All fish / Pomacentridae

True Percula Clownfish

Amphiprion percula

Also known as true percula, percula clownfish, orange clownfish, true perc, clown anemonefish, black percula, picasso percula, platinum percula, onyx percula, perc, ปลาการ์ตูนส้มขาว, クラウンアネモネフィッシュ

A small, bright orange fish with three white bands edged in thick black, closely resembling the Ocellaris clownfish. It is popular for its bold colour, hardiness and the way it can live alongside host anemones, though it does well without one. Captive-bred fish are widely available and settle well into reef tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

7 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8 to 8.4

Smallest tank

75 litres

Keep as

Single pair

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 20 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Northern Queensland (Australia), Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu

Breeding

Pairs lay eggs on a hard surface near their host and the male guards them until they hatch after about a week. Spawning is common in aquaria, but rearing the larvae needs rotifers and live plankton, so it takes some effort.

Good to know

Easily confused with Amphiprion ocellaris, which has thinner black edging and more dorsal spines. Pairs can become territorial towards other clownfish, so keep only one pair in most home tanks.