Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish Care Guide
The Gold Stripe Maroon is the Sumatran form of the maroon clownfish, Premnas biaculeatus, with thick gold bars instead of white; females reach about 17 cm.
Overview
The Gold Stripe Maroon is a colour form of the maroon clownfish, Premnas biaculeatus (also classified as Amphiprion biaculeatus), a marine anemonefish of the family Pomacentridae. The Sumatra and Andaman Islands populations carry thick yellow-to-gold body bars rather than the white or grey bars of other regions. The genus is named for the spine on the cheek that distinguishes it from other clownfish. It is the largest and one of the most territorial of all anemonefish.
Taxonomy
- Family: Pomacentridae
- Genus: Premnas / Amphiprion
- Scientific name: Premnas biaculeatus "Gold Stripe"
- Common name: Gold Stripe Maroon clownfish, Sumatran maroon
Habitat
The maroon clownfish ranges across the Indo-West Pacific, with the gold-barred form originating from Sumatra and the Andaman Islands. FishBase records the species from lagoon and seaward reefs and protected coastal waters at depths of about 1-16 m. It is highly specialized, hosting almost exclusively in the bubble-tip anemone, Entacmaea quadricolor, with one record of recruitment on Heteractis crispa in Papua New Guinea.
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: females about 17 cm, males much smaller (6-7 cm)
- Lifespan: 10-20 years
Reef compatibility
The Gold Stripe Maroon is reef-safe and does not damage corals or invertebrates. A bubble-tip anemone is the natural host, though it is not required for captive care.
Diet
It is omnivorous, feeding in the wild on zooplankton and benthic algae. In aquaria it accepts marine pellets, frozen mysis and enriched brine shrimp, fed about twice daily.
Compatibility
This is an aggressive, highly territorial fish that should be kept singly or as a single bonded pair. Robust tankmates such as tangs, triggers and sturdy wrasses can coexist in a large system, while other clownfish, additional maroons and small peaceful fish should be avoided.
Breeding
The species is a protandrous sequential hermaphrodite with pronounced size dimorphism: females are much larger than males. The breeding male changes to female if the sole female dies, with the largest non-breeder becoming the breeding male. Spawning is oviparous; demersal eggs adhere to substrate and are guarded and aerated by the male.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern, assessed in 2021.