what clownfish is this?
There are 28 species of clownfish found in coral reefs around the world.
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EXPLORE CLOWNFISH & ANEMONES
EXPLORE CLOWNFISH & ANEMONES
See where citizen scientists around the world have recorded sightings
The genus Amphiprion includes 28 species of marine clownfish, also called anemonefish. This genus, along with the maroon clownfish, (Premnas biaculeatus, the only species in its genus), make up the clownfish subfamily Amphiprioninae within the damselfish family Pomacentridae.
Barrier Reef CLOWNfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion akindynos
What do I look like?
Light to dark orange-brown with two white bars and a whitish tail
Grows up to 12-13cm long
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Where in the world do I live?
The Great Barrier Reef of Australia and parts of the Coral Sea adjacent
to New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands.
Who’s my anemone?
Can live on 6 different species of anemone
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Entacmaea quadricolor
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Heteractis aurora
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Heteractis crispa
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Heteractis magnifica
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Stichodactyla haddoni
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Stichodactyla mertensii
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Orange-Fin CLOWNfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion chrysopterus
What do I look like?
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Brown to nearly black body with two vertical white or bluish white bars.
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Orange face and orange top and side fins with a whitish tail.
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Up to 15cm long
Where in the world do I live?
In the western Pacific including New Guinea, Coral Sea, New Britain,
Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands,
Gilbert Islands, Society Islands and Tuomotu Islands.
Who’s my anemone?
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Entacmaea quadricolor
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Heteroactic aurora
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Heteractis crispa
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Heteractis magnifica
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Macrodactyla doreensis
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Stichodactyla haddoni
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Stichodactyla mertensii
Clark’s CLOWNfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion clarkii
What do I look like?
Usually black with some orange on the face and three white bars
(one on the head, one around the middle and one at the base of the tail).
Tail white or white with yellow edges.
Juveniles and some adults are mostly or entirely orange-yellow with only
two white bars
Up to 14cm long
Where in the world do I live?
In the western Pacific including New Guinea, Coral Sea, New Britain,
Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands,
Gilbert Islands, Society Islands and Tuomotu Islands.
Who’s my anemone?
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Cryptodendrum adhaesivum
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Entacmaea quadricolor
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Heteroactic aurora
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Heteractis crispa
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Heteractis magnifica
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Heteractis malu
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Macrodactyla doreensis
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Stichodactyla haddoni
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Stichodactyla gigantea
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Stichodactyla mertensii
Red and Black CLOWNfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion melanopus
What do I look like?
Adults are usually black with orange/reddish face, belly and top fin.
Tail is orange or yellow.
Bottom fins usually black.
One white bar on head
Variations: Some individuals from the Coral Sea do not have the head bar
and fish from the Fijian Islands and southeastern Polynesia are entirely
orange/red escept for the white head bar. Fish from the Solomon Islands,
Vanuatu and New Caledonia have an orange front with a black patch on the back.
Up to 12cm long.
Where in the world do I live?
Great Barrier reef – Coral Sea, Indonesia (Bali eastward), Melanesia, Micronesia
and southeastern Polynesia.
Who’s my anemone?
Entacmaea quadricolor
Heteractis crispa
Heteractis magnifica
Stichodactyla gigantea
orange NEMO CLOWNfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion percula
What do I look like?
Bright orange with three white bars
There are often black borders around the bars and on the edges of fins.
Up to 8cm long
Where in the world do I live?
Northern Queensland and Melanesia.
Who’s my anemone?
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Heteractis crispa
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Heteractis magnifica
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Stichodactyla gigantea
Pink skunk CLOWNfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion perideraion
What do I look like?
Pink or pinkish orange, with pale narrow fins, pale tail and a thin, white
head bar. Thin white stripe running along the top of the fish starting from
between the eyes to the base of the tail.
Up to 10cm long
Where in the world do I live?
Who’s my anemone?
Heteractis magnifica
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Heteractis crispa
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Macrodactyla doreensis
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Stichodactyla gigantea
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Skunk clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion akallopisos
What do I look like?
Ranges in colour from pink to yellow-orange, with a narrow white stripe
along the top of the fish running from the top of the head to the tail.
Maximum length 10-11cm
Where in the world do I live?
Indian Ocean, including Madagascar, Comoro Islands, Seychelles,
Andaman Islands, west coast of Thailand, and western and southern
coasts of Sumatra and Java (including the Java Sea).
