Cinnamon Clownfish

The Cinnamon Clownfish is a species of anemonefish found across the western Pacific, from Indonesia and the Philippines east to Fiji and Samoa, and north to southern Japan. It is a member of the damselfish family Pomacentridae and, like all anemonefish, lives in a symbiotic relationship with host sea anemones, primarily the bulb-tentacle anemone. Its coloring ranges from bright orange-red in juveniles to a darker, almost blackish cinnamon-brown in older adults, particularly males. The species is common and not considered at risk, though it remains a frequently collected aquarium species due to its hardiness and striking color.

Key identification points for the Cinnamon Clownfish:

• Rich reddish-orange to dark cinnamon-brown body color that deepens with age
• A single narrow white vertical bar located just behind the eye, with no other body bars
• Blackish shading concentrated across the back, fins, and tail base in larger adults
• Rounded, unbanded tail fin
• Adult size typically 10-12 cm, with males notably smaller and darker than females The single head bar, combined with dark fin shading, is the most reliable way to distinguish it from similar orange anemonefish.

Cinnamon Clownfish are distributed across coral reef habitats of the western Pacific, from Indonesia and the Philippines through Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Samoa, and north to the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. They are typically found on clear outer reef slopes and lagoon patch reefs at depths of 1 to 12 meters. Their obligate host is most often the bulb-tentacle anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor), found attached to reef substrate in areas with moderate to strong water movement. They require stable tropical reef temperatures generally between 24 and 29°C.

Like other anemonefish, Cinnamon Clownfish live in small hierarchical social groups on a single host anemone, led by a dominant breeding female with a smaller breeding male and several non-breeding juveniles. All individuals are born male and can change sex to female if the dominant female is lost. They are highly territorial, aggressively defending their anemone from other fish while remaining immune to its sting through a protective mucus layer. Feeding includes algae, zooplankton, and small invertebrates gathered near the anemone. Spawning occurs on cleared substrate at the anemone's base, typically timed to lunar cycles, with the male guarding and fanning the eggs until they hatch several days later.