Today I’ll be showing you this crochet clown fish pattern. In my teens and twenties I lived in Papua New Guinea and went snorkeling and saw a lot of these and other tropical fish, as well as some sharks.
I also have a video tutorial for the clown fish available on my YouTube channel at Crochet Clown Fish Tutorial.
You can view the full pattern for free on this page by continuing to scroll down. Or if you would like to download the pattern it’s available on my Ravelry store in PDF format for $1 at Crochet Clown Fish Pattern.
This pattern will be using UK terminology. If you would like to view the US version go to Crochet Clown Fish Pattern (US Version).
Crochet Clown Fish Pattern
Abbreviations
- st – stitch
- sts – stitches
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- dc – double crochet
- htr – half treble crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- dtr – double treble crochet
Materials Used
- Orange, white and black cotton or wool, I used 4 ply crochet cotton.
- Crochet hook, I use a 1.25mm hook.
- Scissors.
- Thread to sew together.
- A sewing needle.
- A darning needle to weave in ends.
- I used a tiny bit of brown crochet cotton for the chain for the mouth, but you could embroider on a line on the mouth with brown cotton.
- A tiny bit of grey cotton, if desired, to stitch around the eye.
Main Part of Fish
Make a magic loop.
Row 1: 1 ch. Work 6 dc into circle and pull circle tight. Sl st into ch.
Row 2: 1 ch, work 2 dc in each st. Join with a sl st in ch.
Row 3: 1 ch, work a joined dc over 1st 2 sts, (2 dc in next st and 1 dc in following st) 4 times, work a joined dc over next 2 sts. Turn. (14 sts)
Row 4: 2 ch, work a joined htr over 1st 2 sts, (1 dc in each of next 2 sts, 2 dc in following st) 3 times, work a 3 htr cluster over last 3 sts. Turn. (14 sts)
Row 5: 2 ch, work a joined htr over 1st 2 sts, 1 dc in each st to last 2 sts, work a joined htr over last 2 sts. Turn. (12 sts)
Row 6: 1 ch, (1 dc in each of next 3 sts, 2 dc in following st) repeat to end. Turn. (15 sts)
Row 7: 1 ch, (1 dc in each of next 3 sts, 2 dc in following st) repeat to end. Turn. (18 sts)
Row 8: 1 ch, work a joined dc over 1st 2 sts, (1 dc in each of next 3 sts, 2 dc in following st) repeat to last 2 sts, work a joined dc over last 2 sts. (19 sts)
Change to black
Row 9: 1 ch, work 1 dc in each st to end. Turn. (19 sts)
Change to white
Row 10: 1 ch, 1 dc in each of next 2 sts, 1 dc and 1 htr in following st, 1 htr in each of next 2 sts, 2 htr in following st, 1 htr in each of next 2 sts, 1 htr and 1 tr in next st, (1 tr in each of following 2 sts, 2 tr in next st) repeat to last 2 sts, work a joined tr over last 2 sts. Turn. (23 sts)
Row 11: 2 ch, 1 htr in each of next 10 sts, 1 dc in each st to last 2 sts. A joined dc over last 2 sts. Turn. (22 sts)
Change to black
Row 12: 1 ch, work 1 dc in each st to end. Turn. (22 sts)
Change to orange
Row 13: 3 ch, a 3 tr cluster over 1st 3 sts, 1 tr in each of next 2 sts, 2 tr in following st, 1 tr in each of next 2 sts, 2 htr in following st, 1 htr in next st, 1 dc in each of next 3 sts, 1 htr in following st, 2 htr in next st, 1 tr in each of next 2 sts, 2 tr in next st, 1 tr in each of next 2 sts, a joined tr over last 2 sts. Turn. (23 sts)
