Hybrid Clowns

[Frank Mularo]

After reading Wilkerson's clownfish book, I am curious about hybrid clowns. Apparently some of the complexes are able to crossbreed and create fertile offspring. Has anyone here tried to breed different species of clownfish? Any success stories out there? It seems to me that there would be enough interest among hobbyists for some intrepid breeder to try to cross some complexes as a commercial venture. Actually, I'm surprised that nobody is doing it commercially yet.

Any thoughts?

 

[Martin Moe]

Hybrids are not too hard to develop in closely related clowns, the tomato complex for example. Unfortunately most tomatos look a lot alike as juveniles and the hybrids don't bring any more (at least they didn't some time ago) than the "purebloods". The effort and facilities necessary to develop hybrids are considerable, and this level of domesication has not yet been reached for marine fish culture. Clownfish are getting close, however.

 

[jonathan fung]

http://www.proaquatix.com/clownfish.html

see white-tipped anemonefish

 

[Luis M]

Well,I checked proaquatix hybrid and I fully agree with Martin.Hybridazing wild species is strongly discouraged for many biological,ecological and even ethical reasons.Yet it has always been a common practice when the hybrids due to their strange or beautiful features find a good share of the market.This is not the case with Amphiprion hybrids.This A.sebae x A.polymnus looks like any of the parental stock,assuming the A.polymnus involved belonged to the barred morph.
There are two A.polymnus morphs;the common saddleback and the barred morph sold in the U.S.market under the bad name of "black percula"There are already a black "true"percula and a black "false"(ocellaris)percula.This barred polymnus is very similar to A.sebae.I have seen fishes imported from Bali,where the two species contact,and some of them look intermediate in the caudal fin colour and pattern,the only tell appart character,as meristics won´t help much.I guess they are natural hybrids.