Do you prefer designer or normal Clownfish?

[Tamberav]

Most clownfish breeds are not hybrids, to my knowledge there aren't many hybrid clowns but I may be wrong.
And no, I do no have any written claims of this, I am going off of experience alone. Thanks for pointing that out.

Occy and perc have been crossed. They pair easily. A black photon and Snow Onyx is an example.

Not long ago they announced a new designer of a Storm clown (occy) crossed with a Picasso (perc).

It is an easy quick way to get new patters.

Then some consider anything mocha a cross since the clowns come from geographically different areas so anything black ice or black snowflake, etc.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

Lots of dog breeds have many genetic issues that are not being fixed because purists don't want to bring in outside breeds so some are riddled with cancer for example. I am not sure this is the best example tbh... some dog breeds are even bred to have health problems like short nosed breeds because it is cute.

I guess you could say good breeders try to keep eye problems and hip dysplasia and such out of the breeds but many breeds are a bit of a mess with other problems.

I also am pretty sure that SOME breeders do try to bring in wild genes when able. A lot of our morphs are also crosses between clowns that do not meet each other in the wild. The black occy is a great example of a clownfish that is likely not pure and you need to track down true darwin black occy through specific breeders who have been tracing the lines. Yes, some breeders are tracking lines and not every place you buy a clown from is equal. I haven't looked recently but used to be able to purchase certain "F" generations of clowns from breeders.... so like first generation from wild, second, and so on. Maybe this is fallen out of favor. Not sure.

I know many dogs are not bred well, my statement was from the perspective of a bird dog breeder so they may have higher demands than the crappy little doodles and pugs. I did fail to mention this, thanks for pointing it out.

The issue for me isn't a lack of pedigree, it's the fact that there is no way to monitor the health, longevity, of other biological factors of these fish. You can't do a hereditary cancer test in a clownfish, or at least nobody does that I know of. I'm mainly wary of designer clowns because over the past decade they haven't, from what I've seen, taken very much care. I have full chances of being 100% wrong.

 

[Tamberav]

The grey area is there are clowns from different geographic regions that are crossed so these are considered intraspecific hybrids.

Volumn 11 #5 of Coral Magazine has articles pertaining to clownfish and crosses.

Here is a photo of the hybrid page.

 

[Jrswish]

Maroons are my favorite and all I’ll ever keep as well

 

[Tamberav]

I know many dogs are not bred well, my statement was from the perspective of a bird dog breeder so they may have higher demands than the crappy little doodles and pugs. I did fail to mention this, thanks for pointing it out.

The issue for me isn't a lack of pedigree, it's the fact that there is no way to monitor the health, longevity, of other biological factors of these fish. You can't do a hereditary cancer test in a clownfish, or at least nobody does that I know of. I'm mainly wary of designer clowns because over the past decade they haven't, from what I've seen, taken very much care. I have full chances of being 100% wrong.

Matt Peterson seemed pretty passionate to me about clownfish genetics. I know he used to sell early generation clowns and clowns from batches and places he felt confident in.

As far as cancer goes. The general public is better at keeping their dog alive then keeping fish, especially saltwater fish alive… tracking such a thing would be difficult even if you did test.

 

[elorablue]

Thank you tamberav , you saved me a heckuva lot of typing.

 

[elorablue]

I know many dogs are not bred well, my statement was from the perspective of a bird dog breeder so they may have higher demands than the crappy little doodles and pugs.

I was the very happy owner of two Epagneul bleu de Picardie gundogs. Blue Picardy spaniels a somewhat rare French breed. The greatest dogs in existence. My male was a Canadian show champion and accomplished trialer, my female was one of his daughters. He died of a brain tumour and she of cancer. I strongly believe that if the bloodline had been expanded to increase hybrid vigour this may not have happened. I see the breeding of clowns as a strong positive and will increase health and not detract from it.
you are correct of course, that the testing available to dog breeders simply doesn’t exist for fish.

