Editing Clark's anemonefish

{{Short description|Species of fish}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Amphiprion clarkii.jpg
| image_caption = Clark's anemonefish with [[sea anemone]]
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |title=''Amphiprion clarkii'' |name-list-style=amp |author=Allen, G.R. |author2=Arceo, H. |author3=Mutia, M.T.M. |author4=Muyot, F.B. |author5=Nañola, C.L. & Santos |year=2022 |page=e.T188338A1860189 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T188338A1860189.en |access-date=9 December 2022}}</ref>(Global)
| status2 = EN
| status2_system = IUCN3.1
| status2_ref = <ref name=IUCN>{{cite iucn |author=Allen, G. |author2=Williams, J.T. |author3=Larson, H. |author4=Burt, J. |year=2015 |title=''Amphiprion clarkii'' (Persian Gulf assessment) |volume=2015 |page=e.T188338A57214118 |doi= |access-date=9 October 2024}}</ref> ([[Persian Gulf]])
| taxon = Amphiprion clarkii
| authority = ([[John Whitchurch Bennett|J. W. Bennett]], 1830)
| synonyms = {{Specieslist
 |Anthias clarkii|Bennett, 1830
 |Amphiprion clarkia|(Bennett, 1830)
 |Amphiprion xanthurus|[[Georges Cuvier|Cuvier]], 1830
 |Sparus milii|[[Jean Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent|Bory de Saint-Vincent]], 1831
 |Amphiprion melanostolus|[[John Richardson (Naturalist)|Richardson]], 1842
 |Amphiprion japonicus|[[Coenraad Jacob Temminck|Temminck]] & [[Hermann Schlegel|Schlegel]], 1843
 |Amphiprion boholensis|[[Oscar Cartier|Cartier]], 1874
 |Amphiprion papuensis|[[William John Macleay|Macleay]], 1883
 |Amphiprion snyderi|[[Chiyomatsu Ishikawa|Ishikawa]], 1904
 }}
}}

'''Clark's anemonefish''' ('''''Amphiprion clarkii'''''), also known as the '''yellowtail clownfish''', is a  [[marine fish]] belonging to the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Pomacentridae]], the [[clownfish]]es and [[damselfish]]es.<ref>{{WRMS species|212783|''Amphiprion clarkii''| Bennett, 1830 |accessdate=2014-01-27}}</ref> 28 species of anemonefish live within the Pomacentridae family (Steer P. 2012).

==Characteristics of anemonefish== 
{{main|Amphiprioninae|l1=Amphiprioninae (anemonefish)}}
Clownfish or anemonefish are  [[fish]]es<!--Please note that "fishes" is correct here. See wiki article Fish, subsection "Fish or fishes" -->  that, in the wild, form [[symbiosis|symbiotic]] [[Mutualism (biology)|mutualism]]s with [[sea anemone]]s and are unaffected by the stinging tentacles of the host anemone, see {{slink|Amphiprioninae|Mutualism}}.  The sea anemone protects the clownfish from predators, as well as providing food through the scraps left from the anemone's meals and occasional dead anemone tentacles. In return, the clownfish defends the anemone from its predators, and parasites.<ref name="natgeowild">{{cite web|url=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/clown-anemonefish/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113151105/http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/clown-anemonefish|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 13, 2010|title=Clown Anemonefish|publisher=National Geographic Society|work= Nat Geo Wild : Animals|accessdate=2011-12-19}}</ref> Anemonefish tend to have a life span of about 10-11 years when accounting for a predictable environment that does not experience much change in water temperature, increase in predation or habitat degradation (Lakshmi Sawitri). Clownfish are small-sized, {{convert|10|-|18|cm}}, and depending on species, they are overall yellow, orange, or a reddish or blackish color, and many show white bars or patches. Within species there may be color variations, most commonly according to distribution, but also based on sex, age and host anemone.  Clownfish are found in warmer waters of the [[Indian Ocean|Indian]] and [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]] oceans and the [[Red Sea]] in sheltered [[reef]]s or in shallow [[lagoon]]s.

