Amphiprion ocellaris is perhaps the most famous saltwater aquarium fish in the world. Many know it simply as "Nemo," but thanks to aquarium breeding, the classic orange-and-white wild form is now just one of numerous different Ocellaris color morphs.
The wild form has a bright orange base color with three white crossbars, 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 each other.
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
Ocellaris should be kept singly or, preferably, in pairs. Clownfish are protandrous hermaphrodites: the larger and dominant fish in 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. The sex change only works in this direction; a female will not become a male again.
Ocellaris is one of the more peaceful clownfish species, but it is not always perfectly docile. A pair will usually choose its 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 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 include Heteractis magnifica, Stichodactyla gigantea, and Stichodactyla mertensii.
In an aquarium, the situation can be significantly more flexible. Captive-bred clownfish may take an anemone like a bubble-tip anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) as their host, even if it is not one of the natural host species for Ocellaris. Sometimes an LPS coral, a soft coral, a corallimorph, or even a specific rock crevice or corner of the aquarium will suffice as a host.
If an Ocellaris chooses a coral as its host, constant rubbing and dwelling within the coral can sometimes irritate it.
Feeding
Ocellaris is an omnivore and is usually very easy to feed. Captive-bred individuals are already accustomed to standard aquarium foods.
The diet should 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 also begin to spawn in a standard reef tank. The female usually lays eggs on a cleaned hard surface near the pair's territory or host. The male plays a major role in caring for the clutch: it guards the eggs and ensures their aeration with its fins. 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 tank, they easily end up as food for other animals or get caught in the filtration.
Raising fry requires a separate rearing tank and suitable live starter food, usually rotifers. Later, feeding can transition to items like newly hatched brine shrimp. Actual breeding is, therefore, an entirely different matter than a pair successfully spawning.
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 may 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 the different-looking "designer" Ocellaris are still the same Amphiprion ocellaris species. 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. In addition, Longfin lines are also being bred from the species.
