The species name 'akindynos' is Greek, meaning 'safe' or 'without danger' in reference to the safety afforded amongst the tentacles of its host anemone.

A few days before mating, aggression from the dominant male towards the female increases, and at the same time he begins clearing a nest site, usually on a rock close to the host anemone.

When spawning takes place the female zig-zags over the nest site and the male follows fertilizing the eggs which have been deposited.

[10] The dominant pair in the social hierarchy tend to travel farther from the host anemone in order to find food.

Anemonefish and their host anemones are found on coral reefs and face similar environmental issues.

Like corals, anemone's contain intracellular endosymbionts, zooxanthellae, and can suffer from bleaching due to triggers such as increased water temperature or acidification.

[12] A survey published in 2014 found 58% of sites surveyed on the Great Barrier Reef did not have anemones or anemonefishes, and at sites where they were present, numbers were generally low and suggested that current regulations may not be sufficient to prevent localised extinctions nor to ensure that reproductive success is not adversely impacted.

The Barrier Reef anemonefish was officially named as the state aquatic emblem of Queensland in March, 2005.[13].

The idea to identify an Aquatic Emblem originated from Dr Adam Smith and the Australian Underwater Federation, the peak group representing divers [14]