[6] At least three geographic variations in the color of females are found, with fish from East Timor to Australia retaining white body bars.

[7][8] P. biaculeatus is found in the Malay Archipelago and Western Pacific Ocean north of the Great Barrier Reef.

[5] The relationship between anemonefish and their host sea anemones is not random and instead is highly nested in structure.

[5] The spine on the cheek of the fish is the characteristic that distinguishes the genus Premnas from the closely related Amphiprion.

P. biaculeatus has been thought to have a monospecific lineage, however genetic analysis has shown that it is closely related to A. percula and A. latezonatus.

[7][8] Genetic analysis suggests P. biaculeatus is monophyletic with Amphiprion, closely related to A. ocellaris and A.

[15][16] In 2021 an expansive phylogenetic analysis of the damselfishes[17] has reclassified the Maroon Clownfish from the monotypic genus Premnas to a junior synonym of Amphiprion.

Reef fish taxonomist Yi-Kai Tea agrees, based on DNA studies, "Premnas has been refuted for ages.

One of the more prominent traits is the "lightning" morph which is characterized by broken, jagged white body bars that have a honeycomb appearance.

[20] One of the first times this trait was observed was in a wild-caught pair from Fisherman's Island near Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

[22] The body of this hybrid more closely resembles A. ocellaris, but possesses a darker orange hue, grows larger, and has a more fiery temperament, features characteristic of its P. biaculeatus genes.