For example, black Amphiprion ocellaris with white bands can be found near northern USA, North America, Australia, Southeast Asia, and Japan.

[3] Orange or red-brown Amphiprion ocellaris also exist with three similar white bands on the body and head.

However, when Amphiprion ocellaris enter into the juvenile stage of life, they travel down to the bottom to find shelter in a host anemone.

It is thought that A. ocellaris specialized after diverging from the genus Premnas, and scientific evidence confirms that all clownfish belonging to the genus Amphiprion initially could withstand the stings of only one type of anemone; after further speciation the 28 different species of clownfish including A. ocellaris have specialized to be able to resist the poisonous stings of many different anemone species.

The first passes just behind the eye, the second in the middle of the body widens forward to the head centrally and the third one circles the caudal peduncle.

A. ocellaris is often confused with Amphiprion percula, which possesses exactly the same colours and patterns at first sight but distinguishes itself by the thickness of the black outlines.

[4] As mentioned earlier, they can also be found in USA, North America, Northern Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan.

[3] Amphiprion ocellaris typically lives in small groups on outer reef slopes or in sheltered lagoons at a maximal depth of 15 meters.

It is a protandrous hermaphrodite, which means the male can change its sex to female during its life, and lives in a harem in which an established dominance hierarchy manages the group and keeps individuals at a specific social rank.

[3][6] The presence of the clownfish can be interpreted as a lure to attract potential anemone's preys close to the tentacles.

However, studies show that there is no difference in the characteristics between switchers and non-switchers, and there is no data demonstrating that A. ocellaris utilize the switching tactic for dominance.

Thus, when a new juvenile enters an anemone, it begins at the bottom of the social ladder where it is often the victim of aggression by other clownfish.

Thus, they usually do not eat as much as the dominant fish do, because of reduced energy, but also because of the increased danger they face when they leave their anemone since they are smaller.

Anemonefish exhibit phenotypic plasticity when males, females, and juveniles inhabit the same anemone.

The researchers drew conclusions about the fish's social hierarchy based on signs of dominance such as aggressive or appeasing behaviors, occupation of territory in the tank, and body mass increase.

In addition, a difference in the fish's levels of certain steroids suggested that lower-ranked individuals also experienced reproductive suppression.

However, in captivity in a reef aquarium, the false percula is hosted by other species of anemone, including Entacmaea quadricolor.

In addition, clownfish may adopt a surrogate host as opposed to an anemone, such as Euphyllia divisa, xenia coral, etc.

[20] This high demand in trade has been dangerous for A. ocellaris' population due to overexploitation [citation needed].