Amphiprion ocellaris is perhaps the world's most famous marine aquarium fish. Many know it simply as "Nemo," but thanks to aquarium breeding, the classic orange-and-white wild form is today just one of numerous different Ocellaris color morphs.
The wild form has a bright orange base color and three white vertical stripes, which are usually edged with 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 marine aquarium fish to be successfully bred on a large commercial 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, as a pair. 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.
Ocellaris is among the more peaceful clownfish, but it is not always entirely gentle. A pair will usually select 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?
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 include 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 a bubble-tip anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor), 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 aquarium will suffice as a host.
If an Ocellaris chooses a coral as its host, the constant rubbing and residing 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.
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 start spawning even 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: he guards the eggs and provides water circulation with his fins. Depending on the temperature, the eggs hatch after about a week.
Spawning, however, does not mean that small Nemos will suddenly 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 system.
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. Actual breeding is therefore a completely different matter than a pair spawning successfully.
Care instructions
Minimum aquarium: 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 or 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 Amphiprion ocellaris species. Advanced selective breeding has produced very different colorations and patterns, and new lines are still being developed. The names of color morphs may also be specific to certain breeders.
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, the species is also bred in lines such as Longfin.
