Amphiprion chagosensis

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Amphiprion chagosensis
A, chagosensis 3.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Family: Pomacentridae
Genus: Amphiprion
Species:
A. chagosensis
Binomial name
Amphiprion chagosensis
(Allen, 1972)
A. chagosensis, with Stichodactyla mertensii, Mertens' carpet sea anemone A, chagosensis 1.jpg
A. chagosensis, with Stichodactyla mertensii, Mertens' carpet sea anemone

Amphiprion chagosensis, the Chagos anemonefish, is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes. It is named for the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean and it is endemic to the archipelago. The original specimens were collected at Diego Garcia Atoll, Chagos Archipelago. [2]

Contents

Characteristics of anemonefish

Clownfish or anemonefish are fishes that, in the wild, form symbiotic mutualisms with sea anemones and are unaffected by the stinging tentacles of the host anemone, see Amphiprioninae § Symbiosis and 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. [3] Clownfish are small-sized, 10–18 centimetres (3.9–7.1 in), 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 and Pacific oceans and the Red Sea in sheltered reefs or in shallow lagoons.

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 hermaphrodites, meaning that they develop into males first, and when they mature, they become females.

Description

Adults are light brown with two white bars with dark edging encircling the body. All fins are dusky brown. [2] They have 10-11 dorsal spines, 2 anal spines, 15-17 dorsal soft rays and 13-14 anal soft rays. [4] They reach a maximum length of 10 cm (4 in). [2]

Color variations

None known.

Similar species

The Chagos anemonefish is mainly distinguished by location, with similar species mostly having a geographic separation, with A. akindynos being found on the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea and A. allardi in East Africa. A. bicinctus is found in the Red Sea but has an overlapping distribution at Chagos. A. chagosensis has a narrower headbar and a whiteish caudal fin. Specimens can also be distinguished by differences in predorsal scalation. [2]

Distribution and habitat

A. chagosensis is found only in the Chagos Archipelago. [2]

Host anemones

Little is known about the specific host anemone species with which A. chagosensis associates, [2] however it has been photographed in association with:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clownfish</span> Subfamily of fishes

Clownfish or anemonefish are fishes from the subfamily Amphiprioninae in the family Pomacentridae. Thirty species of clownfish are recognized: one in the genus Premnas, while the remaining are in the genus Amphiprion. In the wild, they all form symbiotic mutualisms with sea anemones. Depending on the species, anemonefish are overall yellow, orange, or a reddish or blackish color, and many show white bars or patches. The largest can reach a length of 17 cm, while the smallest barely achieve 7–8 cm.

<i>Amphiprion</i> Genus of fishes

Amphiprion is a genus of ray-finned fish which comprises all but one of the species of clownfish or anemonefish in the subfamily Amphiprioninae of the family Pomacentridae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clark's anemonefish</span> Species of fish

Clark's anemonefish, also known as the yellowtail clownfish, is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ocellaris clownfish</span> Species of fish

The ocellaris clownfish, 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 Amphiprion 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomato clownfish</span> Species of fish

The tomato clownfish is a species of marine fish in the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes. It is native to the waters of the Western Pacific, from the Japan to Indonesia. Other common names include blackback anemonefish, bridled anemonefish, fire clown, and red tomato clown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange-fin anemonefish</span> Species of fish

The orange-fin anemonefish is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes, found in the Western Pacific north of the Great Barrier Reef from the surface to 20 m, to include the Pacific Ocean between Queensland, Australia, and New Guinea to the Marshall and Tuamotus Islands. It can grow to 17 cm in length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allard's clownfish</span> Species of fish

Allard's clownfish or Allard's anemonefish is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes, from the western Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa and the Mascarenes.

<i>Amphiprion akindynos</i> Species of fish

Amphiprion akindynos, the Barrier Reef anemonefish, is a species of anemonefish that is principally found in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, but also in nearby locations in the Western Pacific. The species name 'akindynos' is Greek, meaning 'safe' or 'without danger' in reference to the safety afforded amongst the tentacles of its host anemone. Like all anemonefishes it forms a symbiotic mutualism with sea anemones and is unaffected by the stinging tentacles of the host anemone. It is a sequential hermaphrodite with a strict size-based dominance hierarchy: the female is largest, the breeding male is second largest, and the male non-breeders get progressively smaller as the hierarchy descends. They exhibit protandry, meaning the breeding male will change to female if the sole breeding female dies, with the largest non-breeder becomes the breeding male. The fish's natural diet includes zooplankton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Sea clownfish</span> Species of fish

