Clownfish Species
Updated September 23, 2018
Author: Mike - FishLore Admin
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The saltwater clownfishes have to be one of the primary reasons for the tremendous growth in the saltwater aquarium hobby. The incredible sight of seeing a clownfish weaving in and out of it's host anemone is truly one of most beautiful things to see in this hobby. Unfortunately, these anemones can be difficult to care for, requiring very high levels of aquarium lighting and supplemental feeding. However, the clownfishes do NOT need an anemone to be kept successfully in the home aquarium. Additionally, many of the clownfish species are very hardy and can live for quite some time.
If you do have the vho bulbs, T5's or metal halides, we have compiled a list of the various clownfish and the anemones that they will host with. Read the Clownfish Anemone Chart for more information.
If you're interested in breeding clownfish there is an excellent book that you should read. It is called Clownfishes: Guide to Captive Care and Breeding. There are some great tips for breeding these fish and good information on general husbandry.
It is not recommended to mix the various clownfish species in the same tank to prevent any territorial aggresssion. If you have a very large tank you may be able to get away with keeping mutliple clown species but for those hobbyists with a smaller tank (less than 100 gallons) it's probably best to figure out which species you're interested in and only keep that species in your tank.
Clownfish
Ocellaris Clownfish
This has to be the most popular saltwater species out there and rightly so. They are fairly hardy once acclimated and quarantined. Clownfish are one of the easier saltwater species to breed and they are being aquacultured. Buy aquacultured species over wild caught whenever you can to help support marine fish breeding programs.
Maroon Clownfish
Comes in maroon colors with either white or gold stripes. The gold striped maroon clowns are usually more expensive. This clownfish can get aggressive as it matures.
Pink Skunk Clownfish
They are about 4 inches (10 cm) in size as adults and do well in aquariums 30 gallons or larger.
Tomato Clownfish
Getting to about 5 inches (13 cm) as adults these clowns are really hardy and are good choices for first time clownfish keepers.