It is aggressively territorial and is completely dependent on its sea anemone. It is a protandrous hermaphrodite, which means the male can change its sex to female during its life, and lives in a harem in which an established dominance hierarchy manages the group and keeps individuals at a specific social rank. It inhabits three different species of sea anemones: Heteractis magnifica, Stichodactyla gigantea and Stichodactyla mertensiiand have symbiotic relationships with the anemone. Īmphiprion ocellaris typically lives in small groups on outer reef slopes or in sheltered lagoons at a maximal depth of 15 meters.
As mentioned earlier, they can also be found in Northern Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. This species is found in the Eastern Indian Ocean and in the western Pacific Ocean. ocellaris has a taller dorsal fin, and typically possesses 11 dorsal-fin spines vs. ocellaris is often confused with Amphiprion percula, which possesses exactly the same colours and patterns at first sight but distinguishes itself by the thickness of the black outlines. All the fins are also outlined with a fine black line. The first passes just behind the eye, the second in the middle of the body widens forward to the head centrally and the third one circles the caudal peduncle. It has three vertical white stripes outlined with a fine black line. The coloration of its body is orange to reddish-brown, but it can also be black in some particular areas such as the Northern Territory in Australia. It is compressed laterally, with a round profile. Its body has a stocky appearance and oval shape. The common clownfish is a small fish which grows up to 11 cm (4.3 inches). ocellaris have specialized to be able to resist the poisonous stings of many different anemone species. ocellaris specialized after diverging from the genus Premnas, and scientific evidence confirms that all clownfish belonging to the genus Amphiprion initially could withstand the stings of only one type of anemone after further speciation the 28 different species of clownfish including A. The species' most closely related ancestor is Amphiprion percula, the orange clownfish. ocellaris is the most basal species in the genus Amphiprion which is closely related to the genus Premnas. The species Amphiprion ocellaris belongs to the class Actinopterygii which contains bony Teleost fish and other ray-finned fish. Purple anemone ( Heteractis magnifica) and resident anemonefish ( Amphiprion ocellaris) in East Timor Once they find their anemone, they form a symbiotic relationship with them. However, when Amphiprion ocellaris enter into the juvenile stage of life, they travel down to the bottom to find shelter in a host anemone. When they initially hatch, they reside near the surface. The life cycle of Amphiprion ocellaris varies in whether they reside at the surface or bottom of the ocean. Like many other fish species, females are, however, larger than males. Amphiprion ocellaris are known to grow about 110 mm long. Amphiprion ocellaris can be distinguished from other Amphiprion species based on the number of pectoral rays and dorsal spines. Orange or red-brown Amphiprion ocellaris also exist with three similar white bands on the body and head. For example, black Amphiprion ocellaris with white bands can be found near northern Australia, Southeast Asia, and Japan. Amphiprion ocellaris are found in different colors, depending on where they are located. To find out what kinds of enemies the clown fish has and how you can properly care for a clown fish, click here.The ocellaris clownfish ( Amphiprion ocellaris), also known as the false percula clownfish or common clownfish, is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, which includes clownfishes and damselfishes. Clowns also protect anemones from predators. In exchange for getting food from the anemones, the clown fish clean the anemones by eating dead tentacles. Clowns allow the tentacles to graze their bodies until they build up an immunity to the poison. Clown fish avoid being harmed by the anemones by swimming a funky dance around the anemone's poisonous tentacles. Clown fish wait until the anemone paralyzes and eats a fish, then helps itself to the bits which the anemone doesn't eat. Clown fish find most of their food by mooching off the anemone. Anemones are fish-eating animals that look like underwater flowers and have hundreds of poisonous tentacles. Who are the Friends of the Clown Fish?Ĭlown fish and anemones hang out all the time and help each other out. They are found in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Clown Fish Courtesy of thinglink Where Do Clown Fish Live?Ĭlown fish live on the ocean floor.