Row 14: 3 ch, a joined tr over 1st 2 sts, a joined tr over next 2 sts, (1 tr in each of next 2 sts, 2 tr in following st) repeat to last 4 sts, work 2 joined tr over last 4 sts. Turn. (25 sts)
Row 15: 3 ch, work a 3 tr cluster over 1st 3 sts, 1 tr in each st to last 3 sts, a 3 tr cluster over last 3 sts. Turn. (21 sts)
Row 16: 4 ch, work a 3 dtr cluster over 1st 3 sts, 1 tr in each of next 2 sts, 2 tr in following st, work 1 tr in each of next 10 sts, 2 tr in following st and 1 tr in each of next 2 sts, work a joined dtr over last 2 sts. Turn. (20 sts)
Row 17: 3 ch, work a joined tr over 1st 2 sts, 1 tr in each st to last 3 sts, a 3 tr cluster over last 3 sts. Turn. (17 sts)
Row 18: 3 ch, work a joined tr over 1st 2 sts, 1 tr in each st to last 3 sts, a tr cluster over last 3 sts. Turn. (14 sts)
Row 19: 3 ch, work a joined tr over 1st 2 sts, 1 tr in each st to last 3 sts, a tr cluster over last 3 sts. Turn. (11 sts)
Row 20: 3 ch, work a joined tr over 1st 2 sts, 1 tr in each st to end. Turn. (10 sts)
Row 21: 3 ch, work 1 tr in each st to last 2 sts, work a joined tr over last 2 sts. Don’t fasten off. (9 sts)
Neatening Row
Using the orange cotton from the main part of the fish, work 1 ch then 1 dc in each st around to the beginning of the last row, using white where needed. 
Continue on with the tail
Change to black and join at end of tail as shown
Row 22: 1 ch, work 1 dc in each st to end. Turn. (9 sts)
Change to white
Row 23: 3 ch, work 1 tr in each of next 2 sts, 1 htr in each st to last 2 sts, 1 tr in each of last 2 sts. Turn. (9 sts)
Row 24: 3 ch, work 1 tr in each of next 2 sts, 1 htr in each st to last 2 sts, 1 tr in each of last 2 sts. Turn. (9 sts)
Change to black
Row 25: 1 ch, work 1 dc in each st to end. Turn. (9 sts)
Change to orange
Row 26: 2 ch, 1 htr, 1 tr in each of next 2 sts, 1 dtr in each of following 3 sts, 1 tr in each of next 2 sts, 1 htr in last st. Turn. (9 sts)
Row 27: 2 ch, 1 htr in 1st st, 1 tr in each of next 2 sts, 1 dtr in following st, 2 dtr in next st, 1 dtr in following st, 1 tr in each of next 2 sts, 1 htr in last st. Turn. (10 sts)
Row 28: 2 ch, 1 htr in 1st st, 1 tr in each of next 2 sts, 2 dtr in next st, 1 dtr in following 2 sts, 2 dtr in following st, 1 tr in each of next 2 sts, 1 htr in last st. Fasten off.
White Middle Part
23 ch.
Row 1: Miss 1st ch and work 1 dc in each st to end. Turn.
Row 2: 1 ch, work 1 dc in each of next 4 sts, 1 htr in following st, 1 tr in each of next 2 sts, 1 dtr in each of following 3 sts, 1 tr in each of next 2 sts, 1 htr in each of following 2 sts, 1 dc in each st to end. Turn.
Row 3: 1 ch, work 1 dc in each of next 7 sts, 1 htr in each of following 2 sts, 1 tr in each of next 2 sts, 1 dtr in each of following 3 sts, 1 tr in each of next 2 sts, 1 htr in following st, 1 dc in each st to end. Work 1 dc in each st along end. Fasten off.
Join white cotton to other end and work 1 dc in each st along end. Fasten off.
Join black cotton and work 1 sl st in each st along both sides. Fasten off.
Stitch white middle part to body as shown. 
Top Back Fin
Join orange to 1st st after the white middle part where shown
1 ch, 1 dc in same st as ch, 1 htr in next st, 1 tr in following st, 1 dtr in each st to last 2 sts of the orange, 1 tr in next st, 1 htr and 1 sl st in last st. Fasten off.
