Common clownfish
Amphiprion ocellaris Cuvier, 1830
The common clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) is a species in the family Pomacentridae, order Perciformes. It has been recorded in 19 countries, most often in Indonesia, Philippines and Japan. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.
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Quick facts about the common clownfish
- Weight
- Not recorded
- Length
- Not recorded
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- Not recorded
- Young per litter or clutch
- Not recorded
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Recorded in
- 19 countriessrc for Recorded in
Where does the common clownfish live?
Countries with openly licensed sighting records on GBIF. This shows where the species has been recorded, including zoos and introduced populations. It is not a definitive range.
The common clownfish has been recorded in 19 countries, from 1,367 records.
- None on record
- 1–9
- 10–99
- 100–999
- 1,000+
The same figures as a list, most records first
What is the common clownfish?
The ocellaris clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris), also known as the false percula clownfish or common clownfish, is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, which includes clownfishes and damselfishes. A. ocellaris are found in different colors, depending on where they are located. For example, black A. ocellaris with white bands can be found near northern Hawaii, USA, North America, Australia, Southeast Asia, and Japan. Orange or red-brown A. ocellaris also exist with three similar white bands on the body and head. A. ocellaris can be distinguished from other Amphiprion species based on the number of pectoral rays and dorsal spines. A. ocellaris are known to grow about 11 cm (4.3 inches) long. Females are larger than males. The life cycle of A. ocellaris varies in whether they reside at the surface or bottom of the ocean. When they initially hatch, they reside near the surface. However, when A. ocellaris enter into the juvenile stage of life, they travel down to the bottom to find shelter in a host anemone. Once they find their anemone, they form a symbiotic relationship with them.
Wikipedia contributors, “Ocellaris clownfish”, Wikipedia (revision 1371007271), retrieved 2026-11-11. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0; this block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the common clownfish endangered?
The common clownfish is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.
How is the common clownfish classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- orderPerciformes
- familyPomacentridae
- genusAmphiprion
- SpeciesAmphiprion ocellaris Cuvier, 1830
Synonyms Amphiprion bicolor, Amphiprion melanurus
Names in other languages (14)
- Poisson-clown à trois bandesFrench
- Falscher ClownfischGerman
- DriebandanemoonvisDutch
- Vanlig clownfiskSwedish
- カクレクマノミJapanese
- 眼斑雙鋸魚Chinese
- سمكة المهرج الشائعةArabic
- Анемоновая рыбаRussian
- Clown anemonefishEnglish
- False clown anemonefishEnglish
- False percula clownfishEnglish
- Ocellaris clownfishEnglish
- Drieband anemoonvisDutch
- 公子小丑Chinese
Common questions
Answered only where our data holds the answer.
Where does the common clownfish live?
The common clownfish has openly licensed sighting records from 19 countries on GBIF. The most records come from Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia. These are recorded sightings, not a definitive range.
Is the common clownfish endangered?
The common clownfish is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.
What kind of animal is the common clownfish?
The common clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) belongs to the family Pomacentridae in the order Perciformes.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0 · live API 2026-11-11
GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org. - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · live API 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata, the free knowledge base. - GBIF occurrence aggregates (CC0 and CC BY records only) · CC BY 4.0 · live API 2026-11-11
GBIF.org occurrence search, country facet counts restricted to CC0 1.0 and CC BY 4.0 records. - Wikimedia Commons · Per file · live API 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Licence and creator recorded per file. - English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · live API 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Common clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-clownfish
“Common clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-clownfish.
@misc{common_clownfish_2026,
title = {Common clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-clownfish},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}