Three-band Anemonefish Care Guide
Amphiprion tricinctus is a Marshall Islands anemonefish with three white bars and a dark, often melanistic body, growing to about 13 cm.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Amphiprion tricinctus is a marine anemonefish of the family Pomacentridae endemic to the Marshall Islands. It carries three white body bands and a coloration that varies from predominantly orange to nearly black; individuals hosting in Stichodactyla mertensii are frequently melanistic except for the snout and bars. The yellow-orange snout and belly contrast with the dark tail.
Taxonomy
- Family: Pomacentridae
- Genus: Amphiprion
- Scientific name: Amphiprion tricinctus
- Common name: Three-band anemonefish
Habitat
The species is endemic to the Marshall Islands in the western Pacific, occupying lagoons, pinnacle reefs and seaward reef slopes. FishBase records it as a non-migratory, reef-associated fish at depths of about 3-40 m. It is unusually versatile in its host choice, associating with most of the host anemones present locally, including Entacmaea quadricolor, Heteractis aurora, Heteractis crispa, Stichodactyla haddoni and Stichodactyla mertensii. This flexibility reduces its extinction risk despite the small range.
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
- Maximum size: about 13 cm
- Lifespan: 11-13 years
Reef compatibility
Amphiprion tricinctus is reef-safe and does not harm corals or invertebrates. A host anemone is accepted but not required for captive husbandry.
Diet
It is omnivorous, feeding in the wild on planktonic copepods, algae and small benthic invertebrates such as echiuroid and sipunculoid worms. 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 make suitable companions, while other clownfish species and aggressive triggerfish should be avoided. Keep a single bonded pair per anemone.
Breeding
Like other anemonefish, the species is a protandrous sequential hermaphrodite with a strict size-based dominance hierarchy: the breeding male becomes female if the female dies. Spawning is oviparous, the demersal eggs adhere to substrate near the anemone, and the male guards and aerates them. Maturity is reached at roughly 7.5 cm.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern, assessed in 2010.
Three-band Anemonefish Breeding Guide
Overview
Amphiprion tricinctus is endemic to the Marshall Islands in the western Pacific and grows to about 13 cm. It is a host generalist, recorded with eight of the nine local host anemones, including the bubble-tip anemone Entacmaea quadricolor, Heteractis crispa, Stichodactyla haddoni and Mertens' carpet sea anemone Stichodactyla mertensii. The species has been bred in captivity.
Sexing
It is a sequential hermaphrodite with a strict size-based dominance hierarchy in which the female is largest, the breeding male is second largest and male non-breeders get progressively smaller. It exhibits protandry: the breeding male changes to female if the sole breeding female dies. Raising juveniles together so the dominant fish becomes the female is the standard way to form a pair.
Conditioning
A bonded pair held in a stable, warm reef and fed frequently on a varied diet comes into breeding condition. A host anemone such as 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.
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 reef 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
Because species-specific egg, incubation and larval figures are not documented, breeders rely on the general anemonefish behavior. 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.