Clownfish
Amphiprion ocellaris · Animal
The ocellaris clownfish lives among the stinging tentacles of sea anemones on Indo-Pacific coral reefs. A protective mucus coat keeps it from being stung.
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Amphiprion ocellaris
- Kind
- Animal
- Conservation status
- Not listed
- Habitat
- Coral reefs · sea anemones
- Range
- Eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific
- Size
- Up to about 11 cm
- Lifespan
- 20+ years in aquariums
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Activity
- Diurnal · lives in small groups
- Population
- Widespread on Indo-Pacific reefs
Diet
Eats algae, zooplankton and leftovers from its host anemone’s meals.
Behavior
All clownfish hatch male. The largest fish in a group becomes the breeding female, and if she dies the dominant male changes sex to replace her.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Family
- Pomacentridae
- Genus
- Amphiprion
- Species
- A. ocellaris
Conservation
Not considered threatened, but coral bleaching and collection for the aquarium trade affect some local populations.
Main threats
- Coral bleaching
- Aquarium collection