is there a type of clownfish that does not naturally host an anemone?

No, clowns are not found in the wild without a host anemone, which is one of the primary concerns with the removal of anemones from the wild - each one represents the potential habitat for literally hundreds of clownfish over the course of its life.

Thankfully, clownfish don't need anemones to survive in captivity. Seems to be a quirk of nature that clown fry won't settle out of the plankton layer and won't undergo metamorphosis without an appropriate anemone and available anemone, but they will in captivity.

In captivity, adult clowns will host in almost anything (or nothing at all), and will spawn without the need of an anemone.

Kevin
 
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I think that the even bigger reason clowns are only found with anems in the wild is that they are practically every fish-eating animals perfect prey...bad swimmers, small, easily caught, no real defense against predators, very low survivabilty from the offspring, long larval period, bright colors. It is truely as if the animal was meant to be in captivity.

ORA does not use anemones for their broodstock or for their offspring. Clowns will host in just about everything or can decide not to host in anything. Really up to their personality. Tank-bred clowns many times do not host in anything because they are not used to it from the wild. Your best bet is to get a tank-bred clownfish.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9221583#post9221583 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Naperville Reef
b/c i would like one for my tank but i don't want to add an anemone.
All clowns in the wild are hosted by anemones, but no captive kept clown requires one.
 
Yeah, my picasso pair(ORA tank-bred) has been in my tank since last June and have dozens of hosting sites...they still hang out by the overflow. They have so far only "hosted" a mag3 pump and an overflow box. They have a 6+" BTA that they won't touch
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9222872#post9222872 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cschweitzer
I think that the even bigger reason clowns are only found with anems in the wild is that they are practically every fish-eating animals perfect prey...bad swimmers, small, easily caught, no real defense against predators, very low survivabilty from the offspring, long larval period, bright colors. It is truely as if the animal was meant to be in captivity.

.......... Tank-bred clowns many times do not host in anything because they are not used to it from the wild. Your best bet is to get a tank-bred clownfish.

How are clowns in the clarki or tomato complexes any more vulnerable than any other type of damselfish?

Tank raised clowns from outside of the percula complex, don't usually have a problem going into anemones. OTOH, WC percs and ocellaris often are a little shy about adopting unnatural hosts.
 
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it'll host corals, you know this right? xenia to frogspawn, and various leathers.... mushrooms even.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9224471#post9224471 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nYgel
it'll host corals, you know this right? xenia to frogspawn, and various leathers.... mushrooms even.

yep, but i only have SPS :)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9224430#post9224430 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phender
How are clowns in the clarki or tomato complexes any more vulnerable than any other type of damselfish?

Tank raised clowns from outside of the percula complex, don't usually have a problem going into anemones. OTOH, WC percs and ocellaris often are a little shy about adopting unnatural hosts.

First, a clarki and tomato clown are much slower than a damsel. A damsel can be in an anem or between branches on SPS in seconds before a predator could get them. If a tomato or clarki is outside his anem by more than a foot or two and cannot reach it, it may try to hold its ground or flee, neither of which will work against a fast strong predator. It would be a sitting duck for a snapper, shark, groupers, etc. In fact, in the wild, the clownfishes natural defenses consist of wiggling around or pushing anems nematocyst filled tentacles at it's predator/the anems prey. Also, damsels are many times found in schools in the wild. Besides, I didn't say that damsels were the best qualified animal for reef living, but there are a heck of a lot more damsels in the water than clowns. Is this just coincidence?

Also, the question he had was if he could get a clown without an anemone, not if he could get a clown and put it in an anemone. I have found that most tank raised fish are shy about finding a host. Most of the time, a wild caught clown will host something if not an anemone, then a shroom, a xenia or zoo patch, a frogspawns, just about anything they won't destroy. This is my and many others opinions, experiments, findings. Granted, nothing is set in stone and every fishes personality is different.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9232567#post9232567 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by plancton
damsels are closely related to clownfish, they do not host anemones in the wild, but could host.

That's not entirely true...several species of damsel host anemones as juveniles and then "grow out of it," so to speak.
 
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