21 Types of Colorful and Bold Clownfish 

Thanks to Disney’s 2003 film Finding Nemo, the clownfish (or anemonefish) is now a popular and well-known sea creature. However, did you know that in addition to the beloved little orange and white clownfish of the film, there are at least 30 different species and countless color variations out there? From the popular orange clownfish to the designer frostbite clownfish, these dazzling aquatic wonders enchant and charm us with riveting colors and patterns. So, if you’re ready to dive into the captivating world of clownfish, here are 21 colorful and bold clownfish!

1. Orange Clownfish (Amphiprion percula)

Probably the most well-known and recognizable bold and colorful clownfish is the orange clownfish or clown anemonefish. You might recognize these cute little sea creatures as the characters of Nemo and Marlin in Finding Nemo. Orange clownfish are bright orange with three bold white stripes. There are also thin black lines that separate the white and orange colors. Like all clownfish, the orange clownfish has a symbiotic relationship with sea anemones. The clownfish gets a home and scraps to eat from the anemone, and the anemone receives protection from the fish.

2. Saddleback Clownfish (Amphiprion polymnus)

What makes this fish unique is that it only has a partial center stripe on the middle of its body. This marking looks like a saddle you might put on a horse, which is why this cute fish is called the saddleback clownfish! Moreover, there is also a black version of the saddleback clownfish with a full center band. Saddleback clownfish range anywhere from dark brown to yellow orange, with two or three bold white bars. You can find these colorful and bold clownfish all across the Indo-Pacific regions and even up in Northern Australia. 

3. Pink Skunk Clownfish (Amphiprion perideraion)

You might be able to guess where this next clownfish gets its name just by looking at it. The pink skunk clownfish is named for the bold white stripe that runs from its snout down to its tail, just like a skunk! The fish’s body is a peachy or pink color. Additionally, it has a white stripe from the top of its head down below its eye. Pink skunk clownfish are smaller clownfish, measuring only around 3.9 inches. These colorful clownfish live in the warm waters of the tropical Western Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean.

4. Wide-Band Anemonefish (Amphiprion latezonatus)

Swimming off the east coast of Australia, the wide-band anemonefish has a dark brown body with three large white stripes and a white portion on the tail fin. The middle stripe on its body is extra wide, which is where the fish gets its name from. Some fish may also have electric blue coloring on their upper lips and an outline of these large white bars. On occasion, wide-band anemonefish also have yellow or orange dorsal fins. These bold and beautiful clownfish are pretty picky about where they live and are typically only found with sebae anemones (Heteractis crispa). 

5. Snowflake Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

Snowflake clownfish are a particular type of Amphiprion ocellaris that are quite popular among fish enthusiasts. These unique beauties have tons of white markings with sharp and jagged edges all over their bodies. They get their name from the infinite variations of these stripes. Just like real snowflakes, no two snowflake clownfish are ever the same!

6. Maroon Clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus)

These stunning clownfish live in the Indo-Pacific region, spanning from western Indonesia to Taiwan and the Great Barrier Reef. Maroon clownfish have beautiful maroon bodies accented by three vertical white stripes down their sides. Sometimes these bold and vibrant clownfish are also called spine-cheeked clownfish because they have a very unique spine on each cheek. The tips of their pelvic fins are translucent black, while their dorsal, anal, and tail fins transition from maroon to black and to white. In addition, as maroon clownfish age, their stripes transform and take on a goldish hue, giving them a captivating and mysterious appearance.

7. Sebae Clownfish (Amphiprion sebae)

The gorgeous sebae clownfish lives in the warm tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region. These colorful and bold little gems have striking yellow bodies with bold black stripes and a unique black spot on their heads. Their fins have a bright yellow base, and the tips are dipped with an inky black, completing their bold and beautifully colorful style.

8. McCulloch’s Anemonefish (Amphiprion mccullochi)

You can spot the McCulloch’s anemonefish (also called the whitesnout anemonefish) in the subtropical waters around Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. The fish was named after Alan McCulloch, a former Curator at the Australian Museum in Sydney. These colorful and bold clownfish have rich dark brown bodies with striking pale fins and snouts. The fish also has a short white stripe behind each eye. McCulloch’s anemonefish often live in bubble-tip anemones (Entacmaea quadricolor) and are one of the rarest types of clownfish because of their limited range.

9. Barber’s Clownfish (Amphiprion barberi)

Barber’s clownfish live in the Western Pacific Ocean, specifically in areas like Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji. These little fish like to hang out in reefs and lagoons and often live with the magnificent sea anemone (Heteractis magnifica). Their bold and colorful bodies are a dark, reddish-orange color, and they have a striking white stripe near their faces. Their snouts and breasts are also a bright, eye-catching orange shade, and their fins are a lighter translucent orange color. 

10. Orange Skunk Clownfish (Amphiprion sandaracinos)

Like its pink-colored cousin, the orange skunk clownfish also has a distinctive white stripe running from the tip of its snout down to its tail, making it look like an adorable orange skunk with fins! This fish’s white stripe is much wider than that of the pink skunk clownfish, however, and it even bleeds into its dorsal fin on top. Their bodies are a lovely orange color, and they have brilliant yellow and black eyes. Orange skunk clownfish are smaller clownfish, growing 2.5 to 4.5 inches long. They live in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, particularly in the central regions. They’re typically peaceful and fish, although they can be territorial.

