Tomato Clownfish
Encyclopedia
The tomato clownfish, Amphiprion frenatus, is a clownfish
that is found in the waters of the Western Pacific
, from the Ryukyu Islands
, Japan
, to Malaysia and Indonesia
. It is also known as the bridled clownfish, red clownfish, or tomato anemonefish.
The adult fish is bright orange-red, with one white vertical stripe just behind the eyes, joined over the head. Some varieties have darker coloration or dark spots on their flanks. Juveniles are a darker red, with three vertical white bands and black pectoral fins.
They can grow to 14 cm (5.5 in) in length, however the female is usually larger than the male. The eggs are deposited on a flat surface and tended by the pair until they hatch (6 to 11 days). They prefer to nestle in purple anemone
s such as the bubble-tip anemone
, Entacmaea quadricolor, or the Sebae anemone
, Heteractis crispa.
of at least 10 gallons is necessary, however, larger is recommended for this fish to have ample room for maneuvering. A quarantine
tank is suggested prior to introduction into the main tank as it helps to rid the Tomato Clownfish of saltwater-borne diseases. This species of fish thrives well even without a host anemone, and will eat most meat or vegetable food preparations. It has been reported to be aggressive and territorial when mature, and specimens have been known to be extremely aggressive even towards clownfish of other species. For this reason, it is best kept singly or in mated pairs; but some claim that it will cohabit with other clownfish varieties if they are introduced at the same time. The Tomato Clownfish is easy to breed; the fry can be fed on baby brine shrimp
and rotifer
s.
Clownfish
Clownfish or anemonefish are fishes from the subfamily Amphiprioninae in the family Pomacentridae. Twenty-eight species are recognized, one in the genus Premnas, while the remaining are in the genus Amphiprion. In the wild they all form symbiotic mutualisms with sea anemones...
that is found in the waters of the Western Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, from the Ryukyu Islands
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, to Malaysia and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It is also known as the bridled clownfish, red clownfish, or tomato anemonefish.
The adult fish is bright orange-red, with one white vertical stripe just behind the eyes, joined over the head. Some varieties have darker coloration or dark spots on their flanks. Juveniles are a darker red, with three vertical white bands and black pectoral fins.
They can grow to 14 cm (5.5 in) in length, however the female is usually larger than the male. The eggs are deposited on a flat surface and tended by the pair until they hatch (6 to 11 days). They prefer to nestle in purple anemone
Sea anemone
Sea anemones are a group of water-dwelling, predatory animals of the order Actiniaria; they are named after the anemone, a terrestrial flower. Sea anemones are classified in the phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa, subclass Zoantharia. Anthozoa often have large polyps that allow for digestion of larger...
s such as the bubble-tip anemone
Bubble-tip anemone
The bubble-tip anemone , also known as the bubble tip anemone, bubble anemone or bulb anemone, is a species of sea anemone of Indo-Pacific origin. In the wild, this anemone is a natural host of several species of anemonefishes, including the Cinnamon , Tomato , Orange-fin The bubble-tip anemone...
, Entacmaea quadricolor, or the Sebae anemone
Sebae anemone
The sebae anemone is a species of sea anemone from the northern Indian Ocean, including India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. Some species of anemonefishes associate with it, including the Cinnamon , Oman , Orange skunk , Orange , and several more. In contrast, the Sebae clownfish The sebae anemone...
, Heteractis crispa.
In the aquarium
As a pet, an aquariumAquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
of at least 10 gallons is necessary, however, larger is recommended for this fish to have ample room for maneuvering. A quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
tank is suggested prior to introduction into the main tank as it helps to rid the Tomato Clownfish of saltwater-borne diseases. This species of fish thrives well even without a host anemone, and will eat most meat or vegetable food preparations. It has been reported to be aggressive and territorial when mature, and specimens have been known to be extremely aggressive even towards clownfish of other species. For this reason, it is best kept singly or in mated pairs; but some claim that it will cohabit with other clownfish varieties if they are introduced at the same time. The Tomato Clownfish is easy to breed; the fry can be fed on baby brine shrimp
Brine shrimp
Artemia is a genus of aquatic crustaceans known as brine shrimp. Artemia, the only genus in the family Artemiidae, has changed little externally since the Triassic period...
and rotifer
Rotifer
The rotifers make up a phylum of microscopic and near-microscopic pseudocoelomate animals. They were first described by Rev. John Harris in 1696, and other forms were described by Anton van Leeuwenhoek in 1703...
s.
External links
- Tomato Clownfish page at Animal World.
- Tomato Clownfish page at Stan & Debbie Hauter guide to Saltwater Aquariums.
- Photo of Tomato Clownfish in anemone, Astrolabe Reef, Kandavu, Fiji, at Walt and Mimi Miller's Ramblin' Cameras site.