Orange-fin Anemonefish, Amphiprion chrysopterus (Cuvier, 1830)

Scientific name: Amphiprion chrysopterus
Orange-fin Anemonefish Click to enlarge image
An Orange-fin Anemonefish at a depth of 12m, Osprey Reef, Coral Sea, November 1998. Image: Erik Schlögl
© Erik Schlögl

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Amphiprion
    Species
    chrysopterus
    Family
    Pomacentridae
    Order
    Perciformes
    Class
    Actinopterygii
    Subphylum
    Vertebrata
    Phylum
    Chordata
    Kingdom
    Animalia
  • Size Range
    16 cm

Introduction

The Orange-fin Anemonefish lives between the tentacles of several anemone species where it feeds on zooplankton and algae.

Identification

The Orange-fin Anemonefish has a moderately deep, compressed body. The body is brown to black with two white to blue bars. The dorsal fin is orange to yellow and the tail is white. There is some variation in the colouration of the anal fin across the geographic range of this species. The anal fin of Australian fish is black.

The Orange-fin Anemonefish looks similar to the Barrier Reef Anemonefish and Clark's Anemonefish.

The Barrier Reef Anemonefish is a lighter colour than the Orange-fin Anemonefish and its anal fin is never black. The Barrier Reef Anemonefish is much more common than the Orange-fin Anemonefish.

Clark's Anemonefish has a wider bar on the side of the body and almost always a third bar across the tail base.

Habitat

It lives among the tentacles of several species of anemones at depths from 1 m to 20 m. It has been seen in the tentacles of Stichodactyla mertensii, Heteractis crispa and H.aurora.

Distribution

It occurs in tropical marine waters of the Western Pacific.

In Australia it is known from the northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

Feeding and diet

The species feeds mainly on zooplankton and algae.

References

  1. Allen, G.R. 1991. Damselfishes of the World. Mergus. Pp. 271.
  2. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 220.
  3. Fautin D.G. & Allen. G.R. 1992. Anemone Fishes and their host Sea Anemones. A guide for aquarists and divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 160.
  4. Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. Coral Graphics. Pp. 330.
  5. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 251.