A small, orange-and-white reef fish famously immune to anemone stings and a household name since "Finding Nemo."
Where it lives
The false clown anemonefish inhabits warm, shallow tropical waters across the Indo-West Pacific, especially the Coral Triangle. They live in obligate mutualism with sea anemones — particularly Heteractis magnifica and Stichodactyla gigantea — almost never venturing more than a meter from their host.
How to recognise it
A small, deep-bodied fish of bright orange crossed by three white vertical bars edged in black. The body is laterally compressed; fins are rounded. Closely related species such as A. percula differ in slightly thicker black borders and dorsal-fin spine counts.
Diet & behavior
Clownfish feed on plankton, small crustaceans, and bits of algae plucked from the water column above their anemone. They live in dominance hierarchies: a single breeding female sits atop a male and several non-breeding subordinates. All clownfish are born male; when the female dies, the dominant male changes sex.
Fisheries & Conservation
Globally Least Concern. Captive breeding now supplies most of the aquarium trade, reducing pressure on wild populations.