Amphiprion ocellaris is perhaps the world's most famous saltwater aquarium fish. Many know it simply as "Nemo," but thanks to aquarium breeding, the classic orange-and-white natural form is today just one of numerous different Ocellaris color morphs.
The natural form has a bright orange base color and three white vertical stripes, 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 tank-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 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, 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. The sex change only works in this direction; a female will not turn back into a male.
Ocellaris belongs to 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 more than one pair of Ocellaris can lead to the established pair harassing other individuals.
Does Nemo need a sea anemone?
No, it does not. A captive-bred Ocellaris thrives 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 informal. Tank-bred clownfish may take a Bubble-tip anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) as a host, even though it is not among 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 tank will suffice as a host.
If an Ocellaris chooses a coral as its host, constant rubbing and lingering on 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, in the diet. Foods containing algae are also suitable as part of a varied diet.
Spawning in the aquarium
A well-acclimated, sexually mature pair may also start spawning in a standard reef aquarium. The female usually lays her eggs on a cleaned hard surface near their territory or host. The male plays a major role in caring for the spawn: it guards the eggs and maintains water circulation over them with its fins. The eggs hatch after about a week, depending on the temperature.
Spawning, however, 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 caught in the filtration.
Raising the fry requires a separate breeding tank as well as suitable live starter food, usually rotifers. Later, the feeding 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 varied 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 become irritated by the fish's constant presence.
Difficulty level: easy
Natural distribution: Indo-West Pacific
Individuals sold at Korallifarmi: always tank-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 color morphs may also vary by breeder.
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, for example, Longfin lines are bred for this species.
