Percula Clownfish, although often assumed to be a family of their own, are actually damselfishes of the Family Pomacentridae. Within this damselfish family, the subfamily Amphiprioninae contains the 28 species of anemonefishes, also known as the clownfishes. This subfamily is comprised of two genera, four subgenera, and six complexes. Oddly enough, all but one of the anemonefishes are found within the genus Amphiprion. The odd fish out, the Maroon Clownfish, has a genus all to itself (see below). This monotypic genus was created because the Maroon Clownfish, unlike other clownfish, has a bony cheek spine below each eye located just prior to their gill covers.

Percula clownfish can be kept in home aquariums rather successfully, with several accounts of clownfish surviving for over 20 years. As with any marine fish, certain parameters must be met to ensure a happy, healthy fish. Similar to all the other fish I have covered in this column, pristine water parameters are assumed to be in place prior to introduction of the inhabitants. If optimum conditions are not yet present, this is obviously the first area of concern. For the purpose of this column, "optimum" should mirror natural sea water as closely as possible.

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