Wideband Clownfish Identification Guide
Recognize the Wideband Clownfish by its unusually broad, dark-edged white bands on a chocolate-brown body.
Read the full Wideband Clownfish encyclopedia entry →
Key identification features
- Deep, oval body in dark chocolate-brown to blackish-brown
- Three white bars: one behind the eye, one at mid-body, and one at the tail base
- Mid-body bar is noticeably wider than in related species, giving the species its name
- Bars edged with a thin black border
- Reaches up to about 14 cm (5.5 in), among the larger anemonefish
Common look-alikes
- Clark's Anemonefish: also has three white bars, but they are narrower, and body color ranges from dark brown to near-black with an orange-tinted tail
- Saddleback Clownfish: mid-body marking is an irregular saddle patch rather than a straight, even bar
- Australian Anemonefish: lacks the tail-base bar seen in the Wideband Clownfish
Where you'll see one
Wideband Clownfish is a subtropical specialist found around Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, and northern New Zealand waters, sheltering in Heteractis crispa and Stichodactyla mertensii anemones on rocky and coral reefs at the edge of the species' range, well south of most other anemonefish.
Frequently asked questions
What single mark best identifies a Wideband Clownfish?
The unusually broad mid-body white bar, clearly wider than the head or tail bars.
How do I separate it from Clark's Anemonefish?
Compare bar width and body tone — Wideband Clownfish bars are broader and its body is a more uniform chocolate-brown, while Clark's Anemonefish has narrower bars and an orange-washed tail.