Premnas biaculeatus (Bloch, 1790)

Genus Distinguishing Feature

Description: The defining characteristic of this fish's genus is a spine located on the cheek.

Color Variation Drivers

Body color and bar color vary based on the fish's sex and geographic location.

Female Body Coloration

Despite its common name maroon clownfish, only some females have a maroon body color; their body color can range as dark as dark brown.

Juvenile & Male Coloration

Juveniles and males are bright red-orange.

Body Bar Characteristics

This fish has three body bars that can be white, grey, or yellow. If a female's bars are grey, they can rapidly change to white when the fish is provoked.

Size Dominance Hierarchy

Due to a size-based dominance hierarchy within any group of anemonefish, the female is always larger than the male.

Sexual Size Dimorphism

This species shows a significant size difference between sexes: females are among the largest anemonefish, growing up to 17 cm (6.7 in), while males are much smaller, usually reaching 6–7 cm (2.4–2.8 in) in length.

Species Distribution

Distribution and habitat: Premnas biaculeatus (previously referenced as A. biaculeatus) occurs in the Malay Archipelago and Western Pacific Ocean, north of the Great Barrier Reef.