CLOWNFISH

THIS THREAD CONTAINS SPECIES PROFILES & INFORMATION ABOUT CLOWNFISH..
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Scientific Name: Premnas biaculeatus
Family: Pomacentridae (Damselfishes)
Size: 6 inches in the wild, but most in aquarums to 4 inches
Temperature: 74 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit
Origin: Pacific Ocean and Eastern Indian Ocean

The maroon clownfish is a strikingly beautiful fish, with its basic body color really not seen in any other marine fish. It is the only fish in the genus, and it is separated from the other clownfishes by the fact that it has a large cheek spine on each side of its head. This spine, especially in larger fish, can be easily caught in nets, so be careful when handling it.

Unlike most other clownfishes, the maroon clown is a fairly nasty customer, and it can be rough on conspecifics and other smaller fishes; individual fish that have become established in an aquarium can be very territorial towards other newly-introduced fish. Mated pairs can be kept together; the female is much larger than the male, and sometimes can be tough on her erstwhile mate. Maroon clownfish will inhabit the bubbletip anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor), which is one of the easier anemones to keep, so with these fish it is possible to keep a fish/anemone display.

The maroon clown is both raised commercially and imported from the wild, and both types of fish do very well in the home aquarium. It is completely reef-safe, and will not bother any invertebrates. Concerning food, the maroon clown will eat almost any regular aquarium fare, although it is best to make sure that it has mostly meaty fare such as enriched brine shrimp, mysis shrimp and prepared frozen diets.

Scientific Name: Amphiprion percula
Family: Pomacentridae (Damselfishes)
Size: 3 inches
Temperature: 74 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit
Origin: Pacific Ocean

The percula clownfish is probably the most easily recognized of all marine fish, especially after the movie where it starred as “Nemo.” The vision of a percula clownfish nestling in amongst the tentacles of a sea anemone has probably gotten more hobbyists started than any other fish. In fact, the majority of the “percula” clownfish that are seen in the hobby are in reality the false clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris); the main difference between the two species is that the true percula has more black edging to the white bars.

Most of the percula clowns that you see in stores are, in fact, commercially raised fish and very few are taken from the wild anymore. The fish breeds very easily in the home aquarium and if you start out with two fish they will usually end up as a mated pair (because they are hermaphroditic), with the female being the larger fish. They spawn very much like cichlids, defending a territory at the base of a coral or rock, where they deposit their eggs and guard them. The most difficult part of raising the babies is the first foods, which must be very specific.

Reef-safe and hardy, the percula clownfish does not require a host anemone – in fact the aquacultured fish have never even seen one. It may try to nestle into coral polyps, resulting in some irritation of the coral. This fish will eat virtually any food it’s offered, but should be fed meaty foods in addition to some vegetable matter.