Pink Skunk Clownfish

The Pink Skunk Clownfish (Amphiprion perideraion) is a small anemonefish in the family Pomacentridae, distributed widely across the Indo-Pacific from the Andaman Sea and Southeast Asia to the western Pacific islands. Unlike the bold orange-and-white banding of many clownfish, it has a soft pink to peach body marked with a single thin white stripe running down the back, a pattern reminiscent of a skunk's marking and the source of its common name. Like other anemonefish, it forms an obligate symbiotic relationship with host sea anemones, sheltering among the tentacles for protection while helping keep the anemone free of debris. It is a common and easily recognized clownfish species across much of its Indo-Pacific range.

The Pink Skunk Clownfish is identified by its subtle coloration compared to more boldly banded clownfish species.

• Soft pink to pale peach body color
• Single narrow white stripe running from between the eyes along the top of the back to the tail
• Occasional faint white bar just behind the eye, present in some individuals
• Translucent to pale pink fins
• Slender, elongated body compared to the deeper-bodied Percula Clownfish
• Grows to about 7-10 cm It is distinguished from the similar Skunk Clownfish (Amphiprion akallopisos) mainly by the presence of the eye bar and differences in host anemone preference and geographic range.

Pink Skunk Clownfish are found on coral reefs across the Indo-Pacific, from the Andaman Sea and Indonesia through the Philippines and Micronesia to parts of the western Pacific. They live in close symbiotic association with several host anemone species, including the Magnificent Sea Anemone and Merten's Carpet Anemone, and are rarely found far from a host. This ties them to shallow, clear reef and lagoon habitats generally less than 25 meters deep, wherever suitable host anemones are established.

Pink Skunk Clownfish live in small social groups anchored to a single host anemone, typically led by a dominant breeding female with a smaller male and several non-breeding juveniles. As with other anemonefish, all individuals begin life as males, with the potential to change sex and become the dominant female if she is lost from the group. They rarely stray from the protection of their host anemone's tentacles, to which they are immune due to a protective mucus coating. Feeding is opportunistic, including zooplankton, algae, and small invertebrates gathered near the anemone. Eggs are laid at the anemone's base and guarded by the male until hatching.