chagosensis Allen, 1972 – Chagos* Recently genetic studies have shown that Amphiprion chagosensis is likely more closely related to the Skunk complex* Amphiprion chrysogaster Curvier, 1830 – Mauritian Amphiprion chrysopterus Curvier, 1830 – Orangefin, Blue Stripe Amphiprion clarkii (Bennet, 1830) – Clark’s Amphiprion fuscocaduatus Allen, 1972 – Seychelles Amphiprion latifasciatus Allen, 1972 – Madagascar Amphiprion omanensis Allen & Mee, 1991 – Oman Amphiprion tricinctus Schultz & Welander, 1953 – Threeband Premnas (Maroon complex) Premnas biaculeatus (Block, 1790) – Spinecheek, Maroon Pictorial Guide Subgenus Actinicola (Percula Complex) Amphiprion ocellaris (Curvier, 1830) – Ocellaris, False Percula, Occy One of the most popular species in captivity with many designer varieties Small to moderate size reaching 11cm or 4.3 inches when fully grown Native to most of the Indo-Pacific and Eastern part of the Indian Ocean Hosted by Heteractis magnifica, Stichodactyla gigantea, and Stichodactyla mertensii in the wild To identify Ocellaris look for 10-11 dorsal rays and a smokey black iris No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion percula (Lacepede, 1802) – Percula, True Pecula, Perc One of the most popular species in captivity with many designer varieties Small to moderate size reaching 11cm or 4.3 inches when fully grown Their range spans from Papua New Guinea to Vanautu along with some of Northern Australia Hosted by Heteractis crispa, Heteractis magnifica, and Stichodactyla gigantea in the wild To identify Percula look for 9-10 dorsal rays, a pronounced first dorsal spine, and a clear orange iris No special or unusual care requirements Subgenus Paramphiprion (Saddleback Complex) Amphiprion latezonatus (Waite, 1900) – Wideband, Blue Lipped, Latz Rare to see wild caught individuals, captive bred individuals are available but not common due to low demand Moderate size reaching 14cm or 5.5 inches when fully grown Very limited range along Eastern Australia and New Caledonia Hosted by Heteractis crispa in the wild To identify Latz Clownfish look for their unusual blue-white lips and wide middle band Can be difficult to keep, having larger tanks and being kept at subtropical temperatures seem to be important Amphiprion polymnus (Linnaeus, 1758) – Saddleback Somewhat common in captivity Moderate size reaching 13cm or 5.1 inches when fully grown Wide range spanning much of the Indo-Pacific Hosted by Heteractis crispa and Stichodactyla haddoni in the wild To identify Saddleback Clownfish look for their unusual teardrop body shape, the wide middle band isn't always present Can be very territorial, larger tanks are recommended Amphiprion sebae (Bleeker, 1853) – Sebae Somewhat common in captivity Large size reaching 16cm or 6.3 inches when fully grown Wide range spanning much of the Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean Hosted by Stichodactyla haddoni in the wild To identify Sebae Clownfish look for their teardrop body shape, opaque yellow tails, and lack of a third band No special or unusual care requirements Subgenus Phalerebus (Skunk Complex) Amphiprion akallopisos (Bleeker, 1853) – Skunk Common in captivity Moderate size reaching 13cm or 5.1 inches when fully grown Wide range spanning much of the Indo-Pacific Hosted by Heteractis crispa and Stichodactyla haddoni in the wild To identify Skunk Clownfish look for their thinner dorsal band that doesn't extend onto their lips No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion leucokranos (Allen, 1973) – Whitebonnet, Leuks Rare to find, ORA has recently begun breeding them Small to moderate size reaching 12cm or 4.7 inches when fully grown Mostly found in the Central Indo-Pacific around Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands Hosted by Heteractis crispa, Heteractis magnifica, and Stichodactyla mertensii in the wild To identify Whitebonnet Clownfish look for their unusually shaped first band No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion nigripes (Regan, 1908) – Blackfooted, Blackfoot, Maldives Uncommon in the hobby Small to moderate size reaching 11cm or 4.3 inches when fully grown Mostly found in the Central Indo-Pacific around Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands Hosted by Heteractis magnifica in the wild To identify Blackfoot Clownfish look for their black pelvic fins and single headband Often considered to be a delicate species, not best for