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| fishes text index | photo index |
| Phylum Chordata > Subphylum Vertebrata > fishes > Family Pomacentridae > Genus Amphiprion |
| Tomato
anemonefish Amphiprion frenatus Family Pomacentridae updated Aug 10 Where seen? This beautiful anemonefish with a white 'head band' is not as commonly seen. It lives in the Bubble tip sea anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) which is not very commonly encountered, usually on good reefs on our Southern shores. Features: 5-14cm. Red to black with one black-edged white bar just behind the eyes. There may be a second black-edged white bar in the middle of the body. Juveniles are usually red and may have 2-3 narrow white bars. Females have blackish sides while males are a lot smaller and lack the blackish colour being mostly red overall. What does it eat? It feeds on plankton (mostly copepods) and also munches on bottom-dwelling algae. Human uses: Unfortunately, these fishes are taken in large numbers from the wild for the aquarium trade. The harvest may involve the use of cyanide or blasting, which damage the habitat and kill many other creatures. Like other fish and creatures harvested from the wild, most die before they can reach the retailers. Without professional care, most die soon after they are sold. Often of starvation as owners are unable to provide the small creatures and plants that these fishes need to survive. In artificial conditions, many succumb to diseases and poor health. Those that do survive are unlikely to breed. There have been some success in breeding anemonefish for the aquarium trade. Although captive bred anemonefish are hardier, they are more expensive. Harvesting from the wild will probably continue so long as there are unscrupulous traders and aquarists. Status and threats: The Tomato anemonefish is listed as 'Vulnerable' on the Red List of threatened animals of Singapore. Like other creatures of the intertidal zone, they are affected by human activities such as reclamation and pollution. Over-collection can also have an impact on local populations. According to the Singapore Red Data Book, "habitat protection and strict policing against illegal collection are required" to conserve our anemonefishes. |
 Pulau Semakau, Aug 08   Kusu Island, Aug 04 |
 Pulau Semakau, Aug 08 |
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Tomato anemonefishes on Singapore shores
 Terumbu Bemban, Jun 10 |
 Terumbu Bemban, Jun 10 |
Links
References
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Periplus Editions. 292 pp.|
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