How long do ocellaris clownfish live?

[Hybridfish7]

I just want to know this fact...
in my searches I get a wide array of answers. Some say 8 years, some say 5, some say 10 and some say 20+. then there's the people saying their clowns are like 15 years old, and people saying they have long living pairs. do they only live long in pairs or can they live long alone? sorry I'm new to this...
also what helps them live longer? better food? clean water? living in pairs? all of those?

 

[NathanKS]

I would use the upper numbers as a good indicator of their lifespan.

However, we are not mother nature and despite our best efforts, we fail. Thus I would be wary of the shorter lifespans reported.

 

[Itsadeepbluesea]

I have always heard 10-15 years.

 

[4FordFamily]

I’ve heard 10-25 years. 10-15 being a great lifespan. I’ve seen a 20 year old clownfish in person, she was massive. A maroon clown.

 

[Deadliestviper7]

I’ve heard 10-25 years. 10-15 being a great lifespan. I’ve seen a 20 year old clownfish in person, she was massive. A maroon clown.

I've seen 8 inch tomato clowns,he's at least 18 yrs old but may be much older

 

[4FordFamily]

I've seen 8 inch tomato clowns,he's at least 18 yrs old but may be much older

Clowns can live a long time in captivity — hardy fish!

 

[fishfanatic80]

I’d say 10-15 years is extremely successful, people might get their clownfish at different stages of their life so that’s another variable to throw into the mix. As with any fish clean water, food and environment play a key role in longevity. As far as keeping in pairs goes, I’d have to say that often occurances where one out of the pair dies the other ends up dying shortly after. I had egg laying pair of tomato clowns and the stress of going through that and defending the eggs got to the clown. The fins would get raggedy and the health goes down. Not to mention the stage where both clowns try to determine their sex and battle it out. If your looking for maximum lifespan I’d think keeping them singularly is better. That’s my 2 cents

 

[4FordFamily]

I’d say 10-15 years is extremely successful, people might get their clownfish at different stages of their life so that’s another variable to throw into the mix. As with any fish clean water, food and environment play a key role in longevity. As far as keeping in pairs goes, I’d have to say that often occurances where one out of the pair dies the other ends up dying shortly after. I had egg laying pair of tomato clowns and the stress of going through that and defending the eggs got to the clown. The fins would get raggedy and the health goes down. Not to mention the stage where both clowns try to determine their sex and battle it out. If your looking for maximum lifespan I’d think keeping them singularly is better. That’s my 2 cents

I have seen pairs around 15 years old, often once paired, and especially of the male is significantly smaller and not threatening to the female, they may live awhile. It’s true though that “spawning” uses a lot of energy, that’s an interesting point for sure!