With the movie “Finding Nemo”, the clownfish leaped to instant fame. Cute, colorful and with a distinctive personality, they are hard to miss on the coral reef. Believe it or not, there are actually thirty different species of clownfish including the “false clown anemonefish”, the species that our friend Nemo belongs to. Clownfish are a type of damselfish and are also referred to as anemonefish, due to the fact that they live in anemones.
There are ten different species of anemones that are hosts to clownfish, with some clownfish only found in one species while others can be found in all ten species. Clownfish can grow anywhere from a maximum size of 10 cm to quite large at 18 cm. We have at least seven species of clownfish here near Atmosphere Resort in Dumaguete.
Species of clownfish here in Dumaguete, Philippines:
Clark’s Anemonefish – Amphiprion clarkii
Clark’s Anemonefish
Maximum Size: Male 10 cm, female 15 cm
Coloration: Normally dark but can be light orange, light colored snout
Stripes: Two thick stripes and a white band on the tail base
Anemone: Ten species of host anemones
False Clown Anemonefish – Amphiprion ocellaris
False Clown Anemonefish
Maximum Size: Female 11 cm
Coloration: Orange, but can be darker, even black in some places in australia, fins outlined in black
Stripes: Three white stripes with thin black outline
Anemone: Three species
Pink Anemonefish – Amphiprion perideraion
Pink Anemonefish
Maximum Size: Female 10 cm
Coloration: Pinkish-orange, not much color variation in the species
Stripes: White stripe on its back and one thin white stripe behind the eye
Anemone: Four species
Saddleback Anemonefish – Amphiprion polymnus
Saddleback Anemonefish
Maximum Size: Females 13 cm, males almost same size
Coloration: Orange to dark brown, depending on the host anemone
Stripes: Three very thick stripes
Anemone: Two species
Orange Skunk Clownfish – Amphiprion sandaracinos
Orange Skunk Clownfish
Maximum Size: Female 11 cm, male 6 cm
Coloration: Orange with long white stripe starting at the top lip on top of its body ending at the tail
Stripes: None on side of the body, only on the dorsal ridge
Anemone: One main species, one where rarely found
Spinecheek Anemonefish – Premnas biaculeatus
Spinecheek Anemonefish
Maximum Size: Females 17 cm
Coloration: Bright red-orange to maroon or dark brown. Has a visible spine on each cheek
Stripes: Three white stripes, can change to grey if provoked. Juveniles tend to have smaller stripes.
Anemone: One species
Tomato Anemonefish – Amphioprion frenatus
Tomato Anemonefish
Maximum Size: Females 14 cm
Coloration: Orange or red – females are darker
Stripes: One stripe behind the eye
Anemone: Two species
Your marine biologist /Daniel Geary
