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Species Guide

Ocellaris Clownfish vs Maroon Clownfish

⇄ Swap sides

How related are they?

Same genus, Amphiprion (Clownfishes): very close cousins

They split at the species level: the Ocellaris Clownfish belongs to Amphiprion ocellaris (Ocellaris Clownfish), the Maroon Clownfish to Amphiprion biaculeatus (Maroon Clownfish).

Find the Ocellaris Clownfish on the tree · Find the Maroon Clownfish on the tree

Family lines, side by side

Highlighted rows are groups both animals belong to. The marked row is where their lines go separate ways.

RankOcellaris ClownfishMaroon Clownfish
Kingdom Animalia Animals
Phylum Chordata Chordates
Subphylum Vertebrata Vertebrates
Infraphylum Gnathostomata jawed vertebrates
Parvphylum Osteichthyes bony fishes
Gigaclass Actinopterygii ray-finned fishes
Superclass Actinopteri
Class Teleostei Teleost fishes
Order Ovalentaria (unplaced) Unplaced ovalentarian fishes
Family Pomacentridae Damselfishes and clownfishes
Genus Amphiprion Clownfishes
Species split Amphiprion ocellaris Ocellaris Clownfish Amphiprion biaculeatus Maroon Clownfish

Care, side by side

FactOcellaris ClownfishMaroon Clownfish
Type Fish · Clownfish Fish · Clownfish
Care level Easy Easy
Reef safe Yes Yes
Temperament Peaceful Aggressive
Diet Omnivore Omnivore
Favorite foods Frozen mysis shrimp, Quality marine pellets, Enriched frozen brine shrimp Frozen mysis shrimp, Chopped krill and clam, Marine pellets
Max size 4 in (10.2 cm) 6 in (15.2 cm)
Minimum tank 20 gal 40 gal
Temperature 72–78 °F 72–78 °F
Salinity (SG) 1.020–1.025 1.020–1.025
pH 8.1–8.4 8.1–8.4
Lifespan Typically 10+ years with good care; FishBase records 12 years in captivity. Clownfish are long-lived for their size: the sister species A. percula has been estimated to live about 30 years in the wild. Very long-lived for a small fish: decades are possible. LiveAquaria's captive-bred supplier reports pairs that have spawned for more than 35 years; no peer-reviewed captive maximum was found.
Breeding Easy Moderate
Conservation (IUCN) Least Concern Least Concern