Orange-Finned Clownfish

Facts about the Orange-Finned Clownfish, it is a clown fish that is not dependant on a particular type of sea anemone.

All in a Name

The Orange-Finned Clownfish has the scientific name Amphiprion chrysopterus. The Orange-Finned Clownfish is alternatively called the Bluestripe Clownfish, two banded anemone fish, blue line clownfish, orange fin clownfish and the Orange-fin Anemonefish. The Orange-Finned Clownfish is part of the Pomacentridae family.

Physical Description

This Orange-Finned Clownfish species has a reddish brown or orange color. Juveniles are dull orange in color. It has two light blue vertical stripes on its body amidst a dark black splotch. The tail fin is orange with the end of the tail fading to black. Those around Fiji have yellow tails, while those near the Solomon Islands have white tails. The Orange-Finned Clownfish grows to seven inches in length. The Orange-Finned Clownfish has a small head. The Orange-Finned Clownfish have ten or eleven dorsal spines, fifteen to seventeen dorsal soft rays, two anal spines, and thirteen or fourteen anal soft rays.
The Orange-Finned Clownfish are serial hermaphrodites, able to change gender. In general, the largest individual is the female, the second largest and all the others males, but only one male breeds with the female at a time. The males guard and aerate the batch of eggs, which adhere to the reef passages. If the female dies, the largest male switches to female.
The Orange-Finned Clownfish species looks like the Barrier Reef anemonefish, but that species is lighter in color. And Barrier Reef anemonefish have black anal and pelvic fins. Clark's Anemonefish looks similar to it, but that species has a tail bar that Orange-Finned Clownfish lack while others have a wider mid-bar than the Orange-Finned Clownfish. The three-band anemonefish has a tail bar the Amphiprion chrysopterus lacks, though all black members of this species do not have the color variation, but Amphiprion chrysopterus does not have that color variant at all.

Behavior

These Orange-Finned Clownfish live alone or are found in pairs. This Orange-Finned Clownfish species feeds on zooplankton and algae. If they live with a sea anemone, they will protect the sea anemone from predators while feeding on copepods, algae, worms, tunicates, scraps from the anemone’s meals, and the occasional dead anemone’s tentacles.

Habitat

This Orange-Finned Clownfish lives in the lagoons and outer reef slopes, preferably near anemones. Its host anemones include the Magnificent Sea Anemone (Heteractis magnifica), Merten's Carpet Anemone (Stichodactyla mertensii), Beaded Anemone (Heteractis aurora), Leathery Sea Anemone (Heteractis crispa), Haddon's Anemone (Stichodactyla haddoni), and Bulb-tentacle Sea Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor). Orange juveniles prefer the Beaded Anemone. Brown males are associated with the Leathery Sea Anemone. The darkest individuals are associated with the Stichodactyla mertensii, Merten's Carpet Anemone. This could lead to speciation in the future, where each lineage is associated with its own anemone species and has distinct coloring.
However, the Orange-Finned Clownfish can be kept in a fish only aquarium or reef aquarium without an anemone. This is useful for those who want to raise Orange-Finned Clownfish in an aquarium, because most anemones are hard to raise in captivity.

Range

This Orange-Finned Clownfish species is found in the western and central Pacific Ocean.

Trivia

These Orange-Finned Clownfish are a specialized type of damsel fish. There are twenty eight recognized species of Clownfish.