Bonded Pair

A bonded pair of clownfish consists of two clownfish that have successfully established a social hierarchy, accepted one another, and agreed to live closely together without killing each other. Unlike a true "mated pair" (which has successfully laid eggs), a bonded pair has completed the initial, often volatile territory battle and settled into a peaceful dynamic where one fish is clearly the dominant female and the other is the submissive male.

Buying a pre-bonded pair is the safest way to introduce two clownfish to a tank, as it bypasses the stressful—and sometimes fatal—process of trying to pair up two random individual clownfish at home.