Normally, Maroon Clownfish vary in color from bright red to dark maroon with three narrow white stripes. The fish found in the area of Sumatra have gold colored stripes, and the ORA broodstock comes from this area.
The gold color of the stripes typically does not develop until the fish are about 9 – 12 months old. ORA fish are shipped at about 6-7 months, so they are showing the juvenile white stripes. They will develop the gold color in time, starting with the head stripe.
These very popular fish are easy to keep in aquariums, although they do not get along with each other. Unless a hobbyist can get a mated pair, it is best to keep them one to a tank. It has been observed that the gold stripe variety seems a little less aggressive than the White Striped variety. This is one of the largest clownfish species, adult females can attain a size of over 6 inches. This is a very long lived fish, ORA has pairs that have been continuously spawning for more than 35 years.
With the aggressive female guarding her nest, and her much smaller male mate fanning the eggs, Maroon Clownfish have some of the largest spawns ever recorded for clownfish. Typical spawns may contain 1,500 eggs, and spawns of over 6,000 have been observed. This species also seems the most likely to show misbars, and has a higher percentage of incomplete striping than other species.