Amphiprion ocellaris is perhaps the world's most famous marine aquarium fish. 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 with three white crossbars, usually outlined by a thin black margin. The species closely resembles Amphiprion percula, and the two 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 marine aquarium fish to be successfully bred on a large commercial scale. A long history of captive breeding has enabled a large number of different color and pattern varieties.
Pairing and behavior
Ocellaris should be kept singly or, preferably, in pairs. Clownfish are protandrous hermaphrodites: the larger and 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. This sex change only works in this direction; a female cannot become a male again.
Ocellaris is one of the more peaceful clownfish, but it is not always entirely gentle. A pair will usually claim 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 two 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 host, for example, a bubble-tip anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor), even though it is not a natural host species for the Ocellaris. Sometimes they will also accept an LPS coral, soft coral, corallimorph, or even a specific crevice in the rocks or a corner of the aquarium as a host.
If an Ocellaris chooses a coral as its host, constant rubbing and dwelling in the coral can sometimes irritate it.
Feeding
Ocellaris is an omnivore 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 start spawning in a standard reef tank. The female usually lays her eggs on a cleaned hard surface near the pair's territory or host. The male plays a major role in caring for the spawn: he guards the eggs and uses his fins to ensure water circulation around them. Depending on the temperature, the eggs hatch in about a week.
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 system.
Rearing the fry requires a separate rearing tank and suitable live starter food, usually rotifers. Later, the feeding can transition to, for example, newly hatched brine shrimp. Actual breeding is therefore something quite different from 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: omnivore; high-quality dry foods and varied frozen foods
Behavior: generally peaceful, but can defend its own 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 chosen host coral may 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 widely varying colorations and patterns, and new lines are still being developed. The names of 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 being bred.
