Red Sea clownfish
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Pomacentridae Genus: Amphiprion Species: A. bicinctus
Binomial name
Amphiprion bicinctus Rüppell, 1830

The Red Sea (or two-banded) clownfish (or anemonefish') (Amphiprion bicinctus, meaning "both sawlike with two stripes") is a clownfish of the family Pomacentridae.

Description

Length up to 14 cm, background colour yellow-orange with two black-edged white bands.

Distribution

Western Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the Chagos archipelago.

Habitat

Monogamous pairs inhabit host anemones, usually on coral reefs. Host species include Entacmaea quadricolor, Heteractis aurora, Heteractis crispa, Heteractis magnifica, and Stichodactyla gigantea.

Gallery

Red Sea clownfish tending their eggs, seen here as a red patch on the rock

Clownfish in a bubble-tip anemone, coloration in natural light 10 m depth

Clownfish live in anemones, and are immune to their stinging tentacles.

References

• "Amphiprion bicinctus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. 10 2005 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2005.

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