One of the biggest frustrations with keeping smaller reef aquariums, particularly those under five gallons, is in finding fish species that are suitable for such tight accommodations. Despite the vast biodiversity of coral reef ecosystems, surprisingly little of this...
Blennies are a diverse lot, with some 400+ species scattered across several dozen genera, but, out of all this taxonomic richness, only a small number of these fishes commonly find their way into aquarium exports. The two most diverse genera, Ecsenius &...
The final group left to examine are the Tomato Clownfishes, so named for the reddish coloration shared by several of the species in this lineage. These have a tall, robust body profile and a single white bar behind the head, while juveniles briefly have a second bar that disappears at an early age.…
Most Amphiprion are aesthetically quite similar, but the so-called Skunk Clownfishes represent an exception to this rule. Nearly all of the fishes in this group have a white stripe running dorsally along the body.…
Saddleback clownfishes comprise the only Amphiprion group that occurs away from coral reefs, favoring silty lagoons and seagrass beds. In these habitats, the selection of host anemones is limited primarily to Stichodactyla haddoni, Heteractis aurora, and, less commonly, Macrodactyla doreensis.…
Like the clarkii and chrysopterus groups, the allardi group can be recognized by its robust size, the presence of multiple vertical bars, and a generalist attitude towards anemones, willing to make use of whatever host happens to be available.…
The chrysopterus Group
Amphiprion chrysopterus, commonly known as the Bluestripe or Orangefin Clownfish, has traditionally been regarded as part of a diverse group, allied with the ubiquitous A.…
The latezonatus Group
The Latezonatus or Blue-lip Clownfish (A. latezonatus) is an unfamiliar species to aquarists, rarely available and considerably more expensive than most of its relatives.…
The basal split in the evolution of clownfishes occurred roughly ten million years ago (Litsios et al 2014), resulting in a clade comprised of the Percula & Ocellaris Clownfishes (A.…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJjbPv8UKFY Clownfishes are A-list celebrities of the coral reef. PIXAR’s Finding Nemo movies helped to bring them international recognition, but the group has been a source of fascination among naturalists since the 18th century, and...