Who’s my anemone?
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Heteractis magnifica
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Stichodactyla mertensii
Allard’s clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion allardi
What do I look like?
Dark brown to black with yellow face and fins and a pale tail.
Two white to bluish-white bars
Up to 14cm long.
Where in the world do I live?
East Africa between Kenya and Durban.
Who’s my anemone?
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Entacmaea quadricolor
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Heteractis aurora
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Stichodactyla mertensii
Two-Band clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion bicinctus
What do I look like?
Bright yellow or orange to dark brown with two bluish white bars.
The bar across the top of the head is generally broader.
Up to 14cm long.
Where in the world do I live?
Red Sea , Gult of Aden and Chagos Archipelago
Who’s my anemone?
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Entacmaea quadricolor
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Heteroactic aurora
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Heteractis crispa
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Heteractis magnifica
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Stichodactyla gigantea
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Stichodactyla mertensii
Chagos clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion chagosensis
What do I look like?
Light to dark brown (younger fish yellow-orange) with two dark-edged white bars.
Adults’ fins are dusky brown and the tail is whitish.
Up to 10cm long.
Where in the world do I live?
Chagos Archipelogo in the central Indian Ocean, Sharm-el-Sheikh, Red Sea.
Who’s my anemone?
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Entacmaea quadricolor
Mauritian clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion chrysogaster
What do I look like?
Very dark brown (nearly black) with a yellow/orange snout, belly and side fins.
Fins on underside yellow-orange or blackish and tail brown or blackish.
Three white bars.
Where in the world do I live?
Mauritius and probably Reunion.
Who’s my anemone?
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Heteractis aurora
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Heteractis magnifica
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Stichodactyla haddoni
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Stichodactyla mertensii
Red Saddleback CLOwnfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion ephippium
What do I look like?
Reddish orange with a black spot on the side that varies in size with age and
size of fish. Covers most of the hind area in fully grown adult fish.
Small juveniles have white bars.
Up to 12cm long.
Where in the world do I live?
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, and Java.
Who’s my anemone?
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Entacmaea quadricolor
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Heteractis crispa
Tomato clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion frenatus
What do I look like?
Females mainly blackish with a red snout and males red.
One white head bar on adults, but juveniles have two or three white bars.
Up to 14cm long.
Where in the world do I live?
South China Sea and immediately adjacent areas, northwards to Japan.
Who’s my anemone?
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Entacmaea quadricolor
Seychelles clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion fuscocaudatus
What do I look like?
Dark brown to blackish with three white bars.
Snout, breast, belly and fins underneath all yellow-orange.
Top fins and tail dusky brown to black.
Up to 14cm long.
Where in the world do I live?
Seychelles Islands and Aldabra in the western Indian Ocean.
Who’s my anemone?
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Stichodactyla mertensii
Wide-Band clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion latezonatus
What do I look like?
Dark brown with three white bars.
Middle bar is wide and shaped like a flat-topped pyramid.
Whitish mouth and brown tail with a pale whitish fringe.
Where in the world do I live?
Lord Howe Island off eastern Australia and rocky mainland reefs
near the Queensland – New South Wales border.
Who’s my anemone?
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Entacmaea quadricolor
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Heteractis crispa
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Madagascar clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion latifasciatus
What do I look like?
Blackish with two white bars.
Yellow snout, fins and tail.
Up to 13cm long.
Where in the world do I live?
Madagascar and the Comoro Islands in the western Indian Ocean.
Who’s my anemone?
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Stichodactyla mertensii
McCulloch’s clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion mccullochi
What do I look like?
Dark brown with whitish snout and tail.
White bar on each side of the head but not connected at the top in most adults.
Up to ~12cm long.
Where in the world do I live?
Lord Howe Island off New South Wales, Australia, and nearby Norfolk Island.
Who’s my anemone?
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Entacmaea quadricolor
Maldives clownfish
Scientific name: Amphirion nigripes
What do I look like?
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Pale yellow-orange brown with a narrow white head bar.
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Black belly and fins on underside.
Where in the world do I live?
Maldive Islands and Sri Lanka in the central Indian Ocean.
Who’s my anemone?
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Heteractis magnifica
False Clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion ocellaris
What do I look like?
Usually bright orange with three white bars, with the middle bar bulging
forwards.
Bars have thin black borders.
Up to 9cm long.
Where in the world do I live?
Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Andaman Sea), Indo-Malayan Archipelago,
Philippines, north-western Australia, coast of Southeast Asia northwards
to Ryuku Islands.
Who’s my anemone?
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Heteractis magnifica
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Stichodactyla gigantea
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Stichodactyla mertensii
Oman Clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion omanensis
What do I look like?
Medium to dark orange-brown, with a paler head and tannish coloured chin.
Two white bars, with the head bar constricted at the top and a narrow bar
near the middle of the body.
Top fins tan coloured, fins underneath dark and side fins yellow.
Tail tan to whitish in colour
Up to 14cm long.
Where in the world do I live?
Oman, Arabian Peninsula.
Who’s my anemone?
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Entacmaea quadricolor
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Heteractis crispa
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Stichodactyla haddoni
Saddleback clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion polymnus
What do I look like?
Dark brown with yellow snout and yellow or dark brown belly.
White bar just behind eyes and a white ‘saddle’ that forms a partial
or complete bar across the top of the fish. This mark is slanted backwards
and partly onto the top fin.
Tail dark brown with broad whitish margins.
Up to 12cm long.
Where in the world do I live?
Indo-Malayan Archipelago northwards to the Ryuku Islands and the
Northern Territory, Australia.
Who’s my anemone?
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Heteractis crispa
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Macrodactyla doreensis
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Stichodactyla haddoni
Australian clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion rubrocinctus
What do I look like?
Dark brown or blackish on sides with a single pale white or pink bar on head.
Red or orange-red belly, fins, snout and tail.
Up to 12cm long.
Where in the world do I live?
Northwestern Australia.
Who’s my anemone?
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Entacmaea quadricolor
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Stichodactyla gigantea
Orange Clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion sandaracinos
What do I look like?
Bright orange with a white stripe on top running from the nose to
the base of the tail.
No white bars on head or body.
Up to 13cm long.
Where in the world do I live?
Christmas Island and Western Australia in the eastern Indian Ocean,
Indonesia, Melanesia, Phillipines, and northwards to the Ryuku Islands.
Who’s my anemone?
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Heteractis crispa
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Stichodactyla mertensii
Sebae clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion sebae
What do I look like?
Dark brow to blackish with two white bars, the mid-body one slants
onto the top fin.
Snout, breast and belly often yellow-orange.
Tail yellow or orange.
Up to 14cm long.
Where in the world do I live?
Northern Indian Ocean including: Java, Sumatra, Andaman Islands, India,
Sri Lanka, Maldive Islands, and southern Arabian Peninsula.
Who’s my anemone?
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Stichodactyla haddoni
Barber's clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion barberi
What do I look like?
Red-orange including fins, grading to brownish on upper back of adults
and a single white bar immediately behind the eye.
Up to 8.9cm length
Where in the world do I live?
Fiji, Tonga, Samoa Islands
Who’s my anemone?
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Entacmaea quadricolor
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Heteractis crispa
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Pacific clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion pacificus
What do I look like?
Similar in appearance to Amphiprion Akallopisos. Pinkish brown
grading to orange or yellowish on the lower half of head and side.
White strip runs along the top just to the side of the eye and runs all
the way to the tail.
Up to 6cm length
Where in the world do I live?
Fiji, Samoa, Tonga Islands
Who’s my anemone?
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Heteractis magnifica
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Three-Band clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion tricinctus
What do I look like?
Black or dark brown with two or three white bars.
Snout, breast, belly and fins underneath usually yellow-orange.
Tail is dark brown or black.
Up to 13cm length.
Where in the world do I live?
Marshall Islands in the central-western Pacific Ocean.
Who’s my anemone?
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Entacmaea quadricolor
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Heteractis aurora
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Heteractis crispa
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Stichodactyla haddoni
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Stichodactyla mertensii
maroon CLOWNfish
Scientific name: Premnas biaculeatus
What do I look like?
Reddish orange to brownish orange with three narrow white or greyish bars.
Cheek usually has a pair of long spines!
Maximum length is 16cm (males usually 6-7cm).
Where in the world do I live?
Indo-Malayan Archipelago to northern Queensland.
Who’s my anemone?
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Entacmaea quadricolor
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what ANEMONE is this?
There are 10 species of host anemones that live in a symbiotic relationship with clownfish
The genus Amphiprion includes 28 species of marine clownfish, also called anemonefish. This genus, along with the maroon clownfish, (Premnas biaculeatus, the only species in its genus), make up the clownfish subfamily Amphiprioninae within the damselfish family Pomacentridae.
