In this episode of the podcast, the Water Colors team is looking outside the “designer” clownfish box and exploring the natural biodiversity in clownfishes (Amphiprion spp.). Each species has a unique phylogenetic history, ecology, and behavioral repertoire. Or, said another way, this natural biodiversity means that there is a clownfish species that is perfect for almost every marine aquarium in the world. If you have wild-type clownfish in your home aquarium, please share your photos on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group!
Correction/Addendum:
– ORA was originally selling a Amphiprion melanopus clade clownfish from Fiji as Amphiprion rubrocinctus. In 2008, this population was described as Amphiprion barberi. ORA managed to confirm this identification with DNA testing. This story is a great example of why collection locations matter so much. In this case, the name changed, but it was still the “red clownfish from Fiji”. Having a known collection location allowed professional breeders to correctly reidentify the fish they were selling.
Fishes Mentioned in this Episode:
– Percula clownfish (Amphiprion percula)
– Ocellaris clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
– White-stripe maroon clownfish (Amphiprion biaculeatus)
– Gold-stripe maroon clownfish (Amphiprion epigrammata)
– Cinnamon clownfish (Amphiprion melanopus)
– Tomato clownfish (Amphiprion frenatus)
– Wide-Band clownfish (Amphiprion latezonatus)
– Barrier Reef clownfish (Amphiprion akindynos)
– Mcculloch’s clownfish (Amphiprion mccullochi)
– Clark’s clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii)
– Saddleback clownfish (Amphiprion polymnus)
– Sebae clownfish (Amphiprion sebae)
– Three-banded clownfish (Amphiprion tricinctus)
– Allard’s clownfish (Amphiprion allardi)
– Japanese Clark’s clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii japonicus)
– Black Clark’s clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii milii)
– Solomon Islands Clark’s clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii papuensis)
– Red Sea clownfish (Amphiprion bicinctus)
– Chagos clownfish (Amphiprion chagosensis)
– Mauritian clownfish (Amphiprion chrysogaster)
– “Whitetail” Blue-stripe clownfish (Amphiprion chrysopterus)
– Seychelles clownfish (Amphiprion fuscocaudatus)
– Madagascar clownfish (Amphiprion latifasciatus)
– Oman clownfish (Amphiprion omanensis)
– Black-footed clownfish (Amphiprion nigripes)
– Yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
– “Blackfin” Blue-stripe clownfish (Amphiprion cf. chrysopterus “Blackfin”)
– White-bonnet clownfish (Amphiprion chrysopterus x A. sanderacinos “leucokranos”)
– Orange skunk clownfish (Amphiprion sandaracinos)
– Mariana Blue-stripe clownfish (Amphiprion cf. chrysopterus “Mariana”
– Vanuatu Blue-stripe clownfish (Amphiprion cf. chrysopterus “Vanuatu”)
– Polynesian Blue-stripe clownfish (Amphiprion cf. chrysopterus “Polynesia”)
– Barber’s clownfish (Amphiprion barberi)
– Fire clownfish (Amphiprion ephippium)
– Ruby/Cinnamon clownfish (Amphiprion rubrocinctus)
– Pacific skunk clownfish (Amphiprion pacificus)
– Yellow skunk clownfish (Amphiprion akallopisos)
– Pink skunk clownfish (Amphiprion perideraion)
– Thielle’s clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris x A. sanderacinos “thiellei)
– “Fiji Sunkist” pink skunk clownfish (Amphiprion cf. perideraion “Fiji”)
– African skunk clownfish (Amphiprion cf. akallopisos “Africa”)