Amphiprion melanopus
Cinnamon Anemonefish occur in Philipines, Indonesia, and the Southwestern Pacific. Like all clownfish, they can be territorial and aggressive, especially as they get older. The female is usually much larger than the male. The Cinnamon Anemonefish is commonly found with its host anemones as pairs or in family groups of one female, and one dominant male, and the rest are subordinate males. The primary host anemones for this species in its range are the Bubble Tipped Anemone, Entacmaea quadricolor, and the long-tentacled Sebae Anemone Heteractis crispa. They feed on algae, crustaceans, and mollusks. They are often regarded as just a dark form of Tomato Clownfish (Amphiprion frenatus), but recent studies suggest they are distinct enough to be a separate species. As juveniles, Cinnamon Anemonefish are a bright red colour with a large black patch on each side, but the redness darkens as they mature, becoming almost a uniform maroon in old age.
Like other clownfish, a Cinnamon Anemonefish pair will spawn on a cleaned piece of coral or rock next to an anemone, both parents sharing the egg-guarding duties. The young, when they hatch, spend about two weeks floating in the open sea before settling on the reef and looking for an anemone host.
This picture was taken in the Chicago Aquarium, in August 2004.
Genus Amphiprion
Family Pomacentridae
Superfamily Percoidae
Suborder Percoidei
Order Perciformes
Subclass Actinopterygii
Class Osteichthyes
Subphylum Vertebrata
Phylum Chordata
Kingdom Animalia
Life on Earth
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