Amphiprion ocellaris is perhaps the most famous saltwater aquarium fish in the world. Many know it simply as "Nemo," but thanks to captive 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 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 each other.
The Amphiprion ocellaris clownfish sold at Korallifarmi are always captive-bred, not wild-caught. The Ocellaris was also one of the first saltwater aquarium fish to be successfully bred on a large scale. A long breeding history 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 cannot become a male.
The Ocellaris is one of the more peaceful clownfish, but it is not always completely docile. 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 established pair harassing other individuals.
Does Nemo need a sea anemone?
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. 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, soft coral, 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 lingering on the coral can sometimes irritate it.
Feeding
The 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 also begin to spawn in a standard reef aquarium. 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 eggs: it guards the eggs and uses its fins to ensure water circulation around them. The eggs hatch after about a week, depending on the temperature.
However, spawning does not mean that small Nemos will automatically appear in the aquarium. Newly hatched larvae are very small planktonic fry. In a standard reef aquarium, they easily end up as food for other animals or get caught in the filtration.
Rearing the fry requires a separate grow-out tank and suitable live starter food, usually rotifers. Later, the feeding can transition to, for example, newly hatched brine shrimp. Actual rearing 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-raised
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 of the species are also bred.
