Black-backed Anemonefish (Amphiprion melanopus)

Black-backed Anemonefish Amphiprion melanopus
Name	Black-backed Anemonefish
Name Lat.	Amphiprion melanopus
Family	Damselfishes
Family lat.	Pomacentridae
Order	Ovalentarias
Order lat.	Ovalentaria inc. sed.
Origin	Western Pacific
Habitat	Lagoons, seaward reefs
Diet	Omnivore
pH	8.1-8.4
Hardness	8-10 °KH
Behavior	Semi-aggressive
Keeping	Pair with host anemone
Reef Compatible	Yes
Care Level	Moderate
Life Span	2-5 years
Protection	No
Metric Units
Size	10 cm
Temperature	24-27 °C
Salinity	33-36 ‰
Aquarium	~ 300 l
US Units
Size	4"
Temperature	75-81 °F
Salinity	1.020-1.025 sg
Aquarium	~ 80 gal

Distribution and habitat

The range of Amphiprion melanopus is the western Pacific, from Indonesia and the southern Philippines through Micronesia and Melanesia to the Great Barrier Reef, where they live in lagoons and on outer reefs in symbiosis with anemones.

Maintenance

The aquarium should have a reef structure with living stones that act as a biological filter and at least one host anemone that serves as a hiding place, resting place and retreat, as well as sufficient swimming space. Only calcareous, heavy metal-free sands, gravels, stones or sea sand of various grain sizes may be used as substrate.

Filters, skimmers and heaters are necessary to ensure water quality, as well as pumps to simulate tides, swells and bottom currents. Lighting must correspond to the species-appropriate day-night rhythm of the animals

Salinity: 33-36 ‰	pH value: 8.1-8.4
Carbonate hardness: 8-10 °KH	Nitrate content: 2-8 mg/l
phosphate content: 0.01-0.1 mg/l	nitrite content: 0.0-0.05 mg/l

For salinity, an average value should be aimed for, which may only vary slightly by +/- 0.5 ‰. Ammonia and ammonium must not be measurable. Special attention must be paid to constantly good water quality.

Diet

They feed mainly on animal food, but also require plant food. The food supply should consist of a combination of small mysis, krill and artemia as well as chopped fish, mussel and squid meat, supplemented with a commercially available, frozen special food mix. In addition, high-quality granulated or flake food with a high vegetable content (e.g. spirulina, kelp). It is recommended to feed small portions several times a day (3-5 times)

Regular and varied feeding promotes health and increases resistance.

Behaviour and compatibility

They must be kept in pairs with a host anemone, such as Entacmaea quadricolor, Heteractis crispa or Heteractis magnifica, with which they live in symbiosis. The dominant, larger animal always develops into the female. They defend their host anemone together. There may be intraspecific incompatibility as well as incompatibility with other anemonefish. They can be well socialized with other peaceful fish.

Sex dimorphism

They are protandrous hermaphrodites, i.e. the females develop from functional males when needed. The female is significantly larger than the male.

Reproduction and breeding

The breeding has already succeeded over several generations. The spawn is deposited at the foot of the anemone and the male performs the brood care. The larvae hatch after 6-11 days and must be fed several times a day with special rearing food (zooplankton).

Important

They find protection in the cnidarian tentacles of their host anemone and defend it against predators. They gain protection from the stinging venom by taking over ('cuddling') body mucus from their symbiotic anemone

If different species are kept together, care must be taken to ensure that the fish match each other in terms of water quality and temperature requirements, as well as their social behavior, and that the setup meets the needs of all species kept together. New fish to be introduced must be acclimated slowly to the water in the aquarium.

Further literature can be found in your pet store.

References

Text: Werner Winter; Image: Franz Lowak

Source: KUITER, DEBELIUS (2007): Atlas der Meeresfische: Die Fische an den Küsten der Weltmeere, Kosmos Verlag; BAENSCH & PATZNER (1998): Meerwasser Atlas Bd. 7, Mergus Verlag; ENGELMANN (2005): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Fische, Verlag Harri Deutsch

• Gemäß § 21 Abs. 5 Tierschutzgesetz idgF