Phantom Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

The Phantom Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) is a jet-black ocellaris splashed with jagged white snowflake markings, and no two fish look the same. Sea & Reef Aquaculture created the line by selectively breeding their Premium Snowflake, Black Ice, and super black Darwin ocellaris, chasing a black clown with bold snowflake patches. Captive bred, hardy, peaceful, beginner friendly, and fully reef safe. Browse the rest of our saltwater livestock and supplies to build out the tank.

Every Phantom Is One of a Kind

Phantoms are graded by how much white they carry. A standard Phantom shows three distinct bars with jagged snowflake edges, a premium has bars fused together on each side, and an ultra has all three bars fused on at least one side. Each fish is different, so the photo shows a representative Phantom rather than the exact fish you will take home. Ask us in store and we are happy to show you the fish in the tank.

Young Phantoms start out dark brown and turn jet black at around 1¼ to 1½ inches, the same way a Darwin ocellaris colors up. The white pattern is set early, and the black around it deepens as the fish grows.

Care Guide

• Tank size: 20 gallons for a single fish, 30 gallons or more for a pair. Clowns stay close to home, so they do not need a long tank, just stable water and a spot to claim.
• Water parameters: 72 to 78°F, pH 8.1 to 8.4, salinity 1.020 to 1.026. Steady conditions matter more than hitting an exact number.
• Feeding: omnivore and an eager eater. Captive-bred clowns already take marine pellets, flake, and frozen PE Mysis or brine shrimp. Feed once or twice a day, an amount it finishes in a minute or two.
• Anemone not required. Captive-bred clowns live full, healthy lives without one, and many adopt a soft coral, a corner of the rockwork, or the flow from a powerhead instead.
• If you want a host: a Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) is the hardiest and most widely accepted choice. Add it to a mature tank, six months or older, with strong lighting.
• Pairing: clownfish start out without a fixed sex, and in a pair the larger, more dominant fish becomes the female. Add two young fish together, or a smaller fish to an established single. Any other ocellaris, including the black and designer forms, will pair with a Phantom.
• Reef safe: yes. It leaves corals and invertebrates alone, though a clown that adopts a coral as its host can irritate that coral over time.

Specifications

Compatibility

Peaceful with almost everything and an easy fit in a mixed reef. Good tank mates include the Firefish Goby, Royal Gramma, Blue Green Chromis, Banggai Cardinalfish, and cleanup crew like the Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp. Skip big predators such as lionfish, groupers, and large triggers, which see a small clownfish as food.

Keep one clownfish species per tank. Two different species, or two unpaired adults of any kind, will fight over territory.

Shopping the black designer clowns? The Black Ice Clownfish is a close cousin with a smokier body and an orange face, the Black Ice Longfin adds flowing fins, and the Darwin Misbar Ocellaris and Black Darwin Ocellaris are the clean black-and-white versions. For the snowflake pattern on an orange body, see the Flurry Clownfish and Snowflake Ocellaris.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Piscine Energetics PE Mysis frozen staple
• Xtreme Marine PeeWee Pellets slow-sinking daily pellet
• Vitalis Marine Grazing Pellets
• Green Bulb Anemone or Snowflake Bulb Anemone if you want a host
• Saltwater Refractometer for accurate salinity

FAQ

Mine looks brown rather than black. Is that right?
Yes. Phantoms start out dark brown and turn jet black at around 1¼ to 1½ inches. Good food and stable water bring the black in.

How is a Phantom different from a Black Ice?
Both mix black and snowflake genetics. A Black Ice usually reads smoky dark brown with an orange face, while a Phantom is bred for a deeper jet-black body with crisp white snowflake markings.

Will it pair with another clownfish?
Yes, with any other ocellaris, including the other designer forms we carry. Add two young fish together, or a smaller fish to an established single. Avoid mixing in a percula or a different clownfish species.

Does it need an anemone?
No. Captive-bred clownfish live full, healthy lives without one. An anemone is a fun extra for a mature tank, not a requirement.