111. Wild-Type Clownfishes and Where to Find Them

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”)