Wideband Anemonefish, Amphiprion latezonatus Waite 1900


Other Names: Blue Lip Anemonefish, Blue-lip Anemonefish, Wide-band Anemonefish, Wide-banded Anemonefish, Wide-striped Anemonefish

A Wideband Anemonefish, Amphiprion latezonatus, at North Solitary Island, New South Wales, 17 March 2012. Source: Ian Shaw / iNaturalist.org. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial

Summary:

A very distinctive dark brown anemonefish with three white bars on the body, including a broad mid-body bar that is much wider than the mid-body bar of other Australian anemonefishes.

Although the Wideband Anemonefish usually lives in association with the host anemone Heteractis crispa, it also occurs with Entacmaea quadricolor and Stichodactyla gigantea.


Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. & Bray, R.D, Amphiprion latezonatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1272

Wideband Anemonefish, Amphiprion latezonatus Waite 1900

More Info


Distribution

Endemic to subtropical waters of Australia, from southern Queensland to North Solitary Island, northern New South Wales, the Lord Howe Island region and Norfolk Island in the Tasman Sea.

Lives in a symbiotic association with the sea anemones Heteractis crispa, Entacmaea quadricolor and Stichodactyla gigantea.

Features

Dorsal fin X, 15-16; Anal fin II, 13-14.

Size

Grows to a maximum size of 15 cm.

Colour

Adults are dark brown with three white bars, the middle bar very wide, more than twice the width of the mid-body bar of most other anemonefishes, and a broad white margin on the caudal fin.

Small juveniles have a somewhat different colour pattern to adults. While post-settlement juveniles are black or dark brown with three white body bars like adults, the mid-body bar is narrow, extends over the second anal-fin spine and over dorsal-fin rays 3-7, and continues along the distal edge of the fin rays. The remainder of the soft dorsal fin is yellow. The bar on the caudal peduncle extends ventrally across the caudal peduncle, and along the upper margin of the caudal fin. The caudal fin is mostly yellow, with a black margin that is more pronounced posteriorly. The snout is yellow with the pigment touching the anterior edge of the eye. the spinous dorsal, anal and pelvic fins are dark.

Biology

Anemone fishes have small home ranges, live "family" groups, and males and females form strong pair bonds. When breeding, the male chooses a nesting site on bare rock close to his host anemone. He clears the site of algae and debris, often aided by the female. She lays her eggs onto this surface, and the male aerates the eggs until they hatch.

In a study of reproduction in Wideband Anemonefish at Julian Rocks (New South Wales), Richardson et al. (1997) found that females spawned up to 3 times a month during summer (December to April) with a peak during January and February. Spawning was  less frequent during the cooler months (May to November). The number of eggs per clutch ranged from about 800 to 3870 eggs.

Fisheries

This popular aquarium fish has been reared in captivity.

Similar Species

This distinctive anemonefish has a very wide mid-body bar that is much narrower at the top than at the bottom - and adults are unlikely to be confused with other anemonefish species.

Species Citation

Amphiprion latezonatus Waite, 1900, Rec. Aust. Mus. 3(7): 201. Type locality: Lord Howe Island

Author

Bray, D.J. & Bray, R.D

Wideband Anemonefish, Amphiprion latezonatus Waite 1900

References


Allen, G.R. 1975. Damselfishes of the South Seas. T.F.H. Publications, Inc., Neptune City, New Jersey. 240 pp.

Allen, G.R. 1975. Anemonefishes - their classification and biology. T.F.H. Publications, Inc., Neptune City, New Jersey.

Allen, G.R. 1991. Damselfishes of the world. Mergus Publishers, Melle, Germany. 271 pp.

Coleman, N. 1980. Australian Sea Fishes South of 30ºS. Lane Cove, NSW : Doubleday Australia Pty Ltd 309 pp.

Fautin, D.G. & G.R. Allen. 1992. Field guide to anemonefishes and their host sea anemones. Western Australian Museum, Francis Street, Perth.

Francis, M.P. 1993. Checklist of the coastal fishes of Lord Howe, Norfolk, and Kermadec Islands, Southwest Pacific Ocean. Pac. Sci. 47(2): 136-170.

Grant, E.M. 1991. Fishes of Australia. Brisbane : EM Grant Pty Ltd 480 pp.

Johnson, J.W. 1999. Annotated checklist of the fishes of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 43(2): 709-762.

Johnson, J.W. 2010. Fishes of the Moreton Bay Marine Park and adjacent continental shelf waters, Queensland, Australia. pp. 299-353 in Davie, P.J.F. & Phillips, J.A. Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Marine Biological Workshop, The Marine Fauna and Flora of Moreton Bay. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 54(3)

Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal fishes of south-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.

Ollerton J, McCollin D, Fautin DG, Allen GR (2007) Finding NEMO: nestedness engendered by mutualistic organization in anemonefish and their hosts. Proc R Soc B 274: 591–598. Open access

Richardson DL (1996). Aspects of the ecology of anemonefishes (Pomacentridae : Amphiprion) and giant sea anemones (Actinaria) within sub-tropical eastern Australian waters. Ph.D. Thesis, Southern Cross University, Lismore.

Richardson, D.L., P.L. Harrison & V.J. Harriott. 1997. Timing of spawning and fecundity of a tropical and subtropical anemonefish (Pomacentridae: Amphiprion) on a high latitude reef on the east coast of Australia. Marine Ecology Progress Series 156: 175-181.

Richardson, D.L. 1998. Descriptions of the colour patterns of juvenile anemonefishes (Pomacentridae: Amphiprion) from New South Wales and the Lord Howe-Norfolk Island Region. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 120: 81-86.

Scott A, Malcolm HA, Damiano C, Richardson DL (2011) Long-term increases in abundance of anemonefish and their host sea anemones in an Australian marine protected area. Mar Freshw Res 62: 187–196. Abstract

Scott A, Rushworth KJW, Dalton SJ & Smith SDA (2016) Subtropical anemonefish Amphiprion latezonatus recorded in two additional host sea anemone species. Marine Biodiversity pp 1-2. pp 1-2. DOI:10.1007/s12526-015-0390-0

Steinberg, R., van der Meer, M., Walker, E., Berumen, M., Hobbs, J. & van Herwerden, L. 2016. Genetic connectivity and self-replenishment of inshore and offshore populations of the endemic anemonefish, Amphiprion latezonatus. Coral Reefs 35 (3): pp. 959-970. doi:10.1007/s00338-016-1420-5 Abstract

Waite, E.R. 1900. Additions to the fish-fauna of Lord Howe Island. Records of the Australian Museum 3(7): 193-209 figs 1-2 pls 34-36. PDF at BHL

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37372022

Behaviour:Lives with anemones

Biology:Able to change sex

Depth:5-45 metres

Fishing:Aquarium fish

Max Size:15 cm TL

Max Size:Reef associated

Native:Endemic

Species Maps

CAAB distribution map