Amphiprion polymnus
Saddleback Anemonefish are found from Indo-Malayan Archipelago northwards to the Ryukyu Islands. Also reported from the Northern Territory, Australia. Their host anemones are Heteractus crispa (Leathery sea anemone) and Stichtodactyla hadooni (Haddon's sea anemone). Living on sandy bottoms, the Saddleback Anemonefish often collects hard objects and carries them close to the anemone for eggs deposition. It is a quite aggressive species. When disturbed it can attack the divers, producing snapping sounds with the jaws and sometimes biting. Like all anemonefish, they can be territorial and aggressive, especially as they get older. The female is usually much larger than the male. The Saddleback Anemonefish has the most distinct swimming motion, which is an up and down bobbing motion. Its nest averages about 500 eggs, and it can spawn twice a month.
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
Index