Amphiprion ocellaris is perhaps the world's most famous saltwater aquarium fish. Many know it simply as "Nemo," but thanks to captive breeding, the classic orange-and-white wild form is today just one of numerous different ocellaris color morphs.
The wild type has a bright orange base color and three white crossbands, which are usually bordered by a thin black area. The species very closely resembles the Amphiprion percula clownfish, and these two species are still often confused with one another.
The Amphiprion ocellaris clownfish sold at Korallifarmi are always captive-bred, not wild-caught. Ocellaris was also one of the first saltwater aquarium fish to be successfully bred on a large commercial scale. A long history of breeding has also enabled a large number of different color and pattern variations.
Pairing and behavior
It is best to keep Ocellaris individually or, preferably, as a pair. Clownfish are protandrous hermaphrodites: the larger and dominant fish in a pair is the female, and the smaller one is the male. If the female disappears, the male can change sex and develop into a female. This sex change only goes in this direction; a female will not turn back into a male.
Ocellaris is one of the more peaceful clownfish species, but it is not always entirely gentle. A pair will usually choose their own territory in the aquarium and may defend it against other fish, especially when sexually mature and during spawning. In a small aquarium, keeping multiple ocellaris can lead to the formed pair harassing other individuals.
Does Nemo need a sea anemone?
No, it does not. A captive-bred ocellaris does perfectly fine without a sea anemone.
In the wild, A. ocellaris lives in symbiosis with sea anemones. Its natural hosts include Heteractis magnifica, Stichodactyla gigantea, and Stichodactyla mertensii.
In an aquarium, the situation can be much more flexible. Captive-bred clownfish may take a bubble-tip anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) as their host, even though it is not one of the ocellaris's natural host species. Sometimes an LPS coral, a soft coral, a corallimorph, or even a specific rock crevice or corner of the tank will serve as a host.
If an ocellaris chooses a coral as its host, constant rubbing and dwelling in the coral can sometimes irritate it.
Feeding
Ocellaris is omnivorous and usually very easy to feed. Captive-bred individuals are already accustomed to standard aquarium foods.
It is recommended to combine high-quality saltwater fish pellets or granules with various frozen foods, such as mysis and brine shrimp. Foods containing algae are also suitable as part of a varied diet.
Spawning in the aquarium
A well-acclimated, sexually mature pair can also begin spawning in a regular reef aquarium. The female usually lays the eggs on a cleaned hard surface near her own territory or host. The male plays a large role in caring for the clutch: he guards the eggs and ensures their aeration with his fins. Depending on the temperature, the eggs hatch after about a week.
However, spawning does not mean that small Nemos will spontaneously appear in the aquarium. The newly hatched larvae are extremely small planktonic fry. In a standard reef tank, they easily end up as food for other animals or get caught in the filtration.
Raising the fry requires a separate rearing tank and suitable live starter food, usually rotifers. Later, the diet can be transitioned to, for example, newly hatched brine shrimp. Therefore, successful rearing is quite a different matter than simply having a pair spawn.
Care instructions
Minimum aquarium size: approx. 75 liters for one or a pair
Temperature: approx. 24–27 °C
Salinity: approx. 34–35 ppt
Diet: omnivorous; high-quality dry foods and varied frozen foods
Behavior: generally peaceful, but may defend its territory, especially as a pair and during spawning
Maximum size: approx. 11 cm
Reef safe: yes. Does not eat corals or common reef invertebrates, but a coral chosen as a host can sometimes become irritated by the fish's constant presence.
Difficulty level: easy
Natural distribution: Indo-West Pacific
Individuals sold at Korallifarmi: always captive-bred
Color morphs
All "designer" ocellaris that look different are still the same Amphiprion ocellaris species. Advanced selective breeding has produced very different colors and patterns, and new lines are still being developed. The names of the color morphs can also be breeder-specific.
Examples of well-known color morphs include Ocellaris, Misbar, Extreme Misbar, Black Ocellaris, Misbar Black Ocellaris, Extreme Misbar Black Ocellaris, Caramel, Snowflake, Premium Snowflake, Black Snowflake, Premium Black Snowflake, Black Ice Snowflake, Gladiator, Premium Gladiator, Mocha Gladiator, Wyoming White, Naked Ocellaris, Midnight, Domino, Frostbite, Black Frostbite, Black Storm, Snow Storm, and Zombie. In addition, "Longfin" lines are also being bred.
