Amphiprion sandaracinos (Allen,1972)

Colour features and size : Bright orange with white mid-dorsal stripe between middle snout and upper base of the tail; no white bars on head and body;

Dorsal spines (total): 9-9;

Dorsal soft rays (total): 6-18;

Anal spines: 2-2;

Anal soft rays: 12-12;

Maximum length: 130mm;  

Environment: marine ;reef-associated; non-migratory;

Depth range: 3 - 20 m;

Climate: tropical (30°N - 25°S);

Importance: aquarium: commercial;

Red List Status: Not in IUCN Red List;

Other Names: Orange, Eastern Skunk Anemonefish;

A. sandaracinos is unlike A. akallopisos and A. perideraion, because of its size; it is much larger. Its skunk-stripe also extends down to the top of the lip; whereas A. akallopisos's stripe extends across the top lip. There is little doubt, that these two species are related; but in the modern day they are found in different areas, and differ greatly in size.
A. sandaracinos is also usually more orange than A. akallopisos;

Variants: All offspring are varied and none appear to have exactly the same markings;

Yellow forms

Body usually yellow with orange or brown-orange overcasting. Males: thick, black edged, tear like or bar joined to cap on head, occasionally with white on dorsal or near keel, eye dark. Females: like A. chrysopterus; yellow, black overcasting, blue bars - usually head bar and then spots or dashes for second bar, eye dark;

 Orange Forms

Appear to be sterile; no breeding pairs spotted as yet; body orange, with dark orange or brown overcasting, sometimes with peanut and cap, broken bar to cap, or dot instead of bar or cap, white finely edged black, fins vary from orange to clear, sometimes dorsal is white, sometimes fish appears very much like A. sandaracinos;

Possibly the original pair

  x

Orange Form Sub Adults: appear like A. perideraion with white patches on top at rear;

Yellow Form Sub Adults: Appear like A. chrysopterus sub-adults - brown or brownish, with white spot or bar;

Although crosses between species have occurred on rare occasions in captivity, it was believed impossible to occur in the wild. However, over the past few years, in the Papua New Guinea area, several dubious fish have appeared in the wild, and at this stage, it appears that hybrids are occurring in the wild;

The original culprits (still alive and well) are believed to be a female A. chrysopterus  and a male A. sandaracinos  (note: this fish may be hybrid itself but appears to be full blooded) in a dark S. mertensii at Kimbe Bay, New Britain;

Normally, the offspring of hybrids between species are infertile, and for the most, this appears to be the case of the young that these two species have produced;

The young appear like A. leucokranos, A. theillei, A. sandaracinos, or A. chrysopterus. In the sub-adult stage they look like either A. chrysopterus or A. perideraion;

For this reason, A. leucokranos and A.theillei are now very unlikely to be species within themselves;

The fact that no two fish appear exactly the same in pattern led researchers in 1998 to the discovery of an A. chrysopterus female mating with an A. sandaracinos male (in the wild in Papua New Guinea) and producing offspring of similar markings to fish identified as A. leucokranos.

Uncertain. Currently research is being undertaken in captivity by the Scripps Aquarium (San Diego USA) and Waikiki Aquarium in Honolulu, Hawaii (USA). It is possible that these 'desperate' pairings are due to over-fishing for the aquarium trade in the areas;

Occurs in lagoon and outer reefs, commensal with the anemone Stoichactis giganteum, and S. mertensii;

Has been reared in captivity;

These anemonefishes like the others of the Skunk Complex are all hardy but tend to be nervous and edgy. If they are to be part of a community of fishes, add them to the aquarium early and give them a chance to claim an area before introducing other territorial fishes. Once they have settled, they become bolder and may defend their territory. If added to a tank already containing harassing fishes, they will remain apprehensive wanderers and never settle;  

Geographic distribution:

Christmas Island, and Western Australia in the eastern Indian Ocean and northwards to the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, Philippines, New Guinea, D'Entrecasteaux Islands, New Britain, and Solomon Islands;

Next Page - A. nigripes

Skunk Complex Species Index