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Eastern skunk anemonefish (Amphiprion sandaracinos) — Pomacentridae

Eastern skunk anemonefish

Amphiprion sandaracinos
Family: Pomacentridae
LC · Least Concern

The Eastern skunk anemonefish (Amphiprion sandaracinos) is a saltwater fish of the family Pomacentridae that grows up to 14 cm.

Length
14 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
3.0–20.0 m
Diet
Omnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Range
Indo-West Pacific
Edibility
Not eaten

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Description

The orange skunk clownfish is an anemonefish from the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 14 cm and has a plain orange body with a white stripe running over the back from the snout to the tail. It lives in symbiosis with large sea anemones, among which it shelters from predators and which it cleans of debris and parasites. The largest fish of a group is always the female; on its loss the dominant male changes sex. The fish appears in the reef aquarium. The IUCN assesses the species as Least Concern (LC).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Eastern skunk anemonefish?

The Eastern skunk anemonefish has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly red-orange and shows a horizontal stripes pattern. Lives in symbiosis with sea anemones; protandrous sex change

Where does the Eastern skunk anemonefish live?

The Eastern skunk anemonefish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground. Indo-West Pacific

How big does the Eastern skunk anemonefish get?

The Eastern skunk anemonefish grows to a maximum of about 14 cm.

Is the Eastern skunk anemonefish dangerous to humans?

No, the Eastern skunk anemonefish is harmless to humans. This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status.

Is the Eastern skunk anemonefish edible?

The Eastern skunk anemonefish is not usually eaten.

More photos

Eastern skunk anemonefish (Amphiprion sandaracinos) — Pomacentridae — 2
Chris Spain (CC0 1.0) via GBIF — iNaturalist
Eastern skunk anemonefish (Amphiprion sandaracinos) — Pomacentridae — 3
Wikimedia Commons — Silke Baron (CC BY 2.0)
Eastern skunk anemonefish (Amphiprion sandaracinos) — Pomacentridae — 4
Wikimedia Commons — This illustration was made by Citron You must credit this : Citron / CC-BY-SA-3.0 (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Eastern skunk anemonefish (Amphiprion sandaracinos) — Pomacentridae — 5
Wikimedia Commons — Nick Hobgood (CC BY-SA 3.0)
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All data

Identification

English name
Eastern skunk anemonefish verified
Scientific name
Amphiprion sandaracinos
Family
Pomacentridae
Other names
Golden anemonefish; Golden angelfish; Orange anemonefish; Yellow clownfish; Skunk anemonefish; Yellow skunk clownfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
14.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Red / orange sourced
Pattern
Horizontal stripes sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
3.0 verified
Max depth (m)
20.0 verified
Natural range
Indo-West Pacific verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Omnivore sourced
Diet (detail)
Zooplankton, algae and debris from the anemone inferred
Social behaviour
Small groups sourced
Territorial
Yes sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Protandrous (male first) sourced
Sexual dimorphism
Yes sourced
Seasonality
Anemone-symbiosis clownfish; present year-round. sourced
Special features
Lives in symbiosis with sea anemones; protandrous sex change sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Not a target species for angling; at most an incidental catch or usable as baitfish. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced
First aid
This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status. verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Amphiprion

More from the family Pomacentridae

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