Pomacentridae

Ocellaris clownfish

Amphiprion ocellaris

Three white bars among venomous anemones

• Black
• Orange
• White
• Tropical
• Regional distribution
• Marine fish
• Indian Ocean
• Pacific Ocean
• South Asia
• Compressed
• Compressed cross-section
• Small
• Tropical fish

A white band edged by a very narrow black line is a useful clue when identifying the ocellaris clownfish. The similar orange clownfish usually has much broader black borders, so an orange body alone is a poor guide. Ocellaris lives around tropical reefs from the Ryukyu Islands through Southeast Asia to northwestern Australia. Its shelter is a living sea anemone, whose tentacles protect both the fish and its nearby nesting site. Feeding extends beyond that partnership: algae and small planktonic animals are also eaten. A group has a breeding female and male, with smaller fish below them in the hierarchy. If the female disappears, the breeding male can change sex. The reported maximum total length is 11 centimetres, making this a small reef resident rather than a large cruising predator.

Sources: Florida Museum — Clown Anemonefish