All fish / Pomacentridae

Mauritian Anemonefish

Amphiprion chrysogaster

Also known as mauritian clownfish, mauritius anemonefish, mauritian clown, yellow-belly anemonefish, orange-fin anemonefish, モーリシャスアネモネフィッシュ, 毛里求斯小丑鱼

A dark brown to black anemonefish with three white bars, an orange-yellow face and belly and orange fins with a pale tail. It comes only from the Mascarene Islands, so it is rarely seen in shops and fish keepers value it for being uncommon. It usually lives in host anemones such as Heteractis and Stichodactyla species.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

13 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

150 litres

Keep as

Single fish or a bonded pair

Diet

Omnivore: mysis, brine shrimp, marine pellets and flakes, chopped seafood, some algae-based food

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Mauritius and Réunion (Mascarene Islands), western Indian Ocean

Breeding

Like other clownfish it lays eggs on a hard surface near its anemone, and the male looks after them until they hatch after about a week. All fish start out male, and the dominant fish becomes female. Hardly anyone breeds it in captivity, so most fish sold are taken from the wild.

Good to know

Adults get quite big for a clownfish and can be territorial, so keep only one pair per tank. It looks a lot like Amphiprion allardi and Clark's anemonefish, so check where the fish came from before buying.