Ocellaris 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. Amphiprion ocellaris are found in different colors, depending on where they are located. For example, black Amphiprion ocellaris with white bands can be found near northern Australia, Southeast Asia, and Japan. Orange or red-brown Amphiprion ocellaris also exist with three similar white bands on the body and head. Amphiprion ocellaris can be distinguished from other Amphriphon species based on the number of pectoral rays and dorsal spines. Amphiprion ocellaris are known to grow about 110 mm long. Like many other fish species, females are, however, larger than males. The life cycle of Amphiprion 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 Amphiprion 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. The species Amphiprion ocellaris belongs to the class Actinopterygii which contains bony Teleost fish and other ray-finned fish. A. ocellaris is the most basal species in the genus Amphiprion which is closely related to the genus Premnas. The species' most closely related ancestor is Amphiprion percula, the Orange clownfish. It is thought that A. ocellaris specialized after diverging from the genus Premnas, and scientific evidence confirms that all clownfish belonging to the genus Amphiprion initially could withstand the stings of only one type of anemone; after further speciation the 28 different species of clownfish including A. ocellaris have specialized to be able to resist the poisonous stings of many different anemone species. The common clownfish is a small fish which grows up to 11 cm (4.3 inches). Its body has a stocky appearance and oval shape. It is compressed laterally, with a round profile.The coloration of its body is orange to reddish-brown, but it can also be black in some particular areas such as the Northern Territory in Australia. It has three vertical white stripes outlined with a fine black line. The first passes just behind the eye, the second in the middle of the body widens forward to the head centrally and the third one circles the caudal peduncle. All the fins are also outlined with a fine black line. A. ocellaris is often confused with Amphiprion percula, which possesses exactly the same colours and patterns at first sight but distinguishes itself by the thickness of the black outlines. Additionally, A. ocellaris has a taller dorsal fin, and typically possesses 11 dorsal-fin spines vs. 10 spines in Amphiprion percula. This species is found in the Eastern Indian Ocean and in the western Pacific Ocean. As mentioned earlier, they can also be found in Northern Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. Amphiprion ocellaris typically lives in small groups on outer reef slopes or in sheltered lagoons at a maximal depth of 15 meters. It inhabits three different species of sea anemones: Heteractis magnifica, Stichodactyla gigantea and Stichodactyla mertensii and have symbiotic relationships with the anemone. A. ocellaris is a diurnal fish. It is a protandrous hermaphrodite, which means the male can change its sex to female during its life, and lives in a harem in which an established dominance hierarchy manages the group and keeps individuals at a specific social rank.It is aggressively territorial and is completely dependent on its sea anemone. A. ocellaris are reliant on sea anemone for shelter (they have a symbiotic relationship with the sea anemone). Sea anemone are protection for the fish and their nests. This is because when A. ocellaris are in the open waters, they have a higher risk of predation. It is postulated that the fanning behavior of the fish and removal of parasites promotes the health of sea anemones which contain A. ocellaris fish. In addition, the anemone provides protection for the fish with its tentacles, however, the fish’s mucus protection prevents it from being stung by the tentacles. The presence of the clownfish can be interpreted as a lure to attract potential anemone's preys close to the tentacles. And the clownfish can also defend the anemone against some reef fishes which could eat the tentacles. Social systems can be defined as society considered as a system organized by a characteristic pattern of relationships. A. ocellaris form specific social hierarchies within their societies. These social hierarchies result in competition to travel between the different levels of society, which is seen between various ages as well.