Clownfish also known as anemonefish are native to the warmer tropical waters of the Indo-pacific and are simply a divers delight to watch. Wherever you spot sea anemone, chances are that a family of clownfish are probably sheltered in it. Even though most clownfish are instantly recognizable as clownfish, determining the variety of clownfish is challenging for even the more seasoned divers. With twenty eight different varieties of clownfish, it is no wonder why it is often difficult for divers to correctly identify the variety of clownfish. We have put together a two part basic Clownfish Identification guide that should help you more easily recognize these delightful fish.
Here is part 2 of our series, if you haven’t read part 1 yet click here
Clark’s Anemonefish
Clark’s anemonefish, Clarkii anemonefish or the Yellowtail clownfish is identifiable, by its vivid black, white and yellow stripes. It has a reddish-brown color with white stripes and an orange forehead, with a yellow tail with a white stripe on it. Clark’s anemonefish patterns vary from fish to fish and also juvenile fish are yellow in color. This variety of clownfish grows up to 6 inches in length and is easily confused with the Sebae anemonefish which has similar colorations.
Cinnamon Clownfish
Cinnamon clownfish,also known as the Black and Red Anemonefish or the Fire Clownfish grow till 4.7 inches and are mostly found in Indonesia, Micronesia and the Great Barrier Reef. Identifiable by its dark red to orange color with a darker brown “saddle” on its back . The cinnamon clownfish also has a distinct white head band.
Sebae Clownfish
The Sebae Clownfish is a very rare clownfish found only in the northern Indian Ocean which grows up to 4.6 inches in length. In appearance the Sebae looks very similar to the Clarks Anemonefish and is brown with wide white stripes and an orange head. The anal fin is yellow, and it has a white to yellow tail.
Red-Sea Clownfish
The Two Banded Clownfish more popularly known as the Red Sea Clownfish is recognizable by its two white with black edged saw like stripes on its yellow-orange colored body. These clownfish are predominately found in the Red Sea and the Western Indian Ocean.
Maldives Anemonefish
The Maldives Anemonefish is known as the Blackfinned anemonefish or the Blackfoot Clownfish characterized by its rusty orange red color with a single white stripe running vertically behind its eye. As its name suggests the Maldives anemonefish is found in the Western Indian Ocean around Maldives and Sri Lanka, and usually lives in small groups.
photos from flickr by: liljolj, alfonsator, mileswu, richard ling, ciamabue
