Maroon Clownfish
Description: A maroon-colored clownfish with three white stripes. The stripes of Premnas biaculeatus found at Sumatra are yellow instead.

Natural Ecology: This species naturally lives among the tentacles of bubble-tip anemones (Entacmaea quadricolor). This natural behavior protects wild clownfishes from predators. Proaquatix clownfishes do not require anemone hosts, but will accept them if present. This species is a case of convergent evolution, where it has independently evolved symbiosis with anemones, without inheriting this trait from phylogenetic relatedness to Amphiprion.

Indigenous To: Range extends from western Indonesia to Vanuatu, northward to Taiwan, and southward to northern Great Barrier Reef.

Behavior: Like all clownfishes, Premnas biaculeatus is a sequential hermaphrodite. The largest individual present will exert dominance and become reproductively female. The next largest fish will become reproductively male. The female will not tolerate other smaller individuals.

Compatability: Usually ignores reef invertebrates and corals. Clownfishes sometimes adopt various corals and algae as substitutes for host anemones.

Food: Proaquatix specimens have been weaned to take aquarium pellets and flakes. Freshly frozen invertebrates such as ocean plankton, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, and chopped squid will be readily accepted.