black sebae clown

[WM15]

i just purchased a clown that was labeled as a black sebae clown
but im 98% sure it's a black saddle can anyone tell me if there even is such this as a black sebae clown, and if so show a pic of what there black saddle looks like.

also is it normal for this fish to bolt right inbetween the sandbed and LR after acclimation.

 

[adtravels]

A sebae has a complete slanting middle bar and a tail that is mostly or completely solid yellow.
A polymnus may have a complete or saddle middle bar with the tail the same colour as the body.

you will almost certainly have a black saddle (A polymnus) as A sebae are less often imported to the US, they are common here in thailand though.

They are very skittish fish especially if wild caught, and reqiure a 60 gallon tank as a minimunm guidline, a 24 gallon will restrict this species, it will probably always display this skittish behaviour.

very nice fish, rough on anemones.

 

[WM15]

ill try to get a pic of him when and if he comes out. when he was in the tank with the other clowns they were all out and swimming so i guess ill just have to give him time

the LFS i went to did have the normal color Sebae clowns tho...

 

[phender]

When you say the LFS had normal colored sebae clowns, I am thinking that what you are talking about clarki clowns. Many LFSs still use the common name sebae clown when they are actually selling A. clarki. Yes there are black clarki clowns. They are fairly common. True sebae clowns are always black with two white stripes and a deep yellow nose, tail and sometimes belly.

True sebaes have a more torpedo shaped body like a saddleback (polymnus) clown vs. a clarki which has a more compressed shape like a tomato clown.

Not a great pic of A. sebae

 

[WM15]

well ive finally id him as a black saddle

when i left to go to school today he was still under the rocks but since ive just been home he is swimmin around the right side of the tank.

heres a pic for ya (sorry my camera is kinda crappy)

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<img src="http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh266/WM15_reef/blcksaddleclown.jpg" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"><br><br>
</center>

as adtravels said they are a little hard on anemones which kind would be recomended or would a frogspawn/hammer keep him happy without him killling it with kindness

 

[littleshark]

Even if they're rough with anemones, if its 3x-5x bigger than the clown then the roughness shouldnt be a problem. I've found that saddles cant resist haddoni anemone and goes into one as soon as it saw one. Mines did that. My haddoni is only 3x bigger than my female saddle and its doing great.

 

[BristlewormKing]

For comparison

For comparison

These were my sebaes when they were little guys

The female after becoming an adult (yes, they both turned black):

My black saddleback (long story behind this one - wasn't what I ordered, but definitely a black saddleback!):

Same saddleback, different angle:

Hope that helps!!

 

[WM15]

it does, thanks, it even confirms that hes a black saddle more

 

[phender]

Re: For comparison

Re: For comparison

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11581255#post11581255 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BristlewormKing
These were my sebaes when they were little guys

With all due respect, even though they have white on their dorsal fin, your sebaes are actually A. clarki. A. sebae don't have a tail bar, nor are they ever tan at any point in their lives.

Yes, WM15 your clowns are black saddleback clowns (A. polymnus).

 

[BristlewormKing]

Hmmm..OK...what clownfish is this one then?

 

[WM15]

other than a haddoni(which is prolly to big for my 24 gallon) like littleshark said, what is a nem that they usually host

 

[BristlewormKing]

My saddleback is currently hosting in an LTA - did have a BTA until I moved him to another tank.

 

[WM15]

thanks BristlewormKing i think ill try the BTA being that it's my first nem. My LFS had a 5 in GBTA that looked pretty healthy and was eating

 

[phender]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11585078#post11585078 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BristlewormKing
Hmmm..OK...what clownfish is this one then?

I would say that your clowns had a very odd body shape as juvi's and the adult you pictured still has an unusually shallow body, but from the pictures it is not a sebae body shape either. In addition, the white tail bar pretty much rules out sebae.

I can't be 100% certain from the pics you posted, but I would say the one you pictured is a clarki clown with a shallow body.

-edit-
One other thing. In a sebae the head bar and the mid-stripe are close to parallel like on your saddleback clown. In many cases the the stripes are closer together at the bottom than they are the top. In your clown the stripes are not parallel and are closer together at the top than at the bottom.

 

[adtravels]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11586069#post11586069 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phender
I would say that your clowns had a very odd body shape as juvi's and the adult you pictured still has an unusually shallow body, but from the pictures it is not a sebae body shape either. In addition, the white tail bar pretty much rules out sebae.

I can't be 100% certain from the pics you posted, but I would say the one you pictured is a clarki clown with a shallow body.

-edit-
One other thing. In a sebae the head bar and the mid-stripe are close to parallel like on your saddleback clown. In many cases the the stripes are closer together at the bottom than they are the top. In your clown the stripes are not parallel and are closer together at the top than at the bottom.

agreed clarks with a irregular body shape, , i see 100s of A. sebae here thats not one, possible hybrid though

 

[hobbysalty]

Are true A.sebae hard to fine?