Red saddleback anemonefish

The red saddleback anemonefish, *Amphiprion ephippium* (also called the saddle anemonefish), is a marine species in the clownfish and damselfish family, Pomacentridae. Like other clownfish, it lives in a mutualistic partnership with sea anemones in the wild—the fish is immune to the anemone’s stinging tentacles. The anemone shelters the fish from predators and provides food from leftover scraps and dead tentacles; in exchange, the fish defends the anemone from predators and parasites. Clownfish are small, typically 10–18 cm long, and can be yellow, orange, reddish, or blackish, often with white bars or patches. Color may vary by location, sex, age, or host anemone. They inhabit warm waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the Red Sea, in sheltered reefs and shallow lagoons. Within a group, a strict hierarchy exists: the largest, most aggressive fish is the dominant female. Only one breeding pair (a male and female) reproduces via external fertilization. Clownfish are sequential hermaphrodites—they mature as males first, then become females. Adults of this species have a reddish-orange body with a black saddle or spot on each side. Juveniles may have two or three white bars, but these disappear in mature fish. They have 10–11 dorsal spines, 2 anal spines, 16–18 dorsal soft rays, and 13–14 anal soft rays, reaching a maximum length of 12 cm. None known. Adults lack a white bar on the head, which distinguishes them from similar species like *A. frenatus*, *A. melanopus*, and *A. rubrocinctus*. This fish is found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, and Java. The original collection site, Tranquebar, is likely a mistake, as it lies outside the known range. It associates with two host anemones: the bubble-tip anemone (*Entacmaea quadricolor*) and the sebae anemone (*Heteractis crispa*).