beginners Amphiprion pacificus (Allen, Drew & Fenner, 2010) – Pacific, Pacific Skunk Uncommon in the hobby, only recently discovered Small to moderate size reaching around 11cm to 13cm when fully grown Found in the Pacific around Tonga, Fiji, and Samoa Hosted by Heteractis magnifica in the wild To identify Pacific Skunk Clownfish look for their thinner dorsal band that extends onto the lips No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion perideraion Bleeker, 1855 – Pink Skunk Common in the hobby, the most popular species of Skunk Clownfish Small size reaching around 10cm or 3.9 inches when fully grown Extensive range throughout the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Indian Ocean Hosted by Heteractis magnifica, Heteractis crispa, Macrodactyla doreensis, and Stichodactyla gigantea the wild To identify Pink Skunk Clownfish look for their magenta coloration and slim first headband No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion sandaracinos Allen, 1972 – Orange Skunk Common but no captive bred designer varieties Moderate size reaching around 14cm or 5.5 inches when fully grown Extensive range throughout the Indo-Pacific Hosted by Heteractis crispa and Stichodactyla mertensii the wild To identify Orange Skunk Clownfish look for their thicker dorsal band that extends onto the lips No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion thiellei Burgess, 1981 – Thielle’s Very rare in captivity Small size reaching around 9cm or 3.5 inches when fully grown Found in the Western Central Pacific where the ranges of it's parent species overlap Usually hosted by the same anemones that host ocellaris and sandaracinos Clownfish To identify Thielle's Clownfish look for their unusually shaped first band and partial second and third bands No special or unusual care requirements Subgenus Amphiprion (Includes both Tomato and Clarkii Complexes) Tomato Complex Amphiprion barberi Allen, Drew & Kaufman, 2008 – Fijian, Barberi Somewhat uncommon in captivity Small size reaching around 9cm or 3.5 inches when fully grown Small range in the Central Pacific including Tonga and Fiji Hosted by Heteractis crispa and Entacmaea quadricolor the wild To identify Fijian Clownfish look for the absence of black coloration including the black outline around the first band No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion ephippium (Bloch, 1790) – Fire, Red Saddle Common in captivity Moderate size reaching around 14cm or 5.5 inches when fully grown Their range extends from the Eastern Indian Ocean across Thailand and Malaysia Hosted by Heteractis crispa and Entacmaea quadricolor the wild To identify Fire Clownfish look for the absence of any headband and black blotch across the top of their body No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion frenatus (Brevoort, 1856) – Tomato Very Common in captivity Moderate size reaching around 14cm or 5.5 inches when fully grown Found across the Western Pacific Hosted by Entacmaea quadricolor the wild To identify Tomato Clownfish look for their bright pelvic fins No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion mccullochi Whitley, 1929 – McCullochi’s Wild Caught individuals are nearly impossible to find, captive bred ones are uncommon Small to moderate size reaching around 12cm or 4.7 inches when fully grown Endemic to Lord Howe Island Hosted by Entacmaea quadricolor the wild To identify McCullochi's Clownfish look for their pitch black coloration and partial headband No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion melanopus Bleeker, 1852 – Cinnamon, Red & Black Very common in captivity Small to moderate size reaching around 12cm or 4.7 inches when fully grown Very wide range that extends across most of the Western and Central Pacific & much of the Indian Ocean Hosted by Entacmaea quadricolor the wild To identify Cinnamon Clownfish look for their black pelvic fins No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion rubrocinctus Richardson, 1842 – Australian, Ruby Very rare in captivity Small to moderate size reaching around 12cm or 4.7 inches when fully grown Found across Western and Northern Australia Hosted by Entacmaea quadricolor and Stichodactyla gigantea the wild To identify Ruby Clownfish check with the seller to find out if they were truly collected in Australia No special or unusual care requirements Clarkii Complex Amphiprion akindynos Allen, 1972 – Barrier Reef Uncommon in