Maroon clown fish (Spine Cheeked) Premnas biaculeatus
Gold Stripe Maroon clownfish Premnas epigramma (Sumatran clownfish)
Maroon Clownfish Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish
Natural Range tangled in the net when catching. They do not Maroon clownfish are found in the Indo-Pacific need a host anemone to survive, but are gen- and Great Barrier Reef and the Gold Stripe erally not fussy about what type of anemone Maroon clownfish is found in Sumatra, Indo- they live in if one is provided. The Gold Stripe nesia. clownfish is a recent discovery to the genus Premnas. Captive bred Goldstripe Maroons Max. Size and Longevity take a while to develop the gold colouration of It can reach a maximum size of 17 cm and it the stripes, it usually occurs a while after they can live for more than six years in captivity. have paired up in an established tank.
Water Parameters Sexing and Breeding Temperature: 24 oC - 26oC Maroon clownfish have successfully bred in pH: 8.0 – 8.4 captivity. Males are redder, and diminutive in Specific gravity: 1.020-1.025 appearance and less aggressive when com- pared to the females. Clown fish are protan- Feeding drous hermaphrodites, meaning they have They are very good eaters. Feed them a var- the ability to change sex when the dominant ied diet of fresh meaty chopped foods, live female dies or is removed from the tank. A and frozen brine and mysis shrimp, Tetra larger male will turn into a female and develop flakes and pellets. a deep maroon colour as the transition takes place, the most dominant juvenile in the tank Compatibility will then transform into a male. They become very territorial as they mature and are best kept as an individuals or as a Handy Hints for success mated pair. They are more suited with bold Tank bred fish are hardier than wild caught tank mates such as angelfish, tangs triggerfish fish but both are very aggressive. It is best to and wrasses. They will harass small peaceful keep an eye on them to observe any territorial fish (including other clownfish species). behaviour. To curb their aggression, either add them last to the tank or rearrange the dé- Colour and Varieties cor when introducing them in to the tank. Maroon clownfish have striking deep maroon colour with three distinctive white stripes on Common diseases or problems them. The Gold Stripe clownfish is very similar Clownfish caught from the wild are susceptible apart from the bands which are thicker and to diseases such as white spot (Cryptocaryon yellow in colour. Both species are available irritans), velvet (Oodinium ocellatum) and as captive bred and wild caught. brooklynella hostilis. White spot and velvet can be treated with a copper based remedy General Information and brooklynella can be treated with a mul- The two spines on the gill cover give the ma- ticure (ensure invertebrates are not present roon clown fish its species name biaculeatus with both medications). It is best to quarantine (meaning spine cheek), which also poses a your fish before putting them in your main sys- handling problem as the spines can become tem.
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