Sebae Clownfish Care Guide
Amphiprion sebae is a northern Indian Ocean anemonefish with a dark body, two white bars and a yellow tail. It hosts the carpet anemone Stichodactyla haddoni.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Amphiprion sebae, the sebae anemonefish, is a reef-associated damselfish of the family Pomacentridae. It is blackish or dark brown with a yellow snout, breast and belly, two broad white bars (the mid-body bar angled backwards), and a yellow or orange tail. It is often confused with Amphiprion polymnus and reaches a maximum length of about 16 cm.
Taxonomy
- Family: Pomacentridae
- Genus: Amphiprion
- Scientific name: Amphiprion sebae Bleeker, 1853
Habitat
The species occurs in the northern Indian Ocean, from the Arabian Peninsula and India through Sri Lanka, the Maldives, the Andaman Islands and Sumatra and Java in Indonesia. It inhabits coastal waters and lagoons at depths of about 2 to 25 m, normally in association with the carpet anemone Stichodactyla haddoni.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 150 L
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Carbonate hardness (dKH): 8-12
- Specific gravity: 1.024-1.026
- Lifespan: 12-14 years
Diet
Amphiprion sebae is an omnivore. In the aquarium it accepts marine flake and pellet foods together with frozen mysis and brine shrimp, fed about twice daily.
Compatibility
This species occupies the middle water column and lives in groups with a strict dominance hierarchy. It can be kept with tangs, royal gramma, wrasses and cleaner shrimp, while other clownfish species and aggressive predators such as triggerfish should be avoided. As a larger anemonefish, it needs adequate swimming space.
Reef compatibility
Amphiprion sebae does not eat coral and is reef-safe. Because its natural host is a sand-dwelling carpet anemone, it suits a system with an open sand bed. It is maintained at reef salinity of 1.024-1.026 specific gravity and carbonate hardness around 8-12 dKH.
Breeding
The species is an oviparous protandrous hermaphrodite forming distinct breeding pairs. About 300 to 600 eggs are laid; the male guards the clutch, which hatches after about six to eight days.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2021).
Sebae Clownfish Breeding Guide
Overview
Amphiprion sebae is a larger anemonefish reaching about 14 cm in length, distributed across the northern Indian Ocean from Java to the Arabian Peninsula, including India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Sumatra and the Andaman Islands. In the wild it is normally found with the saddle anemone Stichodactyla haddoni. Like other anemonefish it is a sequential hermaphrodite, and it has been bred in captivity, with captive-bred specimens offered in the marine aquarium trade.
Sexing
The species is a protandrous hermaphrodite with a strict size-based dominance hierarchy: only the largest fish becomes the female. Sex follows social rank rather than fixed birth sex, so the most reliable way to obtain a pair is to raise two juveniles together and allow the larger one to mature into the female while the smaller settles into the role of breeding male.
Conditioning
A bonded pair held in stable, warm reef conditions and fed frequently on a varied diet comes into spawning condition. A host anemone such as Stichodactyla haddoni is readily accepted but is not strictly required for spawning in captivity, where a flat surface near the pair's territory serves as the nest site.
Breeding Setup
The breeding system provides a flat, defensible spawning surface, such as rock or a tile, positioned within the pair's territory near any host anemone present. Captive breeding of this species has been documented, including a study that reared the fish in estuarine water, indicating tolerance of a range of conditions when stable water quality is maintained.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Following the anemonefish pattern, the female enters the prepared nest to lay her eggs, which are fertilized externally and adhere to the substrate. About 300 to 600 eggs are laid per clutch. A settled pair under stable parameters and frequent feeding spawns in repeated cycles.
Egg & Fry Care
The male usually guards the eggs, fanning and cleaning them throughout incubation. The eggs hatch in 6 to 8 days. The larvae are pelagic and are reared in captivity on small live foods, beginning with rotifers and progressing to Artemia nauplii; metamorphosis occurs between roughly the fifteenth and eighteenth day of the larval life cycle.
Common Challenges
As with all clownfish, the planktonic larval stage is the principal hurdle, demanding a continuous supply of correctly sized live food and excellent, stable water quality through the first weeks. Because this is one of the larger anemonefish, the breeding tank must also give the pair sufficient space and limit harassment from tankmates.