Skunk Anemonefish

The skunk anemonefish is a small, pale orange reef fish that never strays far from its host anemone. Like all anemonefish it lives inside the anemone's stinging tentacles, safe from predators that dare not follow.

Also known as: nosestripe anemonefish, skunk clownfish, clown fish

It is easily confused with the orange anemonefish, which shares the same plain body and single back stripe. Look at the stripe: on the skunk anemonefish it is much narrower and stops short of the upper lip. The orange anemonefish is brighter orange, with a broader stripe that reaches the lip.

The body is a soft orange to pink, with a single narrow white stripe running along the back from the head to the base of the tail. The white stripe fades out before it reaches the lips. The dorsal and tail fins are white. Unlike many other anemonefish, it has no dark bars on the head or body.

Found in the Indian Ocean, from East Africa and Madagascar to Java, Sumatra, and the Andaman Islands. It lives on shallow inshore reefs down to about 25 m, often where a moderate to strong current runs. It shelters among the tentacles of large sea anemones such as the magnificent sea anemone.

Each anemone holds one small group: a larger breeding female, a smaller breeding male, and a few stunted juveniles that hold back their own growth. Anemonefish defend their home anemone with pops and chirps, and the female will also charge at intruders. If she is lost, the male changes sex and takes her place. The largest juvenile then grows into the new breeding male.

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  Clownfish

  clownfish

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  Common clownfish

  Amphiprion ocellaris

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  Fire clownfish

  Amphiprion melanopus

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  Orange clownfish

  Amphiprion percula

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  Orangefin Anemonefish

  Amphiprion chrysopterus

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  Pink anemonefish

  Amphiprion perideraion