Red and Black Anemonefish, Amphiprion melanopus (Bleeker, 1852)

Scientific name: Amphiprion melanopus
  • Updated
    19/04/21
  • Read time
    2 minutes
Red and Black Anemonefish Click to enlarge image
A Red and Black Anemonefish at a depth of 10m, 'First Sista Reef', Great Barrier Reef, off Port Douglas, Queensland, November 1999. Image: Erik Schlögl
© Erik Schlögl

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Amphiprion
    Species
    melanopus
    Family
    Pomacentridae
    Order
    Perciformes
    Class
    Actinopterygii
    Subphylum
    Vertebrata
    Phylum
    Chordata
    Kingdom
    Animalia
  • Size Range
    The species grows to 12 cm in length.

Introduction

The Red and Black Anemonefish usually has one white bar on the head behind the eye. It lives in association with the anemone Entacmaea quadricolor.

Identification

The Red and Black Anemonefish usually has one white bar on the head behind the eye, although some fish lack a bar. Its breast, belly and dorsal fin are red to orange. Much of the side of the body is black.

Red and Black Anemonefish
A Red and Black Anemonefish at a depth of 12 m, 'Davies Reef', far northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, November 1999. Image: Erik Schlögl
© Erik Schlögl

Habitat

It lives in association with the anemone Entacmaea quadricolor.

Distribution

The Red and Black Anemonefish is known from the tropical Western Pacific.

In Australia it is recorded off north-western Western Australia and from the northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, south to the central coast of New South Wales.

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.

References

  • Allen, G.R. 1991. Damselfishes of the World. Mergus. Pp. 271.
  • Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
  • 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.
  • Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
  • Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
  • Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.