Domino Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

The Domino Clownfish is a designer Amphiprion ocellaris morph bred down to one striking idea: a jet-black body with a single round white spot on the cheek, and nothing else. The middle and tail bars that a normal Ocellaris wears are gone entirely, leaving a fish that reads as pure silhouette against live rock. It is captive bred, so it arrives already eating prepared food, and its care is exactly as forgiving as the standard Ocellaris that made clownfish famous. Browse the rest of our saltwater livestock and supplies to build the perfect reef around it.

Care Guide

• Tank size: 20 gallons or larger for a single fish or a bonded pair. Like all Ocellaris, a Domino claims one corner of the tank rather than roaming the whole system.
• Water parameters: 74 to 78°F, pH 8.0 to 8.4, salinity 1.020 to 1.026, dKH 8 to 12. Stability matters far more than hitting an exact number.
• Aquascape: open swimming space with rockwork or a host to shelter against. A lid is smart insurance while a new fish settles in.
• Feeding: eager omnivore. Feed once or twice daily on a quality marine pellet plus frozen foods such as PE Mysis and brine shrimp.
• Keeping the black deep: melanistic morphs hold their color best over dark rock and substrate. A bright white sandbed under strong light can encourage a black clown to lighten toward brown over time.
• Pairing: clownfish are protandrous hermaphrodites, meaning every fish starts male. Put two together and the larger, more dominant one becomes the female of a bonded pair.

Specifications

Compatibility

Domino Clownfish are model citizens in a peaceful community or reef tank. Excellent tank mates include the Firefish Goby, Royal Gramma, Blue Green Chromis, Pajama Cardinalfish, and cleanup crew inverts like the Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp. Keep one clownfish species per tank. Mixing species, or adding a third clown to an established pair, almost always ends in bullying. If you want to pair a Domino, another black morph such as the Black Ocellaris or Black Darwin Ocellaris is the natural match. A settled pair will happily adopt a bubble tip anemone if you offer one, but they are perfectly content without.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Piscine Energetics PE Mysis frozen food
• Xtreme Marine PeeWee Pellets
• Vitalis Marine Grazing Pellets
• Green Bulb Anemone or Snowflake Bulb Anemone host options
• HELLOREEF Clownfish & Anemone Aquarium Kit for a first clownfish setup

FAQ

What makes a Domino different from a Black Ocellaris?
Bars. A Black Ocellaris keeps all three white bars on a black body. A Domino has lost the body and tail bars entirely, so all that remains is one round white spot on the cheek. Same species, same care, very different look.

Will it stay this black?
Generally yes, and juveniles often deepen further with age. Black morphs can drift toward brown under very bright light over a white sandbed, so darker rock and substrate help keep them inky.

Does my clownfish need an anemone?
No. Captive-bred clowns live full, healthy lives without one and most never see an anemone. If you want the full picture, wait until your tank is mature and stable, then try a bubble tip.

Is it reef safe?
Completely. A Domino will not touch corals or invertebrates. A hosting clown may wallow in a soft coral or a torch, which can irritate the coral but causes no lasting harm.