11. Picasso Clownfish (Amphiprion percula)

Another rare and stunning clownfish is the Picasso clownfish, a striking variation of the percula or orange clownfish. These bold, hued clownfish stand out due to their unique striped pattern. Instead of classic stripes, Picasso clownfish have interrupted white markings, often without a tail stripe. Although the Picasso clownfish variation actually does occur naturally in Papua New Guinea and in the Solomon Islands, it is extremely rare. 

12. Allard’s Clownfish (Amphiprion allardi)

Allard’s clownfish have black or dark brown bodies with two thin white stripes outlined in black. Their large, fan-like tail fins are white. However, their other fins are all a yellow-orange color, sometimes with a faded black base. The fish’s faces are lighter in color, with a whitish and yellowish hue. Allard’s clownfish are bold and colorful clownfish that live in the Western Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa, South Africa, and the Mascarene Islands. 

13. Red Sea Clownfish (Amphiprion bicinctus)

The Red Sea clownfish has a bright body that ranges from shades of yellow orange to dark brown, with two white bands with striking black edges. Like their name, Red Sea clownfish live in the Red Sea, the Western Indian Ocean, Socotra, and the Chago Archipelago. Many clownfish species are quite picky when it comes to their preferred type, but the Red Sea clownfish is slightly less selective. These colorful and bold clownfish will live in one of five different species of anemones.

14. Frostbite Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

Another unique but absolutely beautiful clownfish is the frostbite clownfish. This special clownfish has DNA from two different types of clownfish: the snowflake clownfish and the Wyoming white clownfish. These enchanting fish are almost completely white with black fins when young. As the fish get older, however, they start to develop some really cool black spots and blotches all over their bodies, like Dalmatians. That’s why they’re called frostbite clownfish — it looks almost as if these fish have been frozen by frostbite! In addition, each frostbite clownfish is unique, and no two have the same markings.

15. Tomato Clownfish (Amphiprion frenatus)

As adults, tomato clownfish transform into stunning orange-red fish with a cool white stripe behind each eye. The stripe connects over the top of the fish’s head and has a stylish, bold black outline. Female tomato clownfish usually have more blackish coloring on their sides compared to males. In contrast, the males are smaller in size, with bright red all over their bodies. Juvenile tomato clownfish, on the other hand, are darker red with have two or three white bars. Tomato clownfish live in the Western Pacific Ocean from Japan to Indonesia. 

16. Clark’s Anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii)

Also known as the yellowtail clownfish, Clark’s Anemonefish are bold and colorful clownfish that can be found from the Persian Gulf to Western Australia and even as far north as Taiwan and Japan. The pattern of each fish depends on habitat, but Clark’s anemonefish usually have a black body with some yellow or brown coloring and orange spots on their fins, belly, and head. They also have three white to yellowish bands on their body, and young fish may appear completely orange. Their tails are usually lighter in color than the rest of their body, and they have yellow pectoral fins on either side of their bodies.

17. Black Storm Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

Because of their coloring, black storm clownfish look like tiny aquatic panda bears! They have super cool black and white patterns like a panda, with cute little white faces and black eyes. Much like some of these other designer clownfish, the black design on the rest of the fish’s body varies from fish to fish. That means every single black storm clownfish is one-of-a-kind and has its very own unique style. 

18. Cinnamon Clownfish (Amphiprion melanopus)

The cinnamon clownfish goes by many different names, like the fire clownfish, dusky anemonefish, black-backed anemonefish, and red and black anemonefish. These bold and colorful clownfish are found all over the western and southern parts of the Pacific Ocean. Their scientific name, “melanopus”, comes from a Greek term and means black feet — referring to their cute little black pelvic fins. Cinnamon clownfish can grow almost 5 inches long and have dark red to orange-colored bodies with mahogany-colored sides. They have a very wide white headband that starts behind each eye. On some fish, the white headband marking even has a beautiful blue tint to it.

19. Mauritian Anemonefish (Amphiprion chrysogaster)

With mostly dark brown bodies that look almost black, the three bright white stripes on the Mauritian anemonefish make it really stand out from the crowd. These clownfish have beautiful orange or yellow-orange snouts and pectoral fins, and the front part of their body or chest is also a beautiful orange hue. Their tail fins are dark brown or a deep blackish color, but their anal fins can either be black or a bright orange yellow. The Mauritian anemonefish is a very rare type of clownfish that only lives in the waters surrounding the African island country of Mauritius (and potentially Réunion). 

20. Maldive Anemonefish (Amphiprion nigripes)

The Maldive anemonefish is a small clownfish that grows 4 to 5 inches long and has an oval-shaped body slightly flattened from the sides. These little fish are true beauties with their rusty, orange-colored bodies and a crisp white stripe running vertically just behind each eye. The pelvic and anal fins are pitch black. However, depending on where they live, some Maldive anemonefish fish are a stunning orange-yellow color without black anal fins. Maldive anemonefish live in the western Indian Ocean, specifically in the Maldive Islands, Sri Lanka, and the Leccadive Islands. 

21. Gold Nugget Maroon Clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus)

Another bold and beautiful designer clownfish is the gold nugget maroon clownfish, a unique variety of the gold stripe maroon clownfish. However, instead of the typical three golden stripes, the golden nugget maroon clownfish features a shiny solid golden color. Its face and contrasting fins are still a deep maroon, but you might notice some additional dark spots and facial markings as well. In addition, its beautiful golden coloring goes all the way down to the base of each fin. The shading almost entirely covers the front top dorsal fin. Interesting, when they are born, gold nuggets maroon clownfish are completely white! As they grow, the fish slowly shift from white into their regal golden color.

21 Types of Colorful and Bold Clownfish