captivity Small size reaching around 9cm or 3.5 inches when fully grown Found along North Eastern Australia and in nearby regions Hosted by Entacmaea quadricolor, Heteractis aurora, Heteractis crispa, Heteractis magnifica, Stichodactyla haddoni, and Stichodactyla mertensii the wild To identify Barrier Reef Clownfish look for their No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion allardi Klausewitz, 1970 – Allard’s Common in captivity Moderate to large size reaching around 15cm or 5.9 inches when fully grown Found in the Western Indian Ocean from Mauritius to the East African coast Hosted by Entacmaea quadricolor, Heteractis aurora, and Stichodactyla mertensii the wild To identify Allard's Clownfish look for their No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion bicinctus Rüppell, 1830 – Twoband, Red Sea Uncommon in captivity Moderate size reaching around 14cm or 5.5 inches when fully grown Found in the Western Indian Ocean and in the Red Sea Hosted by Entacmaea quadricolor, Heteractis aurora, Heteractis crispa, Heteractis magnifica, and Stichodactyla gigantea in the wild To identify Red Sea Clownfish look for their No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion chagosensis Allen, 1972 – Chagos *Recently genetic studies have shown that Amphiprion chagosensis is likely more closely related to the Skunk complex* Unobtainable Small to moderate size reaching around 11cm or 4.3 inches when fully grown Endemic to the Chagos Archipelago Hosted by Heteractis magnifica in the wild To identify Chagos Clownfish look for their No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion chrysogaster Curvier, 1830 – Mauritian, gaster Unobtainable Moderate to large size reaching around 15cm or 5.9 inches when fully grown Endemic to Mauritius Hosted by Heteractis aurora, Heteractis magnifica, Stichodactyla mertensii, Macrodactyla doreensis, Stichodactyla haddoni, and Stichodactyla mertensii in the wild To identify Mauritian Clownfish look for their No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion chrysopterus Curvier, 1830 – Orangefin, Blue Stripe Uncommon in captivity Very large size reaching around 17cm or 6.7 inches when fully grown Found in the Central Pacific from the Philippines and Papua New Guinea to the Marshall Islands Hosted by Entacmaea quadricolor, Heteractis aurora, Heteractis crispa, Heteractis magnifica, Stichodactyla haddoni, and Stichodactyla mertensii in the wild To identify Blue Stripe Clownfish look for their No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion clarkii (Bennet, 1830) – Clark’s Very common in captivity Moderate to large size reaching around 15cm or 5.9 inches when fully grown Found across the Central Pacific and Indian Ocean Hosted by Cryptodendrum adhaesivum, Entacmaea quadricolor, Heteractis aurora, Heteractis crispa, Heteractis magnifica, Heteractis malu, Macrodactyla doreensis, Stichodactyla gigantea, Stichodactyla haddoni, and Stichodactyla mertensii in the wild To identify Clark's Clownfish look for their No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion fuscocaduatus Allen, 1972 – Seychelles Unobtainable Moderate size reaching around 14cm or 5.5 inches when fully grown Endemic to the Seychelles and Aldabra Hosted by Stichodactyla mertensii the wild To identify Seychelles Clownfish look for their No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion latifasciatus Allen, 1972 – Madagascan Wild caught individuals are very rare, captive bred individuals are uncommon Moderate size reaching 13cm or 5.1 inches when fully grown Found in the Western Indian Ocean along Madagascar and Comoros Hosted by Stichodactyla mertensii the wild To identify Madagascan Clownfish look for their No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion omanensis Allen & Mee, 1991 – Oman Unobtainable Moderate size reaching around 14cm or 5.5 inches when fully grown Almost only found in the Arabian Sea along the coast of Oman Hosted by Entacmaea quadricolor in the wild To identify Oman Clownfish look for their No special or unusual care requirements Amphiprion tricinctus Schultz & Welander, 1953 – Threeband Uncommon in captivity Small to moderate size reaching around 12cm or 4.7 inches when fully grown Found across the Western Pacific and into New Caledonia Hosted by Entacmaea quadricolor, Heteractis aurora, Heteractis crispa, and Stichodactyla mertensii in the wild To identify Threeband Clownfish look for their No special or unusual care requirements Premnas (Maroon complex) Premnas biaculeatus (Block, 1790) – Spinecheek, Maroon Very common in captivity Very large size reaching around 17cm or 6.7 inches when fully grown Found across the Indo-Pacific Hosted by Entacmaea quadricolor the wild To identify Maroon Clownfish look for their No special or unusual care requirements 2 2 Quote Link to comment
