These fish owe their name to their coloring. Several species are commercially available nowadays, often with their associated sea anemone, because their life is generally intertwined with this invertebrate, which offers them protection. Clown fish can range in color from this typical orange and white to black to blue. They’re active, which is sometimes mistaken for “clowning around”, hence their name.Don’t make snap purchases at fish stores or online before you know what it takes to take care of an animal or plant in your tank. “Finding Nemo” was a great movie, but it has resulted in a lot of dead clown fish because the people didn’t take the time to find out how to care for them.

Beginners are recommended some species of clownfish: Amphiprion clarkii and Amphiprion sebae. Clownfish are related to damsels, and are fairly hardy. However, they are more difficult to acclimate to a new tank. They are an extremely hardy fish, making them a very popular addition to a novice tank. It is best to purchase them in small groups and introduce them to the tank at the same time because they are a bit semi-aggressive and territorial.

They will do fine without an anemone, which is good since anemones are much more difficult to keep. Anemones require very clean water and high quality lighting. Also, each species of clown likes particular species of anemones, and none of them will regularly inhabit the inexpensive and easier to maintain Caribbean anemones. Some clowns are captive raised.

The anemones can take advantage of the clowns’ leftover food, although this is not always the case, and they can also live without the company of their tenants. The Amphiprions are not affected by the action of the anemone’s venom; they protect themselves by progressively rubbing themselves in it, which grants them a kind of immunity. If a clownfish is separated from its anemone for any length of time, on its return it has to gradually rehabituate itself. Anemones also play an important role in the reproduction of Pomacentrids for, without them, they breed less often.

The Clownfish mark out a territory (around 25 cm-) close to the anemones, lay their eggs on a support, and defend the site. The parents, which stay faithful to each other - the males are generally monogamous - can reproduce every 2-4 weeks. Clownfish, at first males, later become females, which are then bigger. Feeding them in captivity does not present any problems: they like small live and frozen prey, mussels, and chopped shrimps, and they sometimes accept commercial artificial food. Best to feed small amounts several times a day.

The most popular Clownfish species are as follows:

Clownfish Amphiprion akallopisos
Size: 9-11 cm. Easy to keep in captivity, the pink skunk clownfish can live in small groups. It is sometimes dominated by other species. It lays its eggs close to an anemone.

Clownfish Amphiprion bicinctus
Size: 14-16 cm.,The two-banded clownfish is among the biggest of the genus. It is a robust species, which is sometimes aggressive towards other Amphiprions.

Clownfish Amphiprion clarkii
Size: 14-16 cm Clark’s clownfish lives in couples, occupying several different anemones and straying some distance from them. It is one of the easiest to acclimatize. The male is distinguished by its yellow caudal fin (white in the female).

Clownfish Amphiprion ephippium
Size: 14-16 cm.Territorial and sometimes aggressive, the red saddle clownfish lives alone or in couples.It lays eggs without any problems and can live without an anemone.

Clownfish Premnas biaculeatus
Size: 13-15 cm .The maroon clownfish is distinguished from the Amphiprion genus by the spine on its operculum. It is quite aggressive, towards both its own species and Amphiprions..

Clownfish Amphiprion frenatus
Size: 14-16 cm The juvenile’s small white band in the middle of its sides disappears in adulthood. Highly territorial, the tomato clownfish lives in couples; it reproduces easily.

Clownfish Amphiprion perideraion
Size: 8-10 cm.It is best not to keep more than one couple of this small species, without any other clownfish. The dorsal and anal fins of the male skunk clownfish display a fine orange band; the females are white or translucent..

Clownfish Amphiprion sebae
Seba’s clownfish, easy to keep in an aquarium, is one of the biggest Amphiprion species, as the female grows to 16 cm. An anemone houses a single couple, sometimes with the fry. Like many other clownfish, the sebae is easy to feed in the aquarium, and is relatively undemanding in water quality requirements

Clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris
Size: 10-12 cm. Several couples can live in the same anemone, if it is big enough. Easy to keep,the ocellaris clownfish is nevertheless fragile in its acclimatization period (1-3 months); after that, it is highly robust. It lays eggs without problems and accepts artificial food. It is sometimes confused with the true clownfish (Amphiprion percula), but its white bands are fringed with black.

About the Author: Aleks Kos. Please visit: http://clown-fish-saltwater.blogspot.com for more free detailed information about Clownfish species.
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