Bulb-tip Sea Anemone
Scientific name: Entacmaea quadricolor
What do I look like?
Brown tentacles that are up to 10cm long.
Tentacles often have a bulb (bulging bit) near the end.
Tip of tentacle is red (rarely blue).
Tentacles without bulgy bits have blunt ends.
Oral disc up to 40cm long.
Where do I live on the reef?
Animals usually attach deep in holes or crevices on the reef with only the
tentacles showing
Where in the world do I live?
Micronesia and Melanesia to East Africa and the Red Sea, and from Australia
to Japan.
Who's my fish friend?
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Amphiprion akindynos
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Amphiprion allardi
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Amphiprion barberi
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Amphiprion bicintus
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Amphiprion chagosensis
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Amphirion chrysopterus
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Amphiprion clarkii
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Amphiprion ephippium
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Amphiprion frenatus
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Amphiprion latezonatus
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Amphiprion mccullochi
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Amphiprion melanopus
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Amphiprion omanensis
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Amphiprion rubrocinctus
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Amphiprion tricinctus
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Premnas biaculeatus
Beaded Sea Anemone
Scientific name: Heteractis aurora
What do I look like?
Lumpy brown or purplish tentacles up to 5cm long, with up to 20 ‘lumps’ that
are often white in colour.
Tentacles may resemble a string of beads and may be sticky.
Oral disc up ~25cm long.
Where do I live on the reef?
Anemones attached to buried objects are capable of retreating completely into
the sand.
Where in the world do I live?
Micronesia and Melanesia to East Africa and the Red Sea, and from Australia to
the Ryuku Islands
Who's my fish friend?
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Amphiprion akindynos
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Amphiprion allardi
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Amphiprion bicintus
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Amphiprion chrysogaster
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Amphirion chrysopterus
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Amphiprion clarkii
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Amphiprion tricinctus
Leathery Sea Anemone
Scientific name: Heteractis crispa
What do I look like?
Many noodle-like tentacles that are usually purple or blue (rarely yellow or green)
and get thinner towards the tip.
Flared oral disc up to 50cm diameter
Tentacle length up to10cm
Where do I live on the reef?
Animal attached to coral via flat discs or in sand/sediment with column underneath
the sediment
Where in the world do I live?
French Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia to the Red Sea, and Australia to Japan.
Who's my fish friend?
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Amphiprion akindynos
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Amphiprion barberi
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Amphiprion bicintus
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Amphirion chrysopterus
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Amphiprion clarkii
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Amphiprion ephippium
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Amphiprion latezonatus
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Amphiprion melanopus
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Amphiprion omanensis
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Amphiprion percula
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Amphiprion perideraion
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Amphiprion polymnus
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Amphiprion sandaracinos
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Amphiprion tricinctus
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Magnificent Sea Anemone
Scientific name: Heteractis magnifica
What do I look like?
Column (body) is of uniform bright colour (commonly blue, green, red, white or
chestnut brown).
Oral disc usually 30-50cm diameter but can be as large as 1m in diameter.
Tentacles are finger-like up to 7.5cm long, with the lower portion the same colour
as the oral disc (usually brown) and the ends are either yellow, green or white.
Some tentacles are branched and have two ends. Note: may irritate skin and cause
welts from contact.
Where do I live on the reef?
Generally found in an exposed, prominent position, attached to a sold object
(e.g. coral boulder).
Where in the world do I live?
French Polynesia to East Africa, and Australia to the Ryuku Islands.
Who's my fish friend?
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Amphiprion akallopisos
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Amphiprion akindynos
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Amphiprion bicintus
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Amphiprion chrysogaster
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Amphirion chrysopterus
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Amphiprion clarkii
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Amphiprion melanopus
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Amphiprion nigripes
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Amphiprion ocellaris
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Amphiprion pacificus
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Amphiprion percula
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Amphiprion perideraion
Delicate Sea Anemone
Scientific name: Heteractis malu
What do I look like?
Brown, purplish or bright green (rare) oral disc up to 20cm in diameter
(may also have white spots), with stubby tentacles of matching colour
and various lengths (rarely 4cm long).
Tentacles often have magenta-coloured tips.
Where do I live on the reef?
In sediment with delicate column buried beneath sand.
IThis anemone can retract completely below the surface of the sediment.