Thrassian Atoll Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 Do you know how all of the different sub species are being made? Since reentering the hobby, there are a billion different types of designer clownfish nowadays and I am interested on how all of these came about. Quote Link to comment
1.0reef Posted September 1, 2017 Author Share Posted September 1, 2017 1 hour ago, TILTON said: Do you know how all of the different sub species are being made? Since reentering the hobby, there are a billion different types of designer clownfish nowadays and I am interested on how all of these came about. I have nearly all of them on my other guide, unfortunately some of the images are either not showing anymore or low quality. Since then the only major change has been the frostbites/flurries and such. I'll do the stories of origination on some of the more well known/important variants too. Quote Link to comment
Thrassian Atoll Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 Long fins, lightnings and some other ones for sure I hadn't seen a few years ago. How do they create these? What's mating with what? Quote Link to comment
1.0reef Posted September 1, 2017 Author Share Posted September 1, 2017 5 hours ago, TILTON said: Long fins, lightnings and some other ones for sure I hadn't seen a few years ago. How do they create these? What's mating with what? Long fins were just like snowflakes and lightning maroons, they were a random genetic mutation that were bred back to recessive gene holders to create offspring that show the mutation. Quote Link to comment
1891Bro Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 50 minutes ago, 1.0reef said: Long fins were just like snowflakes and lightning maroons, they were a random genetic mutation that were bred back to recessive gene holders to create offspring that show the mutation. Ewww inbreeding. Gotta be a southeastern thing. 1 Quote Link to comment
1.0reef Posted September 1, 2017 Author Share Posted September 1, 2017 45 minutes ago, 1891Bro said: Ewww inbreeding. Gotta be a southeastern thing. Fortunately inbreeding for one gen and then breeding back to WC fish with perfect genetics will get the best of both worlds. Unfortunately pretty much every major breeding company won't do this, and now certain deformities like shoulder humps, bulldog faces, small pelvic/pectoral fins, & flared gills are becoming commonplace. Quote Link to comment
1891Bro Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 Just now, 1.0reef said: Fortunately inbreeding for one gen and then breeding back to WC fish with perfect genetics will get the best of both worlds. Unfortunately pretty much every major breeding company won't do this, and now certain deformities like shoulder humps, bulldog faces, small pelvic/pectoral fins, & flared gills are becoming commonplace. Yeah I know. I think it's commonplace among all animal breeders to generate the next "it" strain. To be honest, I was just using that as an opportunity to make a joke. I don't really know how to justify it now. Thanks for putting me on the spot. 3 Quote Link to comment
1.0reef Posted September 2, 2017 Author Share Posted September 2, 2017 26 minutes ago, 1891Bro said: Yeah I know. I think it's commonplace among all animal breeders to generate the next "it" strain. To be honest, I was just using that as an opportunity to make a joke. I don't really know how to justify it now. Thanks for putting me on the spot. Don't worry, it'll always be a southern thing lmao 1 Quote Link to comment
1.0reef Posted September 4, 2017 Author Share Posted September 4, 2017 Valid species have been added, I'll work on basic species descriptions and then move on to variants. Quote Link to comment
1891Bro Posted September 4, 2017 Share Posted September 4, 2017 38 minutes ago, 1.0reef said: Valid species have been added, I'll work on basic species descriptions and then move on to variants. Lots more of inbreeding details soon! Y'all come back now, ya hear? 1 Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.