The pink skunk clownfish has a mucus layer on its flesh which protects it from being stung by its host anemone.
  • Size

    2 inches (5 cm)
  • Diet

    Phytoplankton, zooplankton
  • Range

    Indo-Pacific
  • Habitat

    Brackish or marine water on lagoons and seaward reefs

Physical Characteristics

  • Adults appear pink to orange in coloration. Its fins are either very light or transparent. A white stripe runs dorsally from its head to the caudal fin and a vertical stripe visually separates the head from the rest of its body.
  • Mouth adapted with pharyngeal teeth and with a shape ideal for suction feeding.
  • Individuals may grow to 4 inches (10 cm) in length, though they more commonly reach 1.8-2.2 inches (4.6-5.5 cm).
  • The mucus on its flesh protects it from stings by host anemone.

Animal Fact

This clownfish rarely leaves the area immediately surrounding its host anemone.

Diet / Feeding

  • Diet consists of phytoplankton – including blue-green algae and diatoms – zooplankton and zoobenthos.
  • Feeds in the area surrounding its host anemone, as well as scraps uneaten by the anemone itself. It accomplishes this by using the method of “suction-feeding,” essentially vacuuming up around the anemone.

Range / Habitat

  • Occurs in the Indo-Pacific from the Great Barrier Reef through the Indo-Australian Archipelago and the Gulf of Thailand to the Eastern Indian Ocean.
  • Found in brackish marine water on lagoons and seaward reefs at depths ranging from 1-125 feet (1-38 m). Common depth does not exceed 13 feet (4 m).
  • Non-migratory, in fact, this clownfish rarely leaves the area immediately surrounding its host anemone.

Reproduction & Growth

  • Individuals are born male. The largest in the group changes sex to female, second largest is the dominant male.
  • While the species aggregates in groups, only one dominant pair will reproduce.
  • If the female of the monogamous mating pair dies, the largest male from the group will change gender to become a mating female. The second largest male then becomes the mating male.
  • In a year, a mating pair will produce 2,000-4,000 eggs.
  • Eggs, once hatched, leave the host anemone and become planktonic.

Conservation Status

  • “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List.

Additional Information

  • Also known as the “pink anemonefish,” “salmon clownfish,” “white-maned anemonefish” and “white-banded anemonefish.”
  • Active during the day (diurnal).
  • Primary predators include grouper. The anemone host provides protection.

Sources

  • www.fishbase.org
  • http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Amphiprion_perideraion/
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