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Common Clownfish Diseases

Clownfish are famous for their symbiotic relationship with anemones.

Common clownfish diseases. On the whole marine fishes are extremely disease resistant but when things go wrong in a marine system livestock can deteriorate rapidly. Clownfish are unable to move long distances and rising ocean temperature and acidity is a threat to their coral reef habitats. Amyloodinium ocellatum branchiophilus maris and uronema disease uronema marinum.

Disintegrating fins edge of the fins reddened. Wild caught clownfish most often suffer from the disease and it s rarely seen on captive bred clownfish. This can occur with other fish but again no action needs to be taken.

However clownfish have protective slime that covers. It will heal up on it s own. Any new aquarium fish should be quarantined for 2 to 4 weeks prior to being placed in your aquarium.

Anemones related to jellyfish have the ability to sting animals that touch their tentacles. Typically nothing needs to be done to cure this as the clown becomes accustomed to it s new host s sting. The anenome protects the clownfish and the fish s swimming aerates the water around the anenome.

Common causes of disease. The cause of most disease in marine fishes and invertebrates is simply poor environmental factors i e. Outer reef slopes and sheltered lagoons of the indo west pacific region.

Common in clownfish this appears as brown spots or ovals where a stinging coral or nem as come into contact with the fish s skin. Increased acidity also seems to impair their ability to navigate to their home anemones. I assume that since clown fish s skin is adapted to dealing with the stinging power of anemones the darkening of the skin is a response in trying to deal with the foreign mucous and stings of corals.

All of these are parasites. Clownfish are particularly prone to brooklynellosis or clownfish disease brooklynella hostilis brook marine ich cryptocaryon irritans also called white spot disease or crypt marine velvet or velvet disease oodinium ocellatum syns. Marine ich fin rot and dropsy are the commonest diseases of this species and you can look for the following signs in the fish to detect these diseases.

A stressed fish is more likely to acquire disease. Up to 4 5 inches habitat range.