Clownfish

==Taxonomy==

==Taxonomy==

Clownfishes are damselfishes (family [[Pomacentridae]]) in the genus ''Amphiprion'' (Greek {{lang|grc|amphi}}, 'on both sides' and {{lang|grc|prion}} 'saw'), which was coined by [[Marcus Elieser Bloch]] and [[Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider]] in 1801<ref name=Tang2021/><ref>Colleye, O.; Iwata, E.; Parmentier, E. "Clownfishes" in {{harvnb|Frédérich|Parmentier|2016}} pp. 303, 306</ref> using the [[red saddleback anemonefish]] as the [[type species]].{{sfn|Allen|1975b|p=36}} [[Georges Cuvier]] considered the [[maroon clownfish]] morphologically different enough to be placed in its own genus ''Premnas'' in 1816.<ref>Colleye, O.; Iwata, E.; Parmentier, E. "Clownfishes" in {{harvnb|Frédérich|Parmentier|2016}} p. 306</ref><ref name=Eschmeyer/><ref name="WoRMS"/> The status of ''Premnas'' has been disputed over the years, switching between a synonym or subgenus of ''Amphiprion'' and being its own genus. In 2021, two expansive [[phylogenetic]] analyses of damselfishes found the species to be within ''Amphiprion'', making ''Premnas'' a [[Synonym (taxonomy)|junior synonym]].<ref name=Tang2021>{{cite journal |last1=Tang |first1=Kevin |last2=Stiassny |first2=Melanie |last3=Mayden |first3=Richard |last4=DeSalle |first4=Robert |title=Systematics of Damselfishes |journal=Ichthyology & Herpetology |date=May 2021 |volume=109 |issue=1 |page=258 |doi=10.1643/i2020105 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=McCord2021/> In 1975, [[ichthyologist]] [[Gerald R. Allen]] placed clownfishes in their own [[subfamily]] Amphiprioninae.<ref>{{cite book|last=Allen|first=G. R.|year=1975|title=Damselfishes of the South Seas|publisher=TFH Publications|page=34|isbn=0-87666-034-0}}</ref> A 2009 genetic study suggested creating the [[Tribe (biology)|tribe]] Amphiprionini for clownfishes and moving them to the subfamily [[Pomacentrinae]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Cooper|first1=W. J.|last2=Smith|first2=L. L.|last3=Westneat|first3=M. W.|year=2009|title=Exploring the radiation of a diverse reef fish family: phylogenetics of the damselfishes (Pomacentridae), with new classifications based on molecular analyses of all genera|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|volume=52|issue=1|pages=1–16|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2008.12.010|pmid=19135160 |bibcode=2009MolPE..52....1J }}</ref> [[Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes]] considers the genus to be part of Pomacentrinae<ref name=Eschmeyer>{{cite web|title=Genera that contain: amphiprion|url=https://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp|website=researcharchive.calacademy.org|accessdate=24 May 2025}}</ref> though [[Scientific literature|scientific papers]] still use Amphiprioninae.{{efn|Examples of articles placing clownfishes in their own subfamily of Amphiprioninae<ref name=Pashchenko2024/><ref name=Gaboriau2025/>}}

Clownfishes are damselfishes (family [[Pomacentridae]]) in the genus ''Amphiprion'' (Greek {{lang|grc|amphi}}, 'on both sides' and {{lang|grc|prion}} 'saw'), which was coined by [[Marcus Elieser Bloch]] and [[Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider]] in 1801<ref name=Tang2021/><ref>Colleye, O.; Iwata, E.; Parmentier, E. "Clownfishes" in {{harvnb|Frédérich|Parmentier|2016}} pp. 303, 306</ref> using the [[red saddleback anemonefish]] as the [[type species]].{{sfn|Allen|1975b|p=36}} [[Georges Cuvier]] considered the [[maroon clownfish]] morphologically different enough to be placed in its own genus ''Premnas'' in 1816.<ref name=Eschmeyer/><ref>Colleye, O.; Iwata, E.; Parmentier, E. "Clownfishes" in {{harvnb|Frédérich|Parmentier|2016}} p. 306</ref><ref name="WoRMS"/> The status of ''Premnas'' has been disputed over the years, switching between a synonym or subgenus of ''Amphiprion'' and being its own genus. In 2021, two expansive [[phylogenetic]] analyses of damselfishes found the species to be within ''Amphiprion'', making ''Premnas'' a [[Synonym (taxonomy)|junior synonym]].<ref name=Tang2021>{{cite journal |last1=Tang |first1=Kevin |last2=Stiassny |first2=Melanie |last3=Mayden |first3=Richard |last4=DeSalle |first4=Robert |title=Systematics of Damselfishes |journal=Ichthyology & Herpetology |date=May 2021 |volume=109 |issue=1 |page=258 |doi=10.1643/i2020105 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=McCord2021/> In 1975, [[ichthyologist]] [[Gerald R. Allen]] placed clownfishes in their own [[subfamily]] Amphiprioninae.<ref>{{cite book|last=Allen|first=G. R.|year=1975|title=Damselfishes of the South Seas|publisher=TFH Publications|page=34|isbn=0-87666-034-0}}</ref> A 2009 genetic study suggested creating the [[Tribe (biology)|tribe]] Amphiprionini for clownfishes and moving them to the subfamily [[Pomacentrinae]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Cooper|first1=W. J.|last2=Smith|first2=L. L.|last3=Westneat|first3=M. W.|year=2009|title=Exploring the radiation of a diverse reef fish family: phylogenetics of the damselfishes (Pomacentridae), with new classifications based on molecular analyses of all genera|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|volume=52|issue=1|pages=1–16|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2008.12.010|pmid=19135160 |bibcode=2009MolPE..52....1J }}</ref> [[Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes]] considers the genus to be part of Pomacentrinae<ref name=Eschmeyer>{{cite web|title=Genera that contain: amphiprion|url=https://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp|website=researcharchive.calacademy.org|accessdate=24 May 2025}}</ref> though [[Scientific literature|scientific papers]] still use Amphiprioninae.{{efn|Examples of articles placing clownfishes in their own subfamily of Amphiprioninae<ref name=Pashchenko2024/><ref name=Gaboriau2025/>}}

===Phylogeny===

===Phylogeny===