WDLV
Skunk Hybrid Freak
What’s the difference between A. leucokranos and A. thiellei?
First I’d like to take a look at some of their similarities. Both fish possess a white bonnet in their classic examples. Both fish have similar body color. Both fish are believed to be hybrids.
To cite what I feel to be the most reliable source, Anemone Fishes and their Host Sea Anemones by Daphne Fautin and Gerald Allen. On page 110 it states that A. thiellei is “reddish-orange with single relatively narrow white head bar; also small white saddle on top edge of tail base. Maximum length 65mm.â€Â
On page 87 the second picture shows two A. leucokranos. The first has no saddle at the tail base. The second has a bit of a white saddle at the tail base though it is difficult to make out due to the angle of the shot. The two leucokranos clowns I possess have white at the tail base too. I’ve spoken to two members on rareclownfish.com who have A. thielleis. One is a classic example, the other is a bit less cut and dry. Both individuals cite their source as being in the Phillippine Islands. One specifically from Cebu. This is consistant with the probable range as defined in the book.
I have had the pleasure of seeing quite a number of leucokranos photographs in recent years. It is clear that both species have a propensity toward inconsistent markings.
On page 85 there is another picture of an A. leucokranos that is said to be crossed with A. chrysopterus. Personally I would just call it A. leucokranos because A. chrysopterus and A. sandaracinos are the known parents of this hybrid. I say this with confidence because I have seen photos of a leucokranos coming from A. sandaracinos parents courtesy of a hobbiest in Brazil. Also, I have had conversations with Bruce Carlson who has seen these fish in association with A. chrysopterus and A. sandaracinos. Mr Carlson referred me to Fernando Nosratpour of the Birch Aquarium at Scripps. Mr. Nosratpour is credited with being the first person to breed A. leucokranos in captivity. This was done to verify that the species is a hybrid. Mr. Nosratpour referred me to an article that he wrote. Published in the March/April 1997 issue of Aquarium Frontiers magazine, it was titled “Amphiprion leucokranos â€"œ A Case For Hybridization.†In the article it discussed the methods used to breed the pair and more importantly for this discussion, the variants in the offspring. The following results were given on page 18 of the issue. Complete with photos. By the way, most of these photos show a saddle-like marking on the base of the tail.
“Pigmentation types of tank-reared A. leucokranos and percent occurance from a total of 32 individuals.
Leucokranos type â€"œ 28.1 percent
Chrysopterus type â€"œ 12.5 percent
Sandaracinos type â€"œ 15.6 percent
Perideraion type â€"œ 9.4 percent
Interdeterminate â€"œ 34.4 percentâ€Â
I think this backs up the conclusion that A. leucokranos is indeed a hybrid between A. chrysopterus and A. sandaracinos.
I also spoke with Daphne Fautin regarding these two fish. While stating that ‘Jerry is more the fish expert’ she did discuss with me some details of his findings, thoughts and conclusions. He was among the first to put together that A.leucokranos was probably a hybrid due to it’s natural associations. Also while the book was being written, A. Thiellei was a relatively new discovery. Dr. Allen was anxious to add this species to the book. I seem to remember her saying that Mr. Thiel (pronounced “teelâ€Â) was a personal friend of Dr. Allen and that he was excited to be among the first to publish him as being the discoverer of the species.
A lot of these conversations are third person. I am trying to get in contact with Dr. Allen to get some of these facts directly from the source. I would also like to question him to determine if there’s a distinction between the two species that I’m missing.
At this point as clearly as I can discern, the only major difference between these two fish is their range. However because the parent fish to A. leucokranos exist in both regions, I think it is probable that these two may very well be the same species.
Original thread -
http://www.rareclownfish.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1829
First I’d like to take a look at some of their similarities. Both fish possess a white bonnet in their classic examples. Both fish have similar body color. Both fish are believed to be hybrids.
To cite what I feel to be the most reliable source, Anemone Fishes and their Host Sea Anemones by Daphne Fautin and Gerald Allen. On page 110 it states that A. thiellei is “reddish-orange with single relatively narrow white head bar; also small white saddle on top edge of tail base. Maximum length 65mm.â€Â
On page 87 the second picture shows two A. leucokranos. The first has no saddle at the tail base. The second has a bit of a white saddle at the tail base though it is difficult to make out due to the angle of the shot. The two leucokranos clowns I possess have white at the tail base too. I’ve spoken to two members on rareclownfish.com who have A. thielleis. One is a classic example, the other is a bit less cut and dry. Both individuals cite their source as being in the Phillippine Islands. One specifically from Cebu. This is consistant with the probable range as defined in the book.
I have had the pleasure of seeing quite a number of leucokranos photographs in recent years. It is clear that both species have a propensity toward inconsistent markings.
On page 85 there is another picture of an A. leucokranos that is said to be crossed with A. chrysopterus. Personally I would just call it A. leucokranos because A. chrysopterus and A. sandaracinos are the known parents of this hybrid. I say this with confidence because I have seen photos of a leucokranos coming from A. sandaracinos parents courtesy of a hobbiest in Brazil. Also, I have had conversations with Bruce Carlson who has seen these fish in association with A. chrysopterus and A. sandaracinos. Mr Carlson referred me to Fernando Nosratpour of the Birch Aquarium at Scripps. Mr. Nosratpour is credited with being the first person to breed A. leucokranos in captivity. This was done to verify that the species is a hybrid. Mr. Nosratpour referred me to an article that he wrote. Published in the March/April 1997 issue of Aquarium Frontiers magazine, it was titled “Amphiprion leucokranos â€"œ A Case For Hybridization.†In the article it discussed the methods used to breed the pair and more importantly for this discussion, the variants in the offspring. The following results were given on page 18 of the issue. Complete with photos. By the way, most of these photos show a saddle-like marking on the base of the tail.
“Pigmentation types of tank-reared A. leucokranos and percent occurance from a total of 32 individuals.
Leucokranos type â€"œ 28.1 percent
Chrysopterus type â€"œ 12.5 percent
Sandaracinos type â€"œ 15.6 percent
Perideraion type â€"œ 9.4 percent
Interdeterminate â€"œ 34.4 percentâ€Â
I think this backs up the conclusion that A. leucokranos is indeed a hybrid between A. chrysopterus and A. sandaracinos.
I also spoke with Daphne Fautin regarding these two fish. While stating that ‘Jerry is more the fish expert’ she did discuss with me some details of his findings, thoughts and conclusions. He was among the first to put together that A.leucokranos was probably a hybrid due to it’s natural associations. Also while the book was being written, A. Thiellei was a relatively new discovery. Dr. Allen was anxious to add this species to the book. I seem to remember her saying that Mr. Thiel (pronounced “teelâ€Â) was a personal friend of Dr. Allen and that he was excited to be among the first to publish him as being the discoverer of the species.
A lot of these conversations are third person. I am trying to get in contact with Dr. Allen to get some of these facts directly from the source. I would also like to question him to determine if there’s a distinction between the two species that I’m missing.
At this point as clearly as I can discern, the only major difference between these two fish is their range. However because the parent fish to A. leucokranos exist in both regions, I think it is probable that these two may very well be the same species.
Original thread -
http://www.rareclownfish.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1829
