blackfinned clownfish
Amphiprion percula
- Usual depth1–10 m
- Water temperature24–30 °C
- Best monthsJuly, October, and November
- How commonOccasional
Photo credit: (c) ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
About this species
The orange clownfish also known as percula clownfish and clown anemonefish, is widely known as a popular aquarium fish. Like other clownfishes, it often lives in association with sea anemones. A. percula is associated specifically with Heteractis magnifica and Stichodactyla gigantea, and as larvae use chemical cues released from the anemones to identify and locate the appropriate host species to use them for shelter and protection. This causes preferential selection when finding their anemone host species.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Orange clownfish”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 27 records
- February: 31 records
- March: 45 records
- April: 29 records
- May: 34 records
- June: 41 records
- July: 64 records
- August: 25 records
- September: 48 records
- October: 66 records
- November: 70 records
- December: 31 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 1–10 m · Deepest record: 20 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 24–30 °C
Photos
(c) Micha Baum, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) Micha Baum, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) Richard Poort, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Greg Tasney, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) Darren Obbard, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Ro Hill, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Tim, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- blackfinned clownfish, clown anemonefish, clown fish, Clownfish, Eastern Clown Anemonefish, Eastern clownfish, Nemo, Orange Anemone-fish, Orange Anemonefish, orange clown fish, Orange Clownfish, Percula Anemonefish
Names in 4 more languages
- German
- Echter Clownfisch, Trauerband-Anemonenfisch
- Spanish
- Pez Payaso del Este
- French
- Poisson-clown du Pacifique
- Thai
- ปลาการ์ตูนเพอร์คูลา
Other scientific names: Actinicola percula, Amphiprion tunicatus, Lutjanus percula
Similar species
Skunk clownfishAmphiprion akallopisos
Maroon ClownfishAmphiprion biaculeatus
Twoband anemonefishAmphiprion bicinctus
Yellowtail clownfishAmphiprion clarkii
blackback anemonefishAmphiprion frenatus
black anemonefishAmphiprion melanopus
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 228 open-data records from 1802 to 2011.
- Species data updated October 26, 2026.
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