Wide-band Anemonefish Care Guide
Amphiprion latezonatus is a subtropical east-Australian anemonefish with an exceptionally wide central white bar, hosting mainly in the sebae anemone.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Amphiprion latezonatus is a marine anemonefish of the family Pomacentridae from subtropical eastern Australia. The dark brown body bears three white bars, of which the central one is exceptionally wide, about twice the width seen in most anemonefish, and shaped like a flat-topped pyramid. Bright blue markings often appear on the upper lip and bar edges, and the caudal fin has a broad white margin.
Taxonomy
- Family: Pomacentridae
- Genus: Amphiprion
- Scientific name: Amphiprion latezonatus
- Common name: Wide-band anemonefish
Habitat
The species ranges from southern Queensland and northern New South Wales to Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island. FishBase records it as a non-migratory, reef-associated fish at depths of about 10-45 m in subtropical waters near 25-32 °S. Its primary host is the sebae anemone, Heteractis crispa, though use of two additional anemone species has been documented.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 200 L
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Carbonate hardness (dKH): 8-12
- Specific gravity: 1.024-1.026
- Maximum size: about 14 cm
- Lifespan: 13-15 years
Reef compatibility
Amphiprion latezonatus is reef-safe and does not damage corals or invertebrates. As a subtropical species it tolerates cooler water than tropical clownfish. A sebae anemone is the preferred host but is not required in captivity.
Diet
It is omnivorous, feeding on zooplankton and algae in the wild. In aquaria it accepts marine pellets, frozen mysis and enriched brine shrimp, offered about twice daily.
Compatibility
The fish is semi-aggressive and territorial around its host. Tangs, royal gramma, wrasses and cleaner shrimp are suitable companions, while other clownfish species and aggressive triggerfish should be avoided. Keep one bonded pair per anemone.
Breeding
The species is a protandrous sequential hermaphrodite with a strict size-based hierarchy: the breeding male changes to female if the female dies, and the largest non-breeder becomes the breeding male. Spawning is oviparous, the demersal eggs adhere to substrate, and the male guards them. The species has been reared in captivity.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Data Deficient (assessed 2021). The species faces risks from anemone and coral bleaching driven by rising temperatures and ocean acidification.
Wide-band Anemonefish Breeding Guide
Overview
Amphiprion latezonatus is a subtropical anemonefish endemic to the east coast of Australia, from southern Queensland to northern New South Wales, plus Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island, reaching about 14 cm. It is highly host-specialised, associating primarily with the sebae anemone Heteractis crispa, with records from two further anemone species. It has been bred in captivity, though many early captive-bred specimens were misbarred or deformed.
Sexing
It is a sequential hermaphrodite with a strict size-based dominance hierarchy and exhibits protandry: the breeding male changes to female if the sole breeding female dies. Sex follows social rank, so raising juveniles together and allowing the largest to mature into the female is the standard route to a pair; broodstock has also been formed from wild-caught pairs.
Conditioning
As a subtropical species it is conditioned at cooler temperatures than tropical clownfish. In a documented captive program the temperature was slowly raised to 24 degrees Celsius to simulate spring, the pair was held under a 14-hour light and 10-hour dark photoperiod, and it was fed fresh foods at high frequency, sometimes up to ten times a day.
Breeding Setup
The breeding setup provides a flat, defensible spawning surface near the pair's territory and host anemone, held at cool subtropical temperatures. In the documented program a wild-caught pair was conditioned in a dedicated nursery system before spawning.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
As an anemonefish it is a demersal substrate spawner. In the documented program the pair produced a clutch of roughly 500 eggs across a band almost 15 cm long; the bright yellow eggs turned silver with visible embryonic eyes by about day 7 and hatched on day 11.
Egg & Fry Care
The male tends the nest until hatching. In the documented program larvae were collected at hatching on day 11 and reared at a cool temperature near 25 degrees Celsius; they were fed rotifers and copepods, with enriched Artemia nauplii introduced after about a week and dry feeds added from day four, and metamorphosis with head stripes began around day 14, yielding roughly 100 juveniles.
Common Challenges
Misbarring and lower-jaw deformities have been common in captive-bred wide-band anemonefish, so careful larval husbandry is needed. The subtropical origin means cooler, stable conditions are important, and as with all clownfish the larval phase demands a continuous supply of correctly sized live food and excellent water quality.