It reaches a length of approximately 3.2″ (8 cm) in the wild, but is considerably smaller in aquarium bred specimens that rarely exceed 2″ (5 cm). Ocellaris is a hardy, long-lived clownfish that is excellent for the beginner hobbyist. It lives harmoniously with other non-predatory species and is best in aquariums with the presence of anemones such as Heteractis magnifica and Stichodactyla gigantea. It can become aggressive towards others of its species. A good suggestion would be to keep a mated pair of Ocellaris in the same aquarium, or as a school introduced to the aquarium when they are very young.

There is no external characteristics to differentiate a male and female and are sexually immature when hatched, i.e., the fry do not have a pre-determined sex. The fry develop into males and females depending on the hierarchy of the school. Ocellaris exhibits parental instincts and will pair off to lay the orange coloured eggs along the base of the host anemone, which serves the purpose of protecting the eggs. The parents will defend the eggs and will occasionally fan them.  The eggs will hatch after eight days. Without proper preparation, rearing the fry is challenging in an aquarium and demands proper preparation of the water condition and care.  The fry should be removed from the harm of any predators and their parents after hatching.  

Ocellaris feed mostly meaty foods and frozen herbivore preparations. Flake food, brine shrimp and mysis shrimp are also readily accepted. It is a good idea to rotate the types of food to prevent the fish from becoming picky.