Premium Ocellaris Clownfish Care Guide
Premium Ocellaris is a captive-bred selection of Amphiprion ocellaris with heavily disconnected white bars. It shares the care needs of the wild ocellaris.
Overview
The Premium Ocellaris is a captive-bred designer strain of Amphiprion ocellaris, a small reef-associated damselfish of the family Pomacentridae. It is selectively bred for a strongly disconnected, irregular white-bar pattern rather than the three regular bars of wild-type fish. Because it is a colour and pattern selection of one species, its biology, husbandry and conservation status are those of the parent Amphiprion ocellaris (FishBase, Sea & Reef Aquaculture).
Taxonomy
- Family: Pomacentridae
- Genus: Amphiprion
- Scientific name: Amphiprion ocellaris Cuvier, 1830
- Trade name: Amphiprion ocellaris "Premium" (captive-bred designer line)
Habitat
Wild Amphiprion ocellaris occurs in the Indo-West Pacific, from the eastern Indian Ocean through Southeast Asia to the Philippines, Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands. It lives on outer reef slopes and sheltered lagoons at depths of about 1 to 15 m, always in association with host sea anemones such as Heteractis magnifica, Stichodactyla gigantea and Stichodactyla mertensii. Premium specimens are produced entirely in captivity and have no wild population of their own.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 100 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: 6-10 years
Diet
Amphiprion ocellaris is an omnivore that feeds in the wild on zooplankton, copepods and algae. In the aquarium it readily accepts a varied diet of marine flake and pellet foods, frozen mysis and brine shrimp, fed about twice daily.
Compatibility
Captive-bred ocellaris are peaceful and hold a middle-water position near their chosen host or shelter. They suit a community of small to medium reef fish such as royal gramma, firefish and cleaner shrimp, while large predators including lionfish and triggerfish should be avoided. Keeping more than one unpaired clownfish of the same or similar species in a small system can lead to aggression.
Reef compatibility
Clownfish do not eat coral and are considered reef-safe. They are kept at reef salinity of 1.024-1.026 specific gravity with carbonate hardness around 8-12 dKH. A host anemone is not required in captivity; the fish may instead adopt a coral or a tank feature as a surrogate host.
Breeding
Amphiprion ocellaris is a protandrous hermaphrodite: fish mature first as males, and the dominant individual of a pair becomes the female. Pairs are monogamous egg-layers that deposit demersal eggs on a hard surface near the host; the male guards and fans the clutch until the eggs hatch after roughly 6 to 8 days. The species is bred commercially on a large scale, which is how designer lines such as Premium are produced.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2021). Captive breeding of ocellaris reduces collection pressure on wild populations.