Where in the world do I live?
Scattered locations from the Hawaiian Islands to Australian northwards to Japan.
Who's my fish friend?
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Amphiprion clarkii
Corkscrew Sea Anemone
Scientific name: Macrodactyla doreensis
What do I look like?
Noodle-like tentacles that are long (up to 17.5cm) and become thinner towards the tip.
Oral disc usually purplish-grey to brown, sometimes with a greenish tinge.
Tentacles the same colour as the oral disc but can be lighter or darker towards the tip.
Where do I live on the reef?
Up to 5m deep and in the mud.
Often without fish residents.
Can retract into the mud.
Where in the world do I live?
Japan south through to New Guinea and northern Australia
Who's my fish friend?
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Amphiprion chrysogaster
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Amphiprion clarkii
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Amphiprion perideraion
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Amphiprion polymnus
Gigantic Sea Anemone
Scientific name: Stichodactyle gigantea
What do I look like?
One of the carpet anemones with a mass of short, sticky tentacles (average
length 1cm).
Folded oral disc up to 50cm diameter and generally tan or pink.
Lower portion of tentacles is the same colour as the oral disc, the upper
part can be brown or greenish and in rare cases bright purple, pink, deep
blue or bright green.
Where do I live on the reef?
Shallow, sandy habitat and may be exposed at low tide.
Base usually attached to a buried object in the sand and amongst rocks and coral.
Where in the world do I live?
Micronesia to the Red Sea, and Australia to the Ryuku Islands.
Who's my fish friend?
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Amphiprion akindynos
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Amphiprion bicintus
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Amphiprion clarkii
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Amphiprion melanopus
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Amphiprion ocellaris
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Amphiprion percula
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Amphiprion perideraion
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Amphiprion rubrocinctus
Haddon’s Sea Anemone
Scientific name: Stichodactyla haddoni
What do I look like?
Slightly to deeply folded oral disc
Tentacles are bulbous or stalk-like with a swollen tip.
The oral disc is usuall 50cm diameter (up to 80cm) and the mouth are is tentacles
free and 1-2cm in diameter.
Where do I live on the reef?
Oral disc sits on or above the sand surface.
Tentacles are longer than Stichodactyla gigantea and it is found in slightly
deeper water.
Where in the world do I live?
Fiji Islands to Mauritius and Australia to the Ryuku Islands.
Who's my fish friend?
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Amphiprion akindynos
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Amphiprion chrysogaster
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Amphirion chrysopterus
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Amphiprion clarkii
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Amphiprion omanensis
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Amphiprion polymnus
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Amphiprion sebae
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Amphiprion tricinctus
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Adhesive or Pizza sea Anemone
Scientific name: Crytodendrum adhaesivum
What do I look like?
Oral disc up to 30cm in diameter and flat when expanded but usually
lumpy and covered in very sticky and tiny tentacles.
Two types of tentacles (up to 4mm long): tubular around the border but
most are glove-like with tiny finger-like branches.
Can be very colourful with the different types of tentacles usually different
colours. Colour combinations include: yellow and pink, blue and grey, green
and brown. Tips of tentacles may also be a different colour.
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Where do I live on the reef?
Rarely seen as it is often hidden in crevices or under large dead corals.
Where in the world do I live?
Australia to southern Japan
Who's my fish friend?
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Amphiprion clarkii
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Merten’s Sea Anemone
Scientific name: Stichodactyle mertensii
What do I look like?
The largest anemone with a tan-coloured oral disc that can exceed 1m in
diameter.
Tentacles can be club-shaped or finger like, are non-sticky and can all be
short (1-2cm long) or there may be some patches with very long tentacles
(5cm or greater).
Short tentacles are the same colour as the oral disc, whereas long tentacles
may be white, yellow or green-tipped.
Where do I live on the reef?
Found only on hard surfaces, such as rock or coral and usually on the sloping
part of reefs.
Where in the world do I live?
Micronesia and Melanesia to East Africa, and from Australia to the Ryuku Islands
Who's my fish friend?
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Amphiprion akallopisos
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Amphiprion akindynos
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Amphiprion allardi
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Amphiprion bicintus
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Amphiprion chrysogaster
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Amphirion chrysopterus
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Amphiprion clarkii
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Amphiprion fuscocaudatus
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Amphiprion latifasciatus
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Amphiprion ocellaris
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Amphiprion sandaracinos
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Amphiprion tricinctus
