Black Storm Ocellaris Clown

Black Storm Ocellaris Clown

The Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) is one of the most popular and well-known saltwater aquarium fish and has especially gained popularity since the release of Disney’s “Finding Nemo”. This clownfish has the appearance that most people think of for a clownfish – a bright orange body with three white bands narrowly outlined in black. Ocellaris Clownfish are very similar to Percula Clownfish (A. percula). Percula Clownfish have wider black margins to the white bands as they mature; younger individuals are almost indistinguishable between the two species.

Many variations of the “natural” Ocellaris Clownfish exist, especially among captive-bred individuals. The Black Storm Ocellaris is a very rare and highly prized captive-bred variant with large, irregular white patches on a black body. 

Clownfish are some of the hardiest and most traditional fish for marine aquariums. They generally come from two genuses – most are in the genus Amphiprion with one species in the genus Premnas – and all are found in the Pomacentridae family along with damsels and chromises. They are some of the mostly widely captive-bred fish, leading to more man-made variations becoming available like Misbars and Albinos as species are selectively bred and crossed.

It is usually best to keep one clownfish per tank, though a pair can sometimes be kept if one is significantly smaller than the other or are about the same size when added as juveniles. One fish will develop into a female and become larger in size while the other (or others, in large tanks) will remain male. As the fish mature, they may also become aggressive towards new arrivals (or hands in the tank), so be prepared for aggression to follow even if the new fish is large in size. Mixing captive-bred and wild-caught individuals is generally not recommended since their immunity and exposure to diseases and parasites may be different.