Orange Skunk Clownfish

Amphiprion sandaracinos

Also known as Orange Anemonefish, Yellow Clownfish, Yellow Skunk Clownfish

SaltwaterFish

Orange Skunk Clownfish (Amphiprion sandaracinos) — Jenny (JennyHuang) from Taipei · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 8.1–8.4
Adult size: 5.5 in (14 cm)
Minimum tank: 30 gal (115 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Common
Reef safe: Reef safe
Origin: Coral Triangle reefs, from the Philippines and Indonesia to northwestern Australia
Family: Pomacentridae

Overview

A hardy, adaptable clownfish that stays fairly small and is not aggressive toward other species, though it defends its space from other clownfish. It is a good choice for a reef tank and pairs easily with a tankmate. Best kept singly or as a bonded pair. It takes marine flake, mysis, brine shrimp, and chopped seafood readily and should be fed a couple of times a day.

In the wild

Lives on outer reef slopes and in lagoons of the Coral Triangle, from the Philippines and Indonesia to northwestern Australia and the Ryukyu Islands, usually no deeper than about 20 meters. It pairs most often with Mertens' carpet anemone or the sebae anemone. In the aquarium it does not require a host and will readily settle into rockwork or a large-polyp coral instead.

Good to know

Amphiprion sandaracinos is a protandrous hermaphrodite, and a bonded pair will spawn roughly every 10 days once established, with eggs hatching in 7 to 9 days. Females grow noticeably larger than males, reaching around 11 to 14 cm compared to males that often stay under 7 cm. In parts of New Guinea it has even been recorded hybridizing with the larger Amphiprion chrysopterus.

Did you know

Once paired and settled, this species is one of the more prolific home-aquarium breeders among clownfish, with established pairs capable of spawning about every 10 days.