Skunk Clownfish

Amphiprion akallopisos

Also known as Nosestripe Anemonefish, Nosestripe Clownfish, Skunk Anemonefish

SaltwaterFish

Skunk Clownfish (Amphiprion akallopisos) — Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 8.1–8.4
Adult size: 4.3 in (11 cm)
Minimum tank: 26 gal (100 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Reef safe: Reef safe
Origin: Shallow inshore reefs of the Indian Ocean, from the Seychelles to the Andaman Sea
Family: Pomacentridae

Overview

A peaceful, hardy clownfish that ranks among the calmer members of the genus, though it still guards its host anemone and territory from other clownfish. It gets along well with most reef tankmates and is a solid choice for both new and experienced marine keepers. Best housed singly or as a mated pair. It accepts mysis, frozen shrimp, pellets, and flakes without any fuss.

In the wild

Lives on shallow inshore reefs of the Indian Ocean, from the Seychelles and Comoro Islands to the Andaman Sea, often in areas with moderate to strong current. It pairs with a host anemone, typically the magnificent sea anemone or Mertens' carpet anemone, and rarely strays far from it. In the aquarium it will host in an anemone if one is offered, but settles just as readily into a patch of rockwork.

Good to know

Amphiprion akallopisos is easily confused with the similar pink skunk clownfish, but it lacks the vertical white bar behind the eye and its dorsal stripe is narrower. Like other anemonefish it is a protandrous hermaphrodite, living in a small hierarchy of one breeding pair and several smaller, non-breeding males. It is the only anemonefish species found around the Comoro Islands.

Did you know

Its narrow white racing stripe runs from the mouth all the way to the tail with no other markings, the plainest pattern of any of the skunk-complex clownfish.