Like all anemonefish, the Ocellaris Clownfish forms symbiotic relationships with one of three species of anemone. This relationship is beneficial to both the fish and the anemone: the anemone provides protection from potential predators while the clown anemonefish is believed to remove parasites and increase the waterflow through the anemone. This relationship is successful because the Clown anemonefish develops an immunity to the toxin in the anemones tentacles when they are juveniles.
Ocellaris Clownfish are monogamous. Males will build a nest just beside the anemone they live within and attract a female by biting, chasing, and displaying their fins. Once they have attracted a female, the female will lay 100 to 1000 eggs within the nest, which are then fertilized and cared for by the male. Upon hatching, the juvenile anemonefish will search for an anemone to inhabit, occasionally living with other multiple anemonefish. All clown anemonefish are born male and will transition to female as the population requires, with the largest males becoming the females.
The Ocellaris Clownfish's population has not been evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). As a result, the current status of the population is unknown.