Pink skunk clownfish (Amphiprion perideraion)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Ovalentaria incertae sedis · Family: Pomacentridae · Genus: Amphiprion.

Accepted name: Amphiprion perideraion · Authority: Bleeker, 1855 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 278403.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Amphiprion amamiensis Mori, 1966; Amphiprion peridaeraion (Bleeker, 1855); Amphiprion perideraeus Bleeker, 1855; Amphiprion rosenbergi Bleeker, 1859; Amphiprion rosenbergii Bleeker, 1859; Prochilus perideraion (Bleeker, 1855); Prochilus rosenbergi (Bleeker, 1859).

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=278403 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Amphiprion perideraion. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 10 cm · Depth range: 1–38 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 26 of 100 · Fishery importance: of no interest · Aquarium trade: commercial.

FishBase notes: Adults inhabit lagoon and seaward reefs (Ref. 1602). Mainly diurnal. Non-burrowing. Monogamous (Ref. 52884). A protandrous hermaphrodite (Ref. 32166).

Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205). Eggs are demersal and adhere to the substrate (Ref. 205). Males guard and aerate the eggs (Ref. 205).

Associated with the anemones: Heteractis magnifica (usually), Heteractis crispa , Macrodactyla doreensis , Stichodactyla gigantea (Ref. 5911). In Bali they occur together with the closely related Indian Ocean species A. akallopison and have even been found sharing the same anemone (Ref. 48636). Has been reared in captivity (Ref. 35413, 35418, 35420).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 2024) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Amphiprion-perideraion.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

3,363 georeferenced occurrence records for Amphiprion perideraion are published through GBIF from 36 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 356 distinct locations from a sample of 3,000 records, omitting 36 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Indonesia (784); Australia (562); Philippines (560); Fiji (230); New Caledonia (164).

The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 5212059) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=5212059&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=278403 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Amphiprion perideraion Bleeker, 1855 as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 188340) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/188340/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 5212059) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/5212059/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The body of A. perideraion is pink to peach. It has the white stripe along the dorsal ridge that is common to all members of the skunk complex and a white head bar running vertically just behind the eye. While the largest species of anemonefish can reach a length of 18 cm, A. perideraion is one of the smallest species, with females growing to a length of 10 cm.

Color variations

Some anemonefish species have color variations based on geographic location, sex, and host anemone. A. perideraion, like other members of the skunk complex, does not show any of these variations.

Similar species

A. perideraion is included in the skunk complex, so has similarities with other species in this complex. The combination of dorsal stripe and head bar distinguishes it from most other species. A. akallopisos, A. sandaracinos, and A. pacificus all lack a white head bar, while A. nigripes lacks the dorsal stripe and has black belly and black pelvic and anal fins. The hybrid A. leucokranos has a broader head bar and the dorsal stripe does not extend the full length of the dorsal ridge.

Distribution and habitat

A. perideraion is found throughout the Malay Archipelago and Melanesia, in the west Pacific Ocean from the Great Barrier Reef and Tonga, north to the Ryukyu Islands of Japan and in the eastern Indian Ocean from Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, through the Rowley Shoals, Scott and Ashmore Reefs, Cocos and Christmas Islands to Sumatra. It inhabits reef lagoons and outer reef slopes. A. perideraion has been thought to be found at depths of 3–20 m, but surveys using autonomous underwater vehicles of mesophotic reefs at Viper Reef and Hydrographers Passage in the central Great Barrier Reef observed A. perideraion at depths between 50 and 65 m. A. perideraion and A. clarkii are the only anemonefish found on both the east and west coasts of Australia.

While the morphological features of A. perideraion are consistent throughout its range, genetic analysis of fish in the Indo-Malay Archipelago has shown a genetic break between the Java Sea population (Karimun Java) and all other locations. A north-to-south connection exists from the Philippines to the rest of the archipelago and a mixing of central populations along the strong current of the Indonesian throughflow.

Host anemones

The relationship between anemonefish and their host sea anemones is not random and instead is highly nested in structure. A.

Heteractis magnifica magnificent sea anemone (usually)

Unusually for anemonefish, A. perideraion has been observed sharing a host with other species, including A. clarkii and A. akallopisos.

The natural diet of anemonefish includes zooplankton, (diatoms and copepods), benthic worms, tunicates, and algae. A. perideraion is the only species of anemonefish to primarily feed on algae.

Anemonefish and their host anemones are found on coral reefs and face similar environmental issues. Like corals, anemones contain intracellular endosymbionts, zooxanthellae, and can suffer from bleaching due to triggers such as increased water temperature or acidification. Local populations and genetic diversity remain vulnerable to high level of exploitation of these species and their host anemones by the global ornamental fish trade. This species was not evaluated in the 2012 release of the IUCN Red List.

It has successfully been bred in an aquarium. In an aquarium, hobbyists have fed the species brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, chopped shellfish, and dried algae.

Source: Wikipedia: Pink skunk clownfish — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_skunk_clownfish (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.