Maroon Clownfish

Family: PomacentridaePremnas biaculeatusPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy Greg Rothschild

   The Maroon Clownfish is one of the most strikingly beautiful of all the clownfish, especially the 'Orange Striped Maroon' pictured above

This fish can get fairly large and can be very territorial. An interesting "character" in the aquarium that can hold their own with almost everything including damsels. The maroon can be a very aggressive fish difficult to keep with other damsels. Having been bred in captivity, the Maroon Clownfish are often available as a pair as well as individually. Probably due to their beauty, they are a bit more expensive than many of the other clownfish species.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Marine Aquarium

Maintenance difficulty:    The Maroon Clownfish is generally easy to keep.

Maintenance:    Feed all kinds of live, frozen, and flake foods. Best to feed small amounts several times a day. In a reef situation they don't really need to be fed very often at all.

Habitat: Natural geographic location:    Maroon Clownfish are found from Indo-Malayan Archipelago to northern Queensland.

Host Anemones:    Entacmaea quadricolor ~ Bulb tipped or purple base anemone.

Foods:    All kinds. See "maintenance" above.

Social Behaviors:    Like all damselfish, they can be territorial and aggressive, especially as they get older.

Sex: Sexual differences:    The female is usually much larger than the male.

Light: Recommended light levels:    No special requirements.

Breeding/Reproduction:    Bred in captivity. See general breeding techniques on the Breeding Marine Fish page.

Temperature:    No special requirements.

Length/Diameter of fish:    Maroon Clownfish adults can grow to 16 cm ( 6.3 inches).

Minimum Tank Length/Size:    A minimum 30 gallon aquarium is recommended.

Water Movement: Weak, Moderate, Strong    No special requirements.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom    No special requirements.

Availability:    This fish is generally readily available.

Available From These Merchants

• Premnas biaculeatus : $35.99

1 Dot Goldstripe Maroon Clownfish Premnas Biaculeatus Ora Offered By: That Pet Place Price: $35.99

Lastest Animal Stories on Maroon Clownfish View all 8 Animal Stories on Maroon Clownfish Add Your Animal Story

Felipe Ramirez - 2010-12-01 I love My maroon Clown he gets along with everyone! - Yellow Eyed Tang -Lemon Peel angel -Maroon Clown -3 Green Chromies -Royal Gamma -Purple and White Goby Hope this helps! 95 gallon Corner Bow front Reef tank. Now the question is..... how can I add a friend, determine the sex, and or figure out how to find the mate for him? Any suggestions and I don't have anemone because I'm afraid it will sting my Coral. Any Comments greatly appreciated! aelun - 2011-06-12 If you want to determine the sex add another clownfish to the tank, the same species as the one you already have. All clowns are born male but when they find another clown or group of clowns the biggest becomes the female and she will mate then when she dies the next biggest clown becomes female etc etc. aelun - 2011-06-12 The captive anemone will only sting or attack if it is stressed, scared, feels threatened, or if you haven't fed it for a long time. alice - 2012-04-17 Anamone fish can live up to 18 years. Jeremy Roche - 2012-04-18 In a well fed and with pristine conditions this should be an issue. Bill Vasalofsky - 2012-09-30 This is advice is generally good for any clown fish. If you put two of them in the same tank and they are any where close to the same side, then one will kill the other. If you put a really small one in with a really big one, then eventually when the small one sexually matures it will become the male, and the big one will become the female. There's a little wiggling dance that they will do when the change is taking place. When you add an anemone to the tank with a Maroon, or any clown fish, they get super hyper. This is probably when they are most aggressive against other fish who are not clowns. Reply

Ron - 2003-08-20 Definitely one of the best looking clowns available. In my area the price for maroons runs high (20+ range), but it is well worth it. He (or she) is entertaining to watch, and a good addition to the tank. Easily takes to a maroon (aka Ritteri) anemone. Reply

Amanda - 2006-01-14 Beautiful, hardy fish but VERY aggressive. My girl holds her own against the blue devils and other damsels; in fact, THEY leave her alone which is a change from them generally picking on other fish. Great for a beginner clown if you don't want one of the "nemo" types and would like something a little more bold both in color and attitude. Just remember to NEVER use a net should you need to capture or move this fish; their cheekspines will get snagged on the mesh and that can cause pretty bad injuries to the fish. aelun - 2011-06-12 If any other fish goes near their anemone they will chase it away as the anemone is their territory if you will. My maroon clown named coral won't let anything near her anemone. Reply

MIKEY - 2006-01-23 A very hardy fish and awesome to watch and lose yourself. playful when they have a bubble anemone to play in. Mine killed one of my "nemo" clowns that i got when i was a novice. still strong and still the best looking fish that i have. aelun - 2011-06-12 If clowns are not introduced at the same time they will fight if there's more clowns than anemones they will fight over it unless they're a mating pair. Reply

Ashley - 2010-10-01 Very beautiful and full of personality, but they can (and will) start acting like spoiled brats sooner or later! My clown Moe took to frogspawn instead of an anemone and won't let anything near it. if I move a rock by it no matter what the size, he'll move it away from the frogspawn and to his liking. He's lucky he's cute! Reply

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