Amphiprion ocellaris is perhaps the world's most well-known saltwater aquarium fish. Many know it simply as "Nemo," but thanks to captive breeding, the classic orange-and-white wild type is now just one of numerous different ocellaris color morphs.
The wild type has a bright orange base color and three white crossbands, usually bordered by a thin black area. The species 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, never wild-caught. Ocellaris was also one of the first marine aquarium fish to be successfully bred on a large commercial scale. A long history of breeding has enabled a large number of different color and pattern variations.
Pairing and behavior
It is best to keep ocellaris singly or, preferably, in pairs. Clownfish are protandrous hermaphrodites: the larger and dominant fish of the 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 works in one direction; a female cannot become a male.
Ocellaris is one of the more peaceful clownfish, but it is not always perfectly gentle. A pair will usually choose their own territory in the aquarium and may defend it against other fish, especially once sexually mature and during spawning. In a small aquarium, keeping multiple ocellaris can lead to the established pair harassing other individuals.
Does Nemo need a sea anemone?
No, it does not. Captive-bred ocellaris thrive perfectly well without a sea anemone.
In the wild, A. ocellaris lives in symbiosis with sea anemones. Its natural hosts are Heteractis magnifica, Stichodactyla gigantea, and Stichodactyla mertensii.
In an aquarium, the situation can be significantly more flexible. Captive-bred clownfish may take a host such as the bubble-tip anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor), even though it is not a natural host species for the ocellaris. Sometimes an LPS coral, soft coral, corallimorph, or even a specific rock crevice or corner of the aquarium is accepted as a host.
If an ocellaris chooses a coral as its host, the constant rubbing and residing within 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 marine 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 may start spawning even in a standard reef tank. The female usually lays the eggs on a cleaned hard surface near their territory or host. The male plays a major role in caring for the clutch: it guards the eggs and uses its fins to ensure water circulation. The eggs hatch after about a week, depending on the temperature.
However, spawning does not mean that small Nemos will suddenly appear in the aquarium. Newly hatched larvae are extremely small planktonic fry. In a standard reef aquarium, they easily end up as food for other animals or get pulled into the filtration system.
Raising the fry requires a separate rearing tank and suitable live starter food, usually rotifers. Later, the diet can be switched to, for example, newly hatched brine shrimp. Actual breeding is therefore a completely different matter than a pair spawning successfully.
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 diverse frozen foods
Behavior: generally peaceful, but can 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 be 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 the different-looking "designer" ocellaris are still the same species, Amphiprion ocellaris. Advanced selective breeding has produced very different colorations 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. Additionally, "Longfin" lines of the species are also bred.
