Cinnamon Clownfish Identification Guide
Learn to identify this reddish-brown anemonefish by its single white head bar and darkening fins.
Read the full Cinnamon Clownfish encyclopedia entry →
Key identification features
- Body deep reddish-brown to almost blackish, especially in older individuals
- A single wide white bar located just behind the eye, with no other body bars
- Orange-red fins that darken toward black at the edges in mature fish
- Some populations, notably around Fiji, develop nearly all-black bodies
- Moderate size for a clownfish, reaching about 4-5 inches (10-13 cm)
Common look-alikes
- Tomato clownfish also has a single white head bar but stays a more solid orange-red without the dark, sooty wash on the body and fins.
- Fire clownfish is more uniformly orange-red with a taller body profile and lacks the blackish shading cinnamon clownfish develop with age.
- Red saddleback clownfish shows an additional saddle-shaped mark on the mid-body, which cinnamon clownfish never develops.
Where you'll see one
Cinnamon clownfish live on coral reef slopes and lagoons across the western Pacific, from Indonesia and the Philippines east to Fiji and Vanuatu. They pair with several anemone species, most commonly the bulb-tip anemone, and stay close to their host, rarely venturing more than a few feet away.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell a cinnamon clownfish from a tomato clownfish?
Both have a single white head bar, but the cinnamon clownfish develops a darker, sootier body and fins with age, while the tomato clownfish stays a cleaner solid orange-red.
Why do some cinnamon clownfish look almost completely black?
Populations around Fiji naturally develop heavy dark pigmentation over the orange-red base color as they mature, resulting in a near-black body with just the white head bar remaining obvious.