In a group of clownfish, there is a strict [[dominance hierarchy]]. The largest and most aggressive fish is female and is found at the top. Only two clownfish, a male and a female, in a group reproduce through [[external fertilization]]. Clownfish are [[Sequential hermaphroditism|sequential hermaphrodites]], meaning that they develop into males first, and when they mature, they become females. They are not aggressive. When the egg production and spawning patterns of eight breeding pairs were observed in a coral reef off the coast of the Philippines, they preferred breeding in the colder months. A trend of a peak breeding season from November through May was seen; egg production increased up to the new moon and decreased after the full moon. This seasonality of spawning is comparable to other species of clownfish that live in temperate regions.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Holtswarth, J. N.|author2= San Jose, S. B.|author3= Montes Jr, H. R.|author4= Morley, J. W. |author5= Pinsky, M. L. |year=2017|title=The reproductive seasonality and fecundity of yellowtail clownfish (''Amphiprion clarkii'') in the Philippines |journal=Bulletin of Marine Science|volume=93|issue=4|pages=997–1007|doi=10.5343/bms.2017.1010}}</ref>

==Description==
[[File:Amphiprion clarkii Thailand.jpg|thumb|left|melanistic variation with ''Stichodactyla haddoni'']]
[[File:Clark's Anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii) in Beaded Sea Anemone (Heteractis aurora) (8455438417).jpg|thumb|right|Clark's anemonefish in [[beaded sea anemone]]]]
[[File:Amphiprion clarkii 1.jpg|thumb|left|Orange and black variation]]
[[File:Clark's Anemonefish (School of) 2.png|thumb|right|Juvenile color variation]]
Clark's anemonefish is a small-sized [[fish]] which grows up to {{cvt|10|cm|in|0}} as a male and {{cvt|15|cm|in|frac=8}} as a female.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lougher|first=Tristan|title=What Fish?: A Buyer's Guide to Marine Fish|year=2006|publisher=Interpet Publishing|isbn=0-7641-3256-3|page=13|quote=What size? Males maximum 4 in (10 cm), females maximum 5 7/8 in (15 cm)}}</ref>{{r|Fishbase}} It is stocky, laterally compressed, and oval to rounded.

It is colorful, with vivid black, white, and yellow stripes, though the exact pattern shows considerable geographical variation. Usually it is black dorsally and orange-yellow ventrally, the black areas becoming wider with age.<ref name="umich1">{{cite web|author=Padgette' Steer |url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Amphiprion_clarkii/#physical_description |title=ADW: ''Amphiprion clarkii'': INFORMATION |publisher=Animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu |date= |accessdate=2014-01-27}}</ref> There are two vertical white bands, one behind the eye and one above the anus, and the [[caudal peduncle]] is white. The [[snout]] is orange or pinkish. The [[dorsal fin|dorsal]] and [[caudal fin]]s are orange-yellow,<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://fran.cornu.free.fr/affichage/affichage_nom.php?id_espece=983 |title=SOUS LES MERS : ''Amphiprion clarkii'' - poisson-clown de Clark |publisher=Fran.cornu.free.fr |date= |accessdate=2014-01-27}}</ref> and the caudal fin is generally lighter in tone than the rest of the body, sometimes becoming whitish.<ref name="Eol.org">{{cite EoL|id=46572510 |title=''Amphiprion clarkii'' |date=2013-02-14 |accessdate=2014-01-27}}</ref>

===Color variations===
Clark's anemonefish shows the greatest color variations of any anemonefish, with variations based on location, sex, age and host anemone. Adults in [[Vanuatu]] and [[New Caledonia]] are orange-yellow with two vertical white bands.{{r|FieldGuide}} [[Sexual dimorphism|Sex related color differences]] may be present, such as the female having a white caudal fin and the male having a yellow caudal fin.{{r|FieldGuide}} Juveniles are orange-yellow with vertical white bands.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> Fish living with the host anemone ''[[Stichodactyla mertensii]]'', Mertens' carpet sea anemone are frequently black except for the snout bars and tail.{{r|FieldGuide}}