Back Bottom Fin
Join orange to 1st st after the white middle part on wrong side where shown
Row 1: 1 ch, 1 dc in each st between the back black row on the white middle part and the 1st black row on the tail. Turn.
Row 2: 1 ch, 1 dc in same place as ch, 1 htr in next st, 1 tr in following st, work 1 dtr in each st until 3 sts left, 1 tr in next st, 1 htr in following st and 1 dc and sl st in last st. Fasten off. 
Join black to the top back black part of the white middle part as shown.
Sl st into 1st st on fin, 1 dc in next st, 1 htr in following 4 sts, 2 htr in next st, 2 tr in following st, 1 tr in each st to 1 st before next black row, 1 htr in last st, sl st into next st. Sl st in each st to top of tail. Don’t fasten off and continue with the black tail edging.
Black Tail Edging and Around Bottom Back Fin
2 ch 1 htr in 1st st, 2 tr in each st to the last st, 1 htr in last st, 2 ch, sl st in same place as htr, work 1 sl st in each st down the side to the top of the bottom fin. Work 1 dc in 1st st, 2 htr in next st, 1 tr in each of following 2 sts, 2 tr in each st to last 2 sts of fin, 1 htr in next st and 1 dc in last st, sl st in behind the white middle part. Fasten off.
Front Top Fin
Join orange to 1st st after the white middle part on wrong side where shown
Row 1: 1 ch, 1 dc in each of next 3 sts, 1 htr in each of following 3 sts. Turn.
Row 2: 3 ch, 1 joined tr over 1st 2 sts, 1 joined htr over following 2 sts, 1 dc in next st and 1 sl st in last st. Fasten off.
Join black cotton to beginning of fin and work 1 dc in each st to 1st black row of white middle piece. Fasten off.
Body Fin
Make a magic loop.
Row 1: 2 ch. Work 4 htr into circle and pull circle tight. Don’t join. Turn.
Row 2: 2 ch, work 1 htr in 1st st, 2 htr in each st to the end. Turn.
Row 3: 1 ch, work 1 dc into each st to end. Don’t turn.
Neatening Row
1 ch, work 1 dc in each st around sides and bottom of fin. Fasten off.
Join black to 1st st as shown
1 ch, 1 dc in next st, 1 htr in following st, 2 tr in each st to the last 2 sts, 1 htr in next st and 1 dc in last st. Fasten off.
Front Far Bottom Fin
Make a magic loop.
3 ch, 2 tr in circle, pull circle tight but don’t join. Turn. Fasten off.
Change to black
3 ch, work 2 tr in each st and top of ch. Fasten off.
Front Bottom Fin
Make a magic loop.
Row 1: 3 ch, 2 tr in circle, pull circle tight but don’t join. Turn.
Row 2: 3 ch, 1 tr in same place as ch, 2 tr in next st, 1 tr in top of ch. Fasten off.
Change to black
Row 1: 3 ch, work 2 tr in each st, 1 tr in top of ch. Turn.
Row 2: 3 ch, work a tr cluster over all sts. Fasten off.
Inner Eye
Make a magic loop.
1 ch, work 3 dc into circle, pull circle tight and join with a sl st in ch. Fasten off.
Outer Eye
Make a magic loop.
1 ch, work 7 dc into circle, pull circle tight and join with a sl st in ch. Fasten off.
Mouth
4 ch, I used brown for the chain then changed to orange.
Join orange cotton to end ch.
1 ch, 1 dc in each ch to last ch, into last ch work 3 htr, work 1 dc into the back of each ch. Fasten off.
To Make Up
Weave in ends. Attach inner eye to outer eye.
Sew the eye to the fish where shown.
Embroider a line of grey stitching around the outer eye if desired.
Stitch the mouth to the fish.
Attach the body fin to the fish. Embroider black markings to the end of each black row if desired.
Stitch the front bottom fin and then the front far bottom fin to the fish.
And that’s the finished crochet clown fish pattern. I hope that you’ve enjoyed the pattern and tutorial. If you’re interested in sea creatures I’ve also designed this fantail goldfish and a humpback whale.
