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Variety of Ocellaris clownfish

Frostbite clownfish

Amphiprion ocellaris

One of 17 varieties of Amphiprion ocellaris · See all varieties →

SaltwaterFish

Frostbite clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

Varieties · Amphiprion ocellaris

See all 17 →

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
3.1 in
8 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Beginner
Breeding
Easy
Rarity
Very common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Pomacentridae

Overview

The frostbite clownfish is a near-white ocellaris with a dark rim around the orange face and tail. It is a good first saltwater fish for a reef tank.

Did you know

ORA notes that mature frostbite clownfish develop a frosty blue hue around the borders of the white flanks.

Caring for the frostbite clownfish

Keep a frostbite clownfish singly or as a bonded pair in a tank of at least 20 gal (75 L). It is reef safe and stays in a small territory around its chosen host. It does not need a live anemone, and it will often adopt a coral, a powerhead or a patch of rock instead.

Keep the water at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. It accepts virtually all prepared, frozen and live foods.

The frostbite clownfish is mostly peaceful and rarely bothers other species. It can be territorial toward other clownfish, though, and will usually harass a second clown that is not its mate. All clownfish are born male, and the largest, most dominant fish in a group becomes the female.

Frostbite clownfish are easy to breed, and their species is among the most widely captive-bred marine fish. Tank-raised stock is hardy.

Good to know

Both farm versions of the frostbite clownfish stack two white-expanding traits. That is why the bars merge into a near-solid flank instead of staying separate.

In the wild

The frostbite clownfish is built from captive lines of ocellaris.

Symbiotic relationships

Clownfish and their host anemones

A clownfish lives inside an anemone that stings and eats other fish its size. Its mucus coat keeps the anemone's stinging cells from firing, and a new fish builds that protection up over hours of brief touches. The fish gets a refuge no predator will follow it into and a nest site at the anemone's base. The anemone gets a guard that drives off the butterflyfish that would graze its tentacles, a steady supply of nitrogen from the fish's waste, and water movement at night, when the fish fans its fins among the tentacles and the anemone takes up more oxygen. Only ten anemone species host clownfish in the wild, and each clownfish species uses its own short list of them.

Captive-bred clownfish have never seen an anemone and do not need one; they settle for a coral, a powerhead or a corner of the tank. If you want the pairing, the anemone is the harder animal by far and goes in first, into a mature tank with strong light and stable water, at the tank size its own profile lists. The bubble tip anemone is the hardy host, and the one most clownfish accept in captivity even when it is not a natural host, so a clownfish profile lists it as the usual tank host where that is the case. The sebae, magnificent and carpet anemones are marked difficult, and the carpets eat fish. Expect a paired clownfish to defend its anemone against everything else in the tank.

Every symbiotic relationship in the catalog

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The frostbite clownfish is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

Is a frostbite clownfish a different species from the Ocellaris clownfish?

No. A frostbite clownfish is a variety of the Ocellaris clownfish, Amphiprion ocellaris, and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.

Are all Frostbite clownfish the same line?

No. ORA builds its Frostbite from its Snowflake and Gladiator lines, while the Sea & Reef version carries Wyoming White and Snowflake genetics. The name describes a look rather than a shared pedigree, and neither version occurs in the wild.

Will the spots on a Frostbite clownfish change?

Probably. ORA calls the dark spotting buckshot, and some fish carry several spots while others have none. Sea & Reef says the spots turn black and become more pronounced as the fish grows, so a clean juvenile may not stay clean.

What size tank does a frostbite clownfish need?

A frostbite clownfish needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What does a frostbite clownfish eat?

A frostbite clownfish eats virtually all prepared, frozen and live foods.

How big does a frostbite clownfish get?

An adult frostbite clownfish reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).

How can you tell a male frostbite clownfish from a female?

Males are the smaller fish of a pair. Frostbite clownfish are all born male, and the largest, most dominant fish in a group becomes the female.

How does a frostbite clownfish breed?

Frostbite clownfish are easy to breed, and their species is among the most widely captive-bred marine fish. Tank-raised stock is hardy as a result.

Related species