The Red Sea Clownfish, commonly known as the Red Sea or two-bandedanemonefish is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes. Like other species of the genus, the fish feeds on algae and zooplankton in the wild.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pink skunk clownfish</span> Species of fish

The pink skunk clownfish, also known as the pink anemonefish, is a species of anemonefish that is widespread from northern Australia through the Malay Archipelago and Melanesia. Like all anemonefishes, it forms a symbiotic mutualism with sea anemones and is unaffected by the stinging tentacles of the host. It is a sequential hermaphrodite with a strict size-based dominance hierarchy; the female is largest, the breeding male is second largest, and the male nonbreeders get progressively smaller as the hierarchy descends. They exhibit protandry, meaning the breeding male changes to female if the sole breeding female dies, with the largest nonbreeder becoming the breeding male.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red saddleback anemonefish</span> Species of fish

The red saddleback anemonefish, Amphiprion ephippium, also known as the saddle anemonefish, is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes.

The three-band anemonefish is a species of anemonefish endemic to the Marshall Islands in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. Like all anemonefishes, it forms a symbiotic mutualism with sea anemones and is unaffected by the stinging tentacles of its host. It is a sequential hermaphrodite with a strict size-based dominance hierarchy; the female is largest, the breeding male is second largest, and the male nonbreeders get progressively smaller as the hierarchy descends. They exhibit protandry, meaning the breeding male changes to female if the sole breeding female dies, with the largest nonbreeder becoming the breeding male. The fish's natural diet includes zooplankton.

<i>Heteractis aurora</i> Species of sea anemone

Heteractis aurora is a species of sea anemone in the family Stichodactylidae.

<i>Amphiprion mccullochi</i> Species of fish

Amphiprion mccullochi, also known as whitesnout anemonefish or McCulloch's anemonefish, is a species of anemonefish found in subtropical waters at Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.. It was named for Allan McCulloch, a former Curator of Fishes at the Australian Museum, Sydney. Like all anemonefishes it forms a symbiotic mutualism with sea anemones and is unaffected by the stinging tentacles of the host anemone. It is a sequential hermaphrodite with a strict sized based dominance hierarchy: the female is largest, the breeding male is second largest, and the male non-breeders get progressively smaller as the hierarchy descends. They exhibit protandry, meaning the breeding male will change to female if the sole breeding female dies, with the largest non-breeder becomes the breeding male.

<i>Amphiprion chrysogaster</i> Species of fish

Amphiprion chrysogaster, the Mauritian anemonefish, is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes. It is endemic to Mauritius and probably Réunion.

<i>Amphiprion barberi</i> Species of fish

Amphiprion barberi, also known as fiji anemonefish a species of anemonefish that is found in the western Pacific Ocean. It was previously considered a geographic color variation of other anemonefish, initially Amphiprion rubrocinctus from 1972 and then Amphiprion melanopus from 1980 however further study and DNA sequencing resulted in A. barberi being described as a new species in 2008. Like all anemonefishes it forms a symbiotic mutualism with sea anemones and is unaffected by the stinging tentacles of the host anemone. It is a sequential hermaphrodite with a strict sized based dominance hierarchy: the female is largest, the breeding male is second largest, and the male non-breeders get progressively smaller as the hierarchy descends. They exhibit protandry, meaning the breeding male will change to female if the sole breeding female dies, with the largest non-breeder becomes the breeding male. The fish's natural diet includes zooplankton.

<i>Amphiprion fuscocaudatus</i> Species of fish

Amphiprion fuscocaudatus is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes.

<i>Amphiprion latifasciatus</i> Species of fish

Amphiprion latifasciatus is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes.

<i>Amphiprion omanensis</i> Species of fish

Amphiprion omanensis is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae, the clownfishes and damselfishes.

Amphiprion thiellei is thought to be a naturally occurring hybrid anemonefish found in the vicinity of Cebu, Philippines. Like all anemonefishes it forms a symbiotic mutualism with sea anemones and is unaffected by the stinging tentacles of the host anemone. It is a sequential hermaphrodite with a strict dominance hierarchy.

References

  1. Myers, R.; Rocha, L.A. & Allen, G. (2017). "Amphiprion chagosensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T188507A1885502. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T188507A1885502.en .
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Fautin, Daphne G.; Allen, Gerald R. (1992). Field Guide to Anemone Fishes and Their Host Sea Anemones. Western Australian Museum. p. 68. ISBN   978-0-7309-5216-9.
  3. "Clown Anemonefish". Nat Geo Wild : Animals. National Geographic Society. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
  4. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2011). "Amphiprion chagosensis" in FishBase. January 2011 version.
  5. "Images Chagos". Chagos Conservation Trust. Retrieved 2 September 2015.