Maroon clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus) care guide

Group
Marine fish
Other names
Spine-cheeked anemonefish, Spine-cheek clownfish, Amphiprion biaculeatus
Family
Pomacentridae (damselfishes and clownfishes)
Origin
Indo-Pacific from western Indonesia to Taiwan and the northern Great Barrier Reef; usually with bubble-tip anemone.
Water
saltwater
Maximum size
17 cm
Temperature
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
Salinity SG 1.023–1.026
Minimum tank
150 litres
Care level
beginner
Temperament
aggressive
Reef safe
yes

Care

Tank: a sturdy reef or fish-only aquarium with rockwork. Tank: an estimated minimum of about 150 litres (our estimate from the adult size and habits, not a figure from the sources), for a pair, because of its size and aggression. In the wild it is usually found in bubble-tip anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor). A host anemone is not essential in the aquarium; many captive-bred fish never use one, and anemones need a mature, well-lit system of their own. Water: the sources give no species-specific figures, so the values here are general marine aquarium guidance, not species-specific: 24–27 °C, pH 8.1–8.4 and specific gravity 1.023–1.026. Keep conditions stable with good filtration and regular water changes. Behaviour: regarded as the most territorial clownfish and usually found as a single mated pair. Females are much larger than males and can quickly switch their grey bars to white when provoked. Identification: maroon to bright red with three thin white (or yellowish) bars and a pair of spines below the eye. Captive breeding has produced a "lightning" form with broken, jagged bars, and hybrids with A. ocellaris are sold as "blood orange" clownfish. Females reach about 17 cm; males usually stay at 6–7 cm. Name: the species article now places it in Amphiprion as Amphiprion biaculeatus; Premnas is its former genus, still widely used in the trade. Trade: clownfish are not CITES-listed. Captive-bred fish are widely available and are the better choice where possible. The article cites a 2022 IUCN assessment without giving the category. Sources: Wikipedia, List of marine aquarium fish species (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listofmarineaquariumfishspecies); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphiprionbiaculeatus). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Omnivorous: algae and zooplankton in the wild. In aquaria offer frozen mysis and brine shrimp, chopped seafood, pellets and flake, with some algae-based food.

Breeding

A protandrous hermaphrodite in a size-based hierarchy: if the breeding female dies, the male becomes female and the largest non-breeder becomes the male. It has bred successfully in home aquaria; eggs are laid on a hard surface near the host and guarded by the male.

Compatibility and tank mates

Reef safe with corals and invertebrates (the list says "yes but aggressive"). Keep one pair only, never with other clownfish, and with robust tankmates. It may attack fish and even hands that approach its territory.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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