Spotcinctus Clownfish (Amphiprion bicinctus)

The Spotcinctus Clownfish is the original designer morph of the Red Sea Two-Band Clownfish (Amphiprion bicinctus), and it is still one of the more unusual clowns you can put in a reef tank. Instead of two clean white bands, a Spotcinctus scatters irregular white spots and blotches across the gap between them, so no two fish are marked alike. Some individuals also carry a blue shadow above the eye that breeders call a pearl eye. These are captive bred, which means they eat prepared food from day one and skip the wild collection entirely. This one is a large grade fish. Browse the rest of our saltwater livestock and supplies to build the tank around it.

Care Guide

• Tank size: 30 gallons minimum. This is not an Ocellaris. A. bicinctus reaches about 5.5 inches and carries itself like a damselfish, so give it real space rather than nano tank space.
• Temperament: semi-aggressive and confident. A mature Spotcinctus will hold a territory and tell tank mates about it, which is a big part of the charm and also the reason to think about stocking order.
• Water parameters: 72 to 78°F, pH 8.1 to 8.4, salinity 1.020 to 1.025, alkalinity 8 to 12 dKH. Hardy and forgiving once acclimated.
• Feeding: omnivore with a good appetite. A marine pellet such as PE Saltwater Pellets as the daily staple, plus frozen PE Mysis two or three times a week, keeps the colors strong.
• Anemone: not required, though A. bicinctus is one of the more enthusiastic hosting species. A bubble tip (Entacmaea quadricolor) like our Snowflake Bulb Anemone or Green Bulb Anemone is the safest bet, and only in a mature tank with strong light.
• Lid: recommended, as with any bold fish that patrols the upper water column.

Specifications

Compatibility

Completely reef safe. Corals, clams, and inverts are all ignored. The thing to plan around is attitude rather than appetite: a large A. bicinctus is a bolder, pushier fish than the Ocellaris most people picture when they hear clownfish, so pair it with tank mates that can hold their own. Good choices include the Purple Tang, Scopas Tang, Scribbled Rabbitfish, Naoko's Fairy Wrasse, Flame Hawkfish, Bicolor Dottyback, and the Engineer Goby. Very small or timid fish are the ones to reconsider, and it helps to add the clown late rather than first.

Other clownfish. One clown or one bonded pair per tank. Mixing species almost always ends in a fight, and that goes double for a full grown Two-Band. If you are shopping the family, we also carry the Black Ice Longfin, the classic Ocellaris, the Black Ocellaris, the Wyoming White, and the Orange Skunk.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• PE Saltwater Pellets 2mm daily staple
• Piscine Energetics PE Mysis
• SFBB Mysis Shrimp Cube
• Xtreme Marine Krill Flakes
• Hikari Marine-S

FAQ

What makes it a Spotcinctus?
It is a designer morph of Amphiprion bicinctus, the Red Sea Two-Band Clownfish, selected for irregular white spotting in the space between the two normal bands. It was the first designer morph developed for this species, and the pattern is different on every single fish.

How is it different from an Ocellaris?
Bigger and bolder. A Two-Band tops out around 5.5 inches against roughly 3 inches for an Ocellaris, wants a 30 gallon tank rather than a 20, and has noticeably more attitude. If you want a clownfish that acts like a centerpiece instead of a background fish, this is the one.

Do I need an anemone?
No. Captive bred clowns do fine without one and will happily adopt a rock, a coral, or a corner of the tank. If you do add one later, stick with a bubble tip and wait until the system is mature.

Can I keep two of these together?
Only with care at this size. Two young clowns introduced together pair up easily because they sort out which one becomes female, but two large individuals that already have their own ideas can scrap. If you want both of ours, add them at the same time into a tank with room and rockwork to break up sight lines, and be ready to separate them if it does not settle within a few days.

What size is this one?
It came in on a large grade. Call or stop in before you make the drive and we will tell you exactly how big the fish in the tank is right now.