29/02/2020
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February 29, 2020 at 7:47 PM · Maasin ·
The Skunk Anemonefish - Amphiprion sandaracinos
and its usual host anemone is photographed by 4 HOURS AGO at Sogod Bay Scuba Resort, Lunsodaan, Padre Burgos (Sogod Bay), Southern Leyte, Phil.
To know the clownfish's description, its usual host anemone
and how both were identified, please click "See More" or the LINK in blue letters after "Source:" below.
Shared Feb 13, 2020
Source: https://www.facebook.com/DiveSogodBayPhilippines/posts/2596230853758905
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The Skunk Anemonefish
Photo credit: 86darlene
When: 4 HOURS AGO • 47 likes
Location: Sogod Bay Scuba Resort, Lunsodaan, Padre Burgos (Sogod Bay), Southern Leyte, Phil.
With tags:
Shared Feb 13, 2020
Photo source: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8fsGAnh-no/?hl=en
FISH'S DESCRIPTION
Orange skunk clownfish -
Amphiprion sandaracinos, also known as the orange skunk clownfish or orange anemonefish, is a species of anemonefish that is distinguished by its broad white stripe along the dorsal ridge. Like all anemonefishes it forms a symbiotic mutualism with sea anemones and is unaffected by the stinging tentacles of the host anemone. It is a sequential hermaphrodite with a strict sized based dominance hierarchy: the female is largest, the breeding male is second largest, and the male non-breeders get progressively smaller as the hierarchy descends.[2] They exhibit protandry, meaning the breeding male will change to female if the sole breeding female dies, with the largest non-breeder becomes the breeding male.[3]
Description
A. sandaracinos is one of the smaller anemonefish, which grows up to 11 cm as a female and 3 to 6.5 cm as a male.[4] Its body has a stock appearance, oval shape, compressed laterally and with a round profile.[5] Its coloration is bright orange, with a white stripe on the dorsal ridge from the superior lip, passing between the eyes and ending at the caudal fin base.[3][4] All the fins have the same coloration as the body except the dorsal fin which is partially white. Its iris is bright yellow.[6]
Distribution and habitat
A. sandaracinos is found in the center of the Indo-Pacific area, known as the Coral Triangle, from the Philippines to Indonesia and New Guinea.It is also found in north western Australia, Christmas Island, Melanesia and to the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan.[3][4] A. sandaracinos typically lives in small groups on outer reef slopes or in lagoons at a maximal depth of 20 metres (66 ft).[7]
Host anemones
The relationship between anemonefish and their host sea anemones is not random and instead is highly nested in structure.[8] A. sandaracinos is a specialist, being hosted primarily by 1 out of the 10 host anemones: [3][7][8]
Heteractis crispa Sebae anemone (rarely)
Stichodactyla mertensii Mertens' carpet sea anemone (usually)
On the northern coast of New Guinea, male A. sandaracinos occasionally breed with the significantly larger female A. chrysopterus and their offspring is the hybrid anemonefish A. leucokranos.[9]
In 2011 3 individuals of A. sandaracinos and a pair of A. clarkii were observed to coexist within one host anemone of Stichodactyla mertensii. A. clarkii was not aggressive towards the A. sandaracinos but was aggressive towards all fish approaching the anemone. The anemonefish didn't divide the host into separate territories.[10]
Feeding
Like all anemonefish, A. sandaracinos is omnivorous and its diet is based on zooplankton, small benthic crustaceans and algaes.[6]
Stichodactyla mertensii
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Stichodactyla mertensii
Sea anemone mad 1.JPG
Stichodactyla meretensii
Stichodactyla mertensii, commonly known as Mertens' carpet sea anemone, is a species of sea anemones in the family Stichodactylidae. It is regarded as the largest sea anemone with a diameter of over 1 m (3.3 ft), the next largest being Heteractis magnifica, which has longer tentacles.[1] This species has an oral disc that can be described as more ovoid than circular that contours to the surrounding substrate and is attached to the substrate by adhesive verrucae, which are wart-like projections.[1] Its blunt or pointed tentacles are uniformly shaped, and are only about 1–2 centimetres (0.39–0.79 in) long.[1] It contains obligate symbiotic zooxanthellae, and is a host to around half the species of anemonefish and one damselfish, Dascyllus trimaculatus.
Distribution
S. mertensii is found on rocky or coral substrate and is widespread throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific area from Mauritius to Fiji and from the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan to Australia.[1] While this species can be confused with Stichodactyla gigantea and S. haddoni, they are most easily distinguished by habitat since the former two prefer sand while S. mertensii prefers rocky or coral substrate.[1]
Biology
The anemonefish generally said to be hosted by S. mertensii are: [1][2][3][4][5]
Amphiprion sandaracinos is one out of 12 other species of anemonefishes hosted by Stichodactyla mertensii Mertens' carpet sea anemone
Text and 2nd photo Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stichodactyla_mertensii