===Similar species of ''Amphiprion''===
The caudal fin is forked and the base lacks a white bar on ''[[Amphiprion latifasciatus|A. latifasciatus]]''. The caudal fin lacks the sharp demarcation between white and dark and the mid-body bar is narrower on ''[[Amphiprion allardi|A. allardi]]'' and ''[[Amphiprion akindynos|A. akindynos]]''. The caudal fin is dark on ''[[Amphiprion chrysogaster|A. chrysogaster]]'', ''[[Amphiprion fuscocaudatus|A. fuscocaudatus]]'' and ''[[Amphiprion tricinctus|A. tricinctus]]''.{{r|FieldGuide}}

==Distribution and habitat==
Clark's anemonefish is the most widely distributed anemonefish, being found in [[tropical]] waters from the Indian Ocean to the Western Pacific.{{r|Eol.org}} These anemonefish most commonly occupy [[Coral reef|reef biomes]] at 1 to 60 meters in areas with host anemones (Moore, Billy).

===Host anemones===
Clark's anemonefish is the least host specific anemonefish, living in association with all ten [[species]] of sea anemones that host anemonefish:
*''[[Cryptodendrum adhaesivum]]''
*''[[Bubble-tip anemone|Entacmaea quadricolor]]'' Bubble-tip anemone
*''[[Heteractis aurora]]'' beaded sea anemone
*''[[Sebae anemone|Heteractis crispa]]'' Sebae anemone
*''[[Heteractis magnifica]]'' magnificent sea anemone
*''[[Heteractis malu]]'' delicate sea anemone
*''[[Macrodactyla doreensis]]'' long tentacle anemone
*''[[Stichodactyla gigantea]]'' giant carpet anemone
*''[[Stichodactyla haddoni]]''
*''[[Stichodactyla mertensii]]'' Mertens' carpet sea anemone<ref name="umich1"/><ref name="FieldGuide">{{cite book|last=Fautin|first=Daphne G.|author2=Allen, Gerald R. |title=Field Guide to Anemone Fishes and Their Host Sea Anemones |publisher=[[Western Australian Museum]] |year=1992|url=http://jjgeisler.com/reeftank/anemones/ |isbn=0-7309-5216-9|pages=66}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The [[Specific name (zoology)|specific name]] and the [[common name]] both honour the [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[Engraving|engraver]] [[John Heaviside Clark]] (1771–1836) who provided illustrations for Bennett's ''A Selection from the most remarkable and interesting Fishes found on the Coast of Ceylon, from drawings made in the Southern part of that Island''.<ref name = ETYFish>{{cite web | url = https://etyfish.org/cichliformes10/ | title = Order CICHLIFORMES: Family POMACENTRIDAE | accessdate = 9 October 2024 | author1 = Christopher Scharpf | author2 = Kenneth J. Lazara | name-list-style = amp | work = The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database | publisher = Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara | date = 15 August 2024 | version = v. 5.0}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name="Fishbase">{{FishBase | genus = Amphiprion |species = clarkii | month = January | year = 2011}}</ref>
}}

== Further reading ==
{{ref begin}}
* Steer, P. (2012) ''Amphiprion clarkii (black clownfish)'', ''Animal Diversity Web''. Available at: [https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Amphiprion_clarkii/ https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Amphiprion_clarkii/ (Accessed: 22 March 2025).]
* Lakshmi Sawitri. “Clark’s Anemonefish - Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio.” [https://animalia.bio/clarks-anemonefish ''Animalia.bio'', 2015, animalia.bio/clarks-anemonefish. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.]
* Moore, Billy, et al. “The Chromosome-Scale Genome Assembly of the Yellowtail Clownfish Amphiprion Clarkii Provides Insights into the Melanic Pigmentation of Anemonefish.” ''G3: Genes | Genomes | Genetics'', vol. 13, no. 3, Mar. 2023, pp. 1–12. [https://research.ebsco.com/c/tmezyh/viewer/pdf/dxqzsu7wez?proxyApplied=true&auth-callid=669a3d29-5047-443f-b36b-4e25d5dce749 ''EBSCOhost'', https://doi-org.proxy-commonwealthu.klnpa.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkad002.]
{{ref end}}

==External links==
* {{sealifephotos|212783}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q275239}}

[[Category:Amphiprion]]
[[Category:Fish described in 1830]]