McCulloch's Anemonefish Care Guide
Amphiprion mccullochi is a cool-water anemonefish endemic to Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, hosting only in bubble-tip anemones and listed as Vulnerable.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Amphiprion mccullochi is a marine anemonefish of the family Pomacentridae endemic to the subtropical southwestern Pacific. Adults are dark brown with a pale snout, a single broad white head bar and a pale tail; juveniles show two white bars. It is a cool-water species adapted to lower temperatures than most tropical clownfish.
Taxonomy
- Family: Pomacentridae
- Genus: Amphiprion
- Scientific name: Amphiprion mccullochi
- Common name: McCulloch's anemonefish
Habitat
The species occurs only around Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, and the nearby Middleton and Elizabeth reefs in the southwestern Pacific. FishBase records it from lagoon and rocky-reef habitats at depths of about 2-45 m in subtropical waters near 31-32 °S. It is highly specialized, hosting almost exclusively in the bubble-tip anemone, Entacmaea quadricolor.
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 12-14 cm
- Lifespan: 12-13 years
Reef compatibility
Amphiprion mccullochi is reef-safe and does not harm corals or invertebrates. Because it naturally pairs with bubble-tip anemones, that host is the most likely to be accepted, though it is not required in captivity.
Diet
It is an omnivore that feeds on zooplankton and algae. In aquaria it accepts marine pellets, frozen mysis and enriched brine shrimp, fed about twice daily.
Compatibility
The fish is semi-aggressive and territorial near 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: the largest fish is female, the second-largest is the breeding male, and the breeding male becomes female if the female dies. Spawning is oviparous, the demersal eggs adhere to substrate, and the male guards them. The species has been bred in captivity.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Vulnerable (assessed 2021). It is also listed as Critically Endangered under Australia's EPBC Act. The restricted range, small population and dependence on a single anemone host, compounded by coral and anemone bleaching, drive this elevated risk.
McCulloch's Anemonefish Breeding Guide
Overview
Amphiprion mccullochi is a subtropical anemonefish endemic to Lord Howe Island, Middleton Reef, Elizabeth Reef and Norfolk Island in the south-western Pacific, reaching about 12 cm. It is a strict host specialist, associating only with the bubble-tip anemone Entacmaea quadricolor. This species has been bred in captivity.
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.
Conditioning
Because the species comes from subtropical waters, conditioning is best done at the cooler end of the clownfish range rather than full tropical temperatures. A bonded pair in stable conditions and fed frequently on a varied diet comes into breeding condition; the host anemone Entacmaea quadricolor is readily accepted but is not strictly required for spawning in captivity.
Breeding Setup
Species-level egg and larval data are not documented, so breeding follows the general anemonefish pattern. The breeding setup provides a flat, defensible spawning surface such as rock within the pair's territory near any host anemone present, held at subtropical temperatures.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
As an anemonefish it is a demersal substrate spawner: the pair deposits adhesive eggs on the prepared flat surface near its territory and fertilizes them externally. A settled pair under stable parameters and frequent feeding spawns in repeated cycles.
Egg & Fry Care
Following the anemonefish pattern, the male tends the nest, fanning and cleaning the eggs until they hatch. Larvae are pelagic and are reared in captivity on small live foods, starting with rotifers and moving to Artemia nauplii as the larvae grow.
Common Challenges
The subtropical origin means stable, cooler conditions are important, and quantitative egg and incubation data are not published. As with all clownfish, the planktonic larval phase is the bottleneck, demanding a continuous supply of correctly sized live food and stable, high-quality water.