Fire Clownfish - Amphiprion ephippium - Captive Bred

Fire Clownfish (Amphiprion ephippium) are also known as Saddle Clowns and range in color from bright orange to deep red. Adults may have a black patch on the sides of their bodies - especially in older, mature fish - and lack the characteristic white stripes of most common clowns. Juveniles lack the dark patch and may have a white bar behind the head similar to Tomato Clowns (A. frenatus) and Cinnamon Clowns (A. melanopus). They are somewhat hardy, but tend to be very sensitive to copper and other heavy metals.

Clownfish are some of the hardiest and most traditional fish for marine aquariums. They generally come from two genuses - most are in the genus Amphiprion with one species in the genus Premnas - and all are found in the Pomacentridae family along with damsels and chromises. They are some of the mostly widely captive-bred fish, leading to more man-made variations becoming available like Misbars and Albinos as species are selectively bred and crossed.

It is usually best to keep one clownfish per tank, though a pair can sometimes be kept if one is significantly smaller than the other or are about the same size when added as juveniles. One fish will develop into a female and become larger in size while the other (or others, in large tanks) will remain male. As the fish mature, they may also become aggressive towards new arrivals (or hands in the tank), so be prepared for aggression to follow even if the new fish is large in size. Mixing captive-bred and wild-caught individuals is generally not recommended since their immunity and exposure to diseases and parasites may be different.

Clownfish are generally not fussy eaters, and will accept a range of frozen and prepared foods like flakes, pellets, and frozen formulas. They can benefit from some plant matter in their diet, although they are not considered herbivores and do need some meaty foods. Some clownfish can be sensitive to toxins, especially heavy metal based medications like copper.

Though the interaction between anemones and clownfish is amusing to watch, it is not necessary to the survival of either animal. Some clownfish will only host in specific anemones and vice versa. A host anemone should generally have a diameter of at least twice the length of the clownfish when introduced together for the best health of both the clownfish and the anemone. Captive-bred fish can also be less likely to use a host anemone than wild-caught fish.

Visit That Fish Blog for more information from our marine biologists on clownfish social structure and gender, anemone selection and preferences and other clownfish-related topics.