 

[Gup]

I love just about all types of clownfish, whether they be Natural, Ora or Designer. I lost a Picasso Clown 2 weeks ago. He was one of my originals, I named him Clowney. My favorites are the Gunshots & Gladiators. I'm going to risk buying 1 of each and added to my reef. I do have 2 mocha storm clouds that I purchased as juveniles.

What do you colleagues think?

 

[James_O]

I voted “both” but it really does depend. Some are incredible looking, while others look kind of sad.

Whilst long-tailed clowns look kind of cool, I would imagine they would be a lot more susceptible to diseases as opposed to their short-finned cousins.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I prefer the classic clownfish look. Not that there aren’t good looking designer clowns, but I think the natural bars looks the neatest. Also, the more cool patterning is present, the more inbreeding was likely done to achieve it.

 

[Tariq]

100% agree with Sharkbait.
Imagine for a moment that the classic clownfish were rare and expensive because of perfect-looking bars as opposed to the hybrid stuff with unusual dots, bleached-out bodies, and missing bars.
Classic clownfish may be common but pretty looking.

 

[konatown]

I love oscelaris, they’re just so perfect looking. I got two. However I do wish I looked at some of the varieties a bit more and got something that I can have for a long time. But it’s ok, I’m already attached to my babies

 

[JayA]

I prefer some of the designer clowns except for the long fin varieties, which I hate the looks of. I seem to prefer the designer clowns that have more white. I currently have a normal color and a Wyoming white.

I too like the designer, hate the long fins, and Wyoming white is my favorite, though I have a pair of phantoms.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Original, as nature made them all the way. Such a beautiful fish already. Well... beautiful till they bite me several times a week anyway lol.. then they are my little devil.

 

[Miami Reef]

I like the standard clowns because all the kids and adults say “that’s nemo!”.

 

[bherbold8]

Doesn't matter to me. I love my rescue blackice or whatever she is, all about the personality! Happiest lady on the block. Shares a 25G waterbox with a blue stripe pipefish and a possum wrasse.

 

[Zionas]

Other than Ocellaris / Percula, Saddlebacks, Sebaes and Orange Skunks look great to me.

 

[Zionas]

It’s interesting that you say the “Black Ocellaris” isn’t a purebred species of Clown. Can you tell me a bit more? Maybe they’re the result of the original Darwin Clowns and orange Ocellaris and happened to carry the melanistic genes?

 

[agame2021]

I have a black frostbite and regular frostbite clown on the way! I’m so stoked. I have loved the regular ones but I just love the blue!
also think the lightning maroon is a beautiful fish but I would rather it stay a bit smaller.
I am planning on raising my clowns and hopefully breeding them then taking a clutch and turning my 150 gallon tank into a harem tank with the hybrid I get.

 

[Tamberav]

It’s interesting that you say the “Black Ocellaris” isn’t a purebred species of Clown. Can you tell me a bit more? Maybe they’re the result of the original Darwin Clowns and orange Ocellaris and happened to carry the melanistic genes?

Its because orange and black occys are from different geographical regions but have been mixed heavily. So you would need to know bloodlines to know you have a true pure Darwin. Like if all Darwin clowns disappeared on the reef and you wanted to release new ones back. Technically you shouldn’t just release some black occys since their genes are muddled with orange ones from another area.


Intraspecific Hybrids
This group represents a gray area where contested taxonomic definitions cause aquarists to disagree about whether these pairings represent matings between two different species or one unified species. Thus, an intraspecific hybrid would be defined as a cross between different phenotypes or geographic forms of taxonomically same-species clownfishes. The mating between Yellowtail and Whitetail geographic races of the Bluestripe Clownfish, A. chrysopterus, is one such example.

CORAL Excerpt - Playing With Matches: Hybrid Clownfishes - CORAL Magazine

A breeder's look at the various types of wild and captive-bred hybrid clownfish varieties, and the benefits, and dangers, they represent.

www.reef2rainforest.com