Are these clownfish eggs?

[Eric55]

My Ocellaris male has been watching this area of live rock a lot for the last week or two. These white dots are new. Are they eggs?

I put my hand about an inch from the spot to see if either the male or female would get agitated, but there was no reaction from either one of them.

What do you think?

 

[Purple Penguins]

no clownfish eggs are bright orange

 

[Eric55]

The clownfish are young; I bought them in February.

Could they be an infertile first try?

 

[kerusso316]

Looks like infertile first try to me.A pic of momma would be good.Is she a fatty.If so look at the tank every day until you see a new batch.Then mark the day on a calender.7-9 days later they will hatch.[dissaper over night].Then you need to get them to lay on a terracotta tile.Then you need to read Clownfish by Wilkerson.Pm me if you need help.

 

[Eric55]

I'm really curious why the clowns didn't mind me putting my hands so close to the eggs. Could the clowns know the eggs were infertile?

 

[Rod Buehler]

they are not clownfish eggs. Im not completely certain what they are but I see them in my tanks from time to time. Some of those tanks dont have clowns in them

 

[MarinaP]

I agree with Rod, they are not clownfish eggs.

 

[chrisstie]

I vote some kind of snail egg but agree they aren't clown eggs. I also see them in some of your rock not just on that area

 

[phender]

The white spots are something coralline_algae does sometimes. Fertile or infertile clown eggs with be orange when they are laid. You don't need fertilization to have a yolk in the egg.
Eggs will also stick off the rock and move in the current.
These are freshly laid clown eggs. Not the same species as yours, but they would be the same.

Here is a pick of some about to hatch that better shows how they stick out off the rock.

 

[Eric55]

Nice photos. Thanks!

 

[shrinky]

The first picture doesn't even look like eggs of any kind to me. It looks like something has taken 'bites' out of that patch of coralline algae. I see it all the time in my tanks - for instance much bigger 'bite' marks are made my my urchin, but in my 12 gallon I often see my purple coralline dotted with white marks. I think it may be the nocturnal habits of some small starfish or other inverts.