Any reason why my Clarki would change color?.....

[Naperville Reef]

when i bought him he was orange. now he is black. he is very healthy and eats well. any thoughts?

 

[JENnKerry]

Perhaps a sign of good health? Maybe (like other fish) they change color a little when they mature? I'm just guessing here because I've noticed my clarki doing the same exact thing.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6771851#post6771851 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JENnKerry
Perhaps a sign of good health? Maybe (like other fish) they change color a little when they mature? I'm just guessing here because I've noticed my clarki doing the same exact thing.

Bingo. Clownfish darken as they mature. Some species even lose some stripes!

 

[JENnKerry]

Good to know. Thanks Gary :thumbsup:

 

[SWonly]

Thats not a clarkii, it is a sebae clown.

 

[Naperville Reef]

it is a Clarki clown

 

[Naperville Reef]

thanks for the info Gary and JENnKerry. i did not realize clownfish did that.

 

[stykthyn]

Clark's are weird like that. Not all of them turn black.I know that hosting in a Merten's anemone will cause it. Perhaps something in the diet as well.

 

[JENnKerry]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6772264#post6772264 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Naperville Reef
thanks for the info Gary and JENnKerry. i did not realize clownfish did that.

No problem. Like I said, mine was just a guess. Gary just confirmed it

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6772487#post6772487 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stykthyn
Clark's are weird like that. Not all of them turn black.I know that hosting in a Merten's anemone will cause it. Perhaps something in the diet as well.

Clarkii clowns have several color variations. Coloration depends on the locality they're collected from. The Clarkii in the picture in this thread is not a "true" black Clarkii- and (IME) not all Clarkii that host in Merten's anemone will turn black.

 

[SWonly]

The 2nd stripe appears to me to run up through the rear dorsal fin. Clarkiis do not have the stripe in the rear fin.

 

[HVF21221]

How big is that fish? Looks like it could be A. sebae not A. clarkii.

 

[SWonly]

Naperville Reef, just letting you know it is not a clarkii. I see many sebae clowns with the darker coloring as they mature as well.

 

[Naperville Reef]

SWonly..... i really don't see how you can make a definitive identification based on that picture. plus some Clarkii's do have white in their dorsal fin. see link....

http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Photos/ThumbnailsSummary.php?ID=5448

color variations in clarkii's seem to be huge. do sebae's have a 3rd white strip? the pictures that i have looked at show only 2 white stripes. my clownfish has 3.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

and from the top of this forum:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=305127

 

[LotR Clown]

I would say clarkii, seabaes look much more like saddlebacks.

KP

 

[ezhoops]

No doubt a clarki, I have a pair of melanistic clarki's just like it. Sebae have no third stripe in adults and have the body shape of a.polymnus, along with a typical orange pattern from the tail to vent.

Like said above, clownfish do darken with age and certain hosts can help to darken them. How long has your clown been hosting? did you notice the change before or after the hosting?

 

[Naperville Reef]

here is another picture although it is blurry.

ezhoops..... it was light orange when i bought it. it immediately hosted my RBTA and started to darken within a few months.

 

[criccio]

Absolutely a clarkii NR, which LFS did you get it at?

 

[Naperville Reef]

Deep Reef..... so i would be shocked if they did not ID this fish correctly.

for those of you not familiar with Chicagoland LFS Deep Reef is considered one of the best, if not the best, for fish.