Not furry, but we like them anyway.

Maroon Clownfish

Amphiprion biaculeatus

Also called Spinecheek anemonefish, Spine-cheeked anemonefish, Spine-cheek clownfish, Premnas biaculeatus (former scientific name), Gold Stripe Maroon (yellow-barred form)

SpeciesShort profile

From Indo-West Pacific, from India and western Indonesia through Southeast Asia to the Philippines, Taiwan, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and northern Queensland1 2

At a glance the quick version

Length6 to 17 cm2 1 3

Sizemedium

One of the largest and boldest clownfish

Easy care level and hardy

Very long-lived pairs in aquaculture

2 3 4

Looks how to spot one

Coloursred-orange with white bars (juveniles and males)maroon to dark brown with white bars (females)gold stripe form with yellow bars (Sumatra, Andaman Islands)lightning (captive-bred, jagged broken bars)2 4

Personality what they are like

A confident, strongly territorial fish, often called the feistiest of the clownfish. It guards its home spot firmly and generally does not share space with other clownfish, apart from its own mate. The gold stripe form is reported to be slightly calmer.2 3 4

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Sticks close to its bubble-tip anemone or chosen home and patrols the area around it.2 1

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

A fully marine fish rated easy to care for. Suggested aquarium water: about 22 to 26 °C (72 to 78 °F), carbonate hardness 8 to 12 dKH and specific gravity 1.020 to 1.025. Net it gently, as the cheek spines can catch in the mesh.3

Home where they are happiest

A saltwater aquarium of at least about 114 L (30 US gallons). In the wild it lives in sheltered coastal waters and lagoons at about 1 to 16 m, partnered only with the bubble-tip anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor), which also suits it in captivity.3 1 2

Food basics what goes in the bowl

An omnivore. Wild fish eat zooplankton and algae; in aquariums it takes meaty frozen foods such as shrimp along with algae-based foods.1 2 3

Company who they like around

Normally found as a single mated pair, with a large female and a much smaller male. Keep one fish or one established pair per tank.2 1 4

The story where it all began

Bloch described this fish in 1790, and for a long time it sat alone in its own genus, Premnas, because of its cheek spines. Genetic work showed it is closely related to the ocellaris and percula clownfish, and in 2021 it was moved into Amphiprion. It has been bred successfully in captivity, including selected forms such as the gold stripe and lightning maroons.2 1

Fun facts for the dinner table

1
It is the only clownfish with yellow or gold bars, found in fish from Sumatra and the Andaman Islands.2
2
Gold stripe juveniles start with white stripes that turn gold at around 9 to 12 months, beginning with the head stripe.4
3
A spawn usually holds around 1,500 eggs, and record spawns have topped 6,000.4
4
Crossing a maroon with an ocellaris clownfish produced the 'blood orange' hybrid clownfish.2
5
In a pair, the female can be more than twice the length of the male.2

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2021)1
Marcus Elieser Bloch: Species described by Bloch in 1790; moved from genus Premnas into Amphiprion in 20212

The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you

A typical home-care rhythm for a Maroon Clownfish. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.

FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
Temperature checkevery day
Salinity checkevery week
Top-upTop up evaporation with fresh RO water, not salt waterevery day
Water testevery week
Water changeAbout 10 to 20% of the waterevery 2 weeks
Glass cleanevery week

Start a free diary

Tomato Clownfish

Cinnamon Clownfish

Ocellaris Clownfish

Percula Clownfish

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Where this comes from

Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

FishBase: Amphiprion (Premnas) biaculeatus, Spinecheek anemonefish fishbase.seused for range, max size, depth, host anemone, diet, IUCN status
Wikipedia: Maroon clownfish en.wikipedia.orgused for names, taxonomy, colours, size by sex, temperament, habitat, diet, history, fun facts
LiveAquaria: Maroon Clownfish quick stats liveaquaria.comused for care level, tank size, water parameters, diet, netting tip
ORA: Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish orafarm.comused for gold stripe form, temperament, spawning, long-lived pairs

Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.