The anemone or clownfish are among the most interesting fish in aquariums and seas. They are very colorful, robust, small, mostly peaceful and inexpensive marine fish, never exceeding a few centimeters in length. The chestnut clownfish (female); Amphiprion (Premnas) biaculeatus is the largest at 17 cm and Amphiprion pacificus is the smallest at 5 cm.
These fishes belong to the order Perciformes and suborder Labroidei as members of the genus Pomacentridae, where they fall into the subfamily Amphiprioninae.
They live in the coral reefs of the tropical Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea, the coast of East Africa to Polynesia, at depths of up to approx. 18 meters.
They became very well known through the Pixar Studios animated film “Finding Nemo,” in which a clownfish played the main role.
Anemonefish are among the marine fish that have long been bred commercially, but also by hobby aquarists.
To date, 34 species of Amphiprion have been described.
There was an attempt to divide it into subgenera, but this cannot be clearly justified. It turned out that these subgenera are not clearly monophyletic groups. Even the previously independent genus Premnas could no longer be maintained because it had been successfully crossed with Amphiprion ocellaris, which suggests its close relationship to Amphiprion.
All species live in symbiotic anemones of several species.
Anemones normally discharge the stinging cells (nematocysts) of their tentacles when a fish touches them, paralyzing the unwary animal.
However, anemonefish seem to be at home between the tentacles and even hide between them when predators approach. There are many theories about the mechanisms. The most widespread view is that they can mimic the anemone's mucous membrane. This assumption is supported by the fact that it takes several days for a clownfish to get used to a new anemone species that was previously unfamiliar to it. However, there is no adjustment period when a clownfish is relocated to another anemone of the same species that it previously inhabited. However, clownfish do not accept every anemone, but rather have preferred species.
You can find these mentioned in the individual subheadings of the species.
There are over 1000 different species of sea anemones, but in the wild only 10 species are likely to host anemonefish.
Since anemonefish are not really good and long-lasting swimmers, they naturally use the cover of their anemone to their advantage.
The symbiosis seems to work like this:
The fish not only find security in the anemone, they also offer it protection by protecting their “dwelling” from significantly larger anemone-eating animals, e.g. B. Butterfly fishing, stubbornly defend.
There are studies that show that anemones that lack anemonefish were often damaged enough by butterflyfish and later eaten.
It was once thought that anemonefish feed their anemones, but this may not be true.
It therefore really seems to be “just” protection from third parties.
Observations in aquariums show that the clownfish sometimes settle in some types of soft corals or in hard corals with large polyps when there is no anemone present. However, when the anemonefish settles in a coral, it can rub the coral's delicate skin, damaging the tissue and in some cases even killing the coral, as it does with the tentacles of an anemone.
Anemonefish in the wild live in their anemone in groups consisting of a pair, a large, dominant female, a slightly smaller male, and several even smaller animals. The little ones don't necessarily have to be juveniles. These are predominantly sexually inactive animals in a “waiting position”. When the dominant female dies, the main male changes sex and becomes a female. If the active pair disappears, the ones left behind will develop and grow quickly. The largest fish becomes a female again and forms a pair with the next largest male.
Anemonefish lay eggs on any flat surface near or under the shelter of their shelter.
Before spawning, the male (the smaller of the two) cleans the substrate at the host's foot.
Eggs are laid during the full moon and then the clutch is guarded by the male for 6 - 10 days until the larvae hatch and is fanned using the pectoral fins.
The clutch size depends on the type and size of the parents. On average, there are around 250 eggs per clutch.
Disease of anemonefish: Brooklynella hostilis
see the link from Maurubis:
Disease of anemonefish - Brooklynella hostilis
Systematics
Subclass: True bony fish (Teleostei)
Superorder: Spiny-finned fish (Acanthopterygii)
Order: Perciformes (Perciformes)
Suborder: Wrasses (Labroidei)
Family: Damselfish (Pomacentridae)
Genus: Anemonefish
Genus Amphiprion
* Subgenus Premnas
o Velvet anemonefish (Amphiprion biaculeatus (Bloch 1790))
* Subgenus clownfish (Actinicola)
o False clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris Cuvier, 1830)
o Real clownfish (Amphiprion percula (Lacepède, 1802))
* Subgenus Amphiprion, clarkii complex
o Barrier reef anemonefish (Amphiprion akindynos Allen, 1972)
o Allard's anemonefish (Amphiprion allardi Klausewitz, 1970)
o Red Sea anemonefish (Amphiprion bicinctus Rüppell, 1830)
o Chagos anemonefish (Amphiprion chagosensis Allen, 1972)
o Mauritius anemonefish (Amphiprion chrysogaster Cuvier, 1830)
o Orangefin anemonefish (Amphiprion chrysopterus Cuvier, 1830)
o Clark's anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii (Bennett, 1830))
o Seychelles anemonefish (Amphiprion fuscocaudatus Allen, 1972)
o Madagascar anemonefish (Amphiprion latifasciatus Allen, 1972)
o Oman anemonefish (Amphiprion omanensis Allen & Mee, 1991)
o Three-banded anemonefish (Amphiprion tricinctus Schultz & Welander, 1953)
* Subgenus Amphiprion - ephippium complex
o Coal anemonefish (Amphiprion ephippium (Bloch, 1790))
o Whiteband anemonefish (Amphiprion frenatus Brevoort, 1856)
o McCulloch's anemonefish (Amphiprion mccullochi Whitley, 1929)
o Blackfin anemonefish (Amphiprion melanopus Bleeker, 1852)
o Australian anemonefish (Amphiprion rubrocinctus Richardson, 1842)
