All fish / Pomacentridae

Chagos Anemonefish

Amphiprion chagosensis

Also known as chagos clownfish, chagos anemone fish, chagos clown, チャゴスアネモネフィッシュ, 查戈斯小丑鱼

A brownish orange clownfish with two narrow white bars and a paler tail, closely related to Clark's anemonefish. It lives only around the Chagos Archipelago, so keepers value it as one of the rarest clownfish in the hobby.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

10 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Single fish or a bonded pair

Diet

Omnivore: mysis, brine shrimp, marine flakes and pellets, some algae-based foods

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean

Breeding

Pairs lay eggs on a hard surface beside their anemone and the male guards them until they hatch after about a week. Captive breeding has rarely been reported, and raising the larvae needs rotifers and live plankton cultures.

Good to know

Wild collection is very limited because the Chagos Archipelago is a protected marine reserve, so specimens are scarce and costly, and dark Clark's anemonefish are sometimes sold under this name. Like other clownfish it can turn territorial towards similar fish.