black spots on clowns, not black ich or a disease, just some information..

[joekr]

I have this post on upstate reef society's forum area and Gary Majchrzak thought that it would be good info to share (and I thought so to):



My two clowns have black spots on them and I am curious if it is an issue. I understand that if it is black spot disease that it is not nearly as bad as ich, but these black spots do not look like any type of parasite, but rather a color change occuring on the fish.This was a gradual change and appears to be continuing..Both clowns appear healthy and happy while eating like horses!! Any opinions valued! Thanks!

Here is a picture and here is the determination as to what is taking place w/ my clowns.

One of the members from reefs.org gave me an answer and then I followed up on the answer at wetwebmedia.com. here is his response:

It's called melanism, it can be a perfectly normal event in Clownfish.

Regards,
David Mohr

and here is the info from wetwebmedia:

Dark Spots on Clownfish
hello
I have a question on my perc clown fish. I have had him for 3 years and now he is getting black spots on him. his nose looks a little red also, I am very worried. I haven't any other fish in the past year except for 6 peppermint shrimp. my alkalinity is 10 .no ammonia or anything else in the water. I have herd a little about black spot disease in yellow tangs but I don't have any in my tank. I am very worried, can you help me?
www.wetwebmedia.com site (and see pix there too)... This organism would have to "come in" most likely on a Zebrasoma... and Clowns are very unlikely possible hosts... So "what is it"? Likely nervous expression (melanism) resultant from "environmental stress"... cumulative chemical/physical challenges, perhaps nutritional deficiencies... I would do the standard testing of your water for what you can, add some live rock, supplement/alter the foodstuffs you generally offer... And take heart in realizing that Clownfishes do "get spots" sort of like "age spots" in humans with age...
Bob Fenner>

Here is the link to the priginal thread:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=465916

Hope this information helps someone else out there.

 

[morris2]

Black Spots

Black Spots

Hey all,

We have a thread over in the reef club section and I wanted to get your opinion. I have a maiting pair of true percs that have hosted in a sebae for two years. Several days ago black spots have started to appear on the fish. They spots are not growths, more of a discoloration of their skin. They seem healthy, they are eating well. No changes to the tank. Here is a pic:

The fish both have turned darker over time (Melanism) but never by spots. Usually just an expansion of their black bands.

Thoughts?

 

[morris2]

I just noticed that joekr, (another member participating in our thread posted the same question), go to his thread to continue the discussion. He has a pic of his clowns with the same spots.

 

[morris2]

I was participating in the thread in the upstate reef forum. My clowns have expierenced the same spots:

I would like to hear from anyone else that has had their clowns exhibit these spots. Did it affect the fish? Did it go away? I have had my clowns for 2 yrs.

I don't believe the spots are melanism. My fish have darkened over the years but it has been a slow expansion of their black bands, which this is not.

I also question the age issue as joekr's are only 7-8 mos.

It may be nothing but I am interested in others opinions.

 

[traveller7]

Non raised black spots are frequently seen on clownfish that decide to host in certain anemones, soft corals, hard corals, mushrooms, ricordia, etc. These do not appear to be anything other then a "tan". If you wander through my lousy picture gallery(current avatar as well), there is a black chrysopterus whose orange face went almost black while hosting in an S. haddoni. Now that she has moved back to a H. crispa the orange is returning.

They are also a common occurence when clowns are establishing pairs, hence scars. These appear to be non-threatening as long as they don't become infected.

There are other maladies which may appear as black spoting but in clowns the above two are most frequent.

 

[traveller7]

Forgive the potential confusion, I merged the two threads ;>)

 

[oceanarus]

I have also seen that zoanthids will cause the same sort of black splotches on clowns when they try to host in them.

 

[ernordstrom]

My Tomato clown used to host in my Blue Ricordia's. My wife watched him get "stung" numerous times and flee in a hurry, she said it was kind of amusing. He developed those spots after a while and has since stopped hosting in my Ric's. I guess he learned his lesson. I just picked up a beautiful RBTA and he has shown a little interest in it although he hasn't yet made the plunge. Still has the black spots and still looks healthy so I am not concerned.

 

[Russel]

Thanks for the info... I just had a perc that these spots arose on after it started hosting with a bubble tip.

 

[ErikD]

My single ocellaris just came up with these spots, seemingly overnight. She is about a year old and has never hosted in anything. Has anyone learned anything else about this?


thanks

Erik

 

[joekr]

I personally believe the spots to be my clowns messing around in some zoos I have in my tank. I have diversified their diet and the spots still remain. I was just at my LFS last night and one of the clowns in his display tank had the exact same spots as mine.

Both my fish seem healthy, happy and they eat like horses. I believe the spots to be from something they are rubbing against or trying to host. If anything should change in their health or behavior, I will update this thread....

In answer to your question, I don't believe anyone has come up with any new info. Sorry I can't answer your question better and I wish I knew an answer for sure....

 

[joekr]

well, it' update time if anyone is interested. I've made some more changes and the spots are actually receding (particularly on the larger clown). Here's what has changed:

1. increased feeding - I'm feeding prime reef and formula one now. my clowns seem hungry all the time and so I feed 2-3 times a day, but slightly smaller portions.

2. to compensate the extra feeding I bought a more efficient skimmer. I was using a berlin airlift 90 and upgraded to a aquac remora w/ a maxijet 1200 (awesome skimmer for the money)

3. I've been putting a little selcon in the tank about once a week.

Both clowns are still very active and hungry. They seem happy and the tank is thriving, especially since the new skimmer was introduced. Hope this helps someone else out there...

 

[joekr]

even further update...spots are almost gone. got some cyclopeeze (SP?) and have also introduced garlic semi-regularly. Clowns still seem healthy and happy!

I'm really beginning to think that something was lacking in these guys diet...

 

[impur]

My clown also has these spots. They have become very noticable in the last week. She even has a mustache now because of whatever is causing this. She hosts in a frogspawn and lately has been much more active in the coral. I will get you guys a pic tonight, its worse than the above pics. But she acts the same as always, eats readily, always excited when somebody comes to the tank etc...

 

[lebowski]

Well damn!

I'll jump in and say I am having the same issue with my female perc.
Is it just me or does this seem (from majority posters here) that all these fish are either A.Percula or A.Ocellaris?

 

[joekr]

just one quick question for everyone following this thread. Are all these fish tank bred or are some of them from the ocean? Mine were tank raised here in upstate NY...

Just trying to find something in common....

 

[Jenfur427]

Here you can see my black spots on my fish on the bottom. She has black spots on her fins and underbelly. She came with them on her. She was tank raised.

 

[Shoestring Reefer]

Freckled Clowns

Freckled Clowns

I didn't see it mentioned anywhere else, but I've seen spotted clowns referred to as "freckled". Someone in my club bought some freckled clowns a while ago.

 

[morris2]

Update on my percs. The spots are still there but are starting to fade a bit. My percs were obtained from different sources. Both seem to be ocean raised. They statred to get their spots at the same time so I am guessing it is tank related.

 

[impur]

Here are a few pics of my perc. The spots are a bit worse than the pics above i think. Even the fishes lips are black now, this all happened pretty fast, within the last 2 weeks. But she still acts normal, and still eats like a pig.