Diet

What does the Ocellaris Clownfish eat?

The ocellaris clownfish is an omnivore. They will feed on a range of algae, worms, crustaceans and any leftovers from the anemones last meal.

Learn more about the Ocellaris Clownfish in this video from Deep Marine Sciences on YouTube

Range

Where do you find the Ocellaris Clownfish?

The ocellaris clownfish is found through the Indo-Pacific ocean. Their range covers areas along the coastline of  Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia and mainland Asia.

Habitat

Where can the Ocellaris Clownfish survive?

These animals are often associated with reef environments. They an also be found in sheltered lagoons.

The ocellaris clownfish is notable for its association with anemones. These fish use the anemone for shelter where they are protected due to its sting. They secrete mucus which protects them from this.

When they first move in to the anemone they must acclimate to its sting by slowly passing their belly over its tentacles.

Credit: Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Reproduction

How does the Ocellaris Clownfish produce its young?

Ocellaris clownfish are all born male. When the single female in the school passes away the largest male in the group will transform in to a female.

As they live in tropical areas spawning can occur year round. It typically takes place in the morning.

The pair will deposit their eggs on to a surface near their anemone. The eggs are colored orange. Males work to prepare a nest site by clearing a rock or other suitable area. These are then fanned by the parents to aerate them.

Within 6 to 11 days the eggs begin to hatch. This variation is caused by the temperature at which they are incubated.

At hatching the young float up to the surface and spend their first day in a planktonic like state. After this they will transform in to a juvenile and then move to the ocean floor to find a potential mate.

Behavior

What does the Ocellaris Clownfish do during its day?

Ocellaris clownfish will live in small groups made up of a breeding male and female and several non-breeding males. The breeding individuals will grow to be larger than the non-breeders.

Credit: Public Domain

Predators and Threats

What stops the Ocellaris Clownfish from surviving and thriving?

Despite the protection afforded by their anemone host this species may still face predation from damselfish, wrasses and brittle stars though these mainly target juveniles.

This species is incredibly popular in the aquarium trade and large numbers are collected from the wild for sale in to this hobby.

They are also closely associated with coral reefs and the decline of this habitat through climate change may further impact their survival.

-- AD --

Quick facts

They are also known as the clown anemonefish or the false percula clownfish.

The clownfish was made famous through the Pixar film Finding Nemo.

Their species name is taken from the Latin word, ocellaris meaning eye-like spot. This is in reference to a spot which was present on the tail of a preserved individual used to describe the species but this was in fact an artifact of the preservation.

Credit: Public Domain