Amphiprioninae (Clownfishes · Group overview)

Details

Amphiprioninae—the clownfishes/anemonefishes—is a subfamily of Pomacentridae distributed throughout the Indo‑West Pacific. They form textbook mutualisms with host sea anemones: fishes gain shelter and food scraps; anemones benefit from fanning, nutrient inputs and defence against some predators.

Ecology & Biology

• Symbiosis: a specialised mucus coat reduces nematocyst firing; host specificity varies among species.

• Social system: size‑based hierarchy with protandrous sex change; the largest is the female, next a breeding male, others are non‑breeding males.

• Reproduction: demersal adhesive eggs laid near the anemone; the male guards and fans the clutch. Larvae are pelagic before settlement.

• Diet: omnivorous—small zooplankton, algae and detritus.

Identification

• Form: laterally compressed, deep‑bodied damselfishes with a single continuous dorsal fin; rounded to truncate tail.

• Colours: orange/yellow/black to reddish‑brown with white bars or patches; bar count/shape distinguishes species.

• Size: typically 6–17 cm, larger species to ~18+ cm.

Range & Habitat

Indian and western Pacific (incl. Red Sea/East Africa to Micronesia and the Great Barrier Reef), usually on reef flats, lagoons and outer slopes at 1–30 m, tightly associated with host anemones. Absent from the Atlantic/Caribbean.

Conservation & People

• Threats: degradation of coral/anemone habitats, heat stress/bleaching, collection for the aquarium trade, and pollution.

• Good practice: favour captive‑bred stock for aquaria; avoid wild collection of rare endemics.

IUCN: this is a group‑level entry—many species are LC, though some taxa are NT/VU locally. Marked here as Not Evaluated (NE) for the overview.