Cross breeding clownfish?

[Morrisons]

We have a small (1") Ocellaris clownfish (see pic). He was with a larger one but it died. So we think it might be a 'he'.

Could we get a larger clownfish of a different type, say Clark's or Tomato and expect them to mate and breed?

Or would we need to get another Ocellaris?

-Mike

 

[tonysi]

It has happened by accident frenatus x ocellaris in ORA brood stock tanks and in the wild clarki x ocellaris in the wild, but never intentionally. Those two breeds are pretty aggressive, you might actually have better luck with a ocellaris x Premnas biaculeatus pair.

 

[nanoreefer1000]

There are natural Occy/Skunk hybrids, plus agricultured percula, maroon, and tomato hybrids with occy blood.

 

[Azedenkae]

There are all sorts of hybrids out there, natural and man-made.

So sure, I reckon you should try it. Clarks and Tomatos are very aggressive though.

If you can, get one of those but smaller than the Occy you currently have, so that the Occy hopefully gets to develop into the female of the pair.

 

[ThRoewer]

It has happened by accident frenatus x ocellaris in ORA brood stock tanks and in the wild clarki x ocellaris in the wild, ...

At ORA it was because two pairs - one ocellaris and a clarkii - laid eggs at the same time and sperm from the male of one pair got over the water to the eggs of the other pair and fertilized some of them. So that wasn't a mixed pair.

About the wild - things like at ORA may happen in the reef as well. But I'm kind of skeptical that a clarkii would pair up with an ocellaris or percula.
They may however pair up with similar species like for example chrysopterus if no other of their species is available.

On a personal note: I would never intentionally crossbreed different species - I think it is just wrong.
Today I can't go to the fish store and get a pure percula, ocellaris or clarkii. Most of what they have are designer clowns. And with those tankbred pure ocellaris or percula I always wonder if they are truly pure or some of the designer clown castoffs that just look normal.
That's why I prefer wild pairs for breeding - with the only exception of A. latezonatus where the wilds are just way too hard to keep alive.

 

[Azedenkae]

At ORA it was because two pairs - one ocellaris and a clarkii - laid eggs at the same time and sperm from the male of one pair got over the water to the eggs of the other pair and fertilized some of them. So that wasn't a mixed pair.

About the wild - things like at ORA may happen in the reef as well. But I'm kind of skeptical that a clarkii would pair up with an ocellaris or percula.
They may however pair up with similar species like for example chrysopterus if no other of their species is available.

On a personal note: I would never intentionally crossbreed different species - I think it is just wrong.
Today I can't go to the fish store and get a pure percula, ocellaris or clarkii. Most of what they have are designer clowns. And with those tankbred pure ocellaris or percula I always wonder if they are truly pure or some of the designer clown castoffs that just look normal.
That's why I prefer wild pairs for breeding - with the only exception of A. latezonatus where the wilds are just way too hard to keep alive.

Lol my opinion is opposite of yours. I love hybrids, and if I am to pair something, I'd always want to pair two species first. As a geneticist, hybrids appeal to me.

Though it is not as if that many designers are interspecific hybrids anyways. Most of them are intraspecific hybrids, i.e. hybrids of specimens of the same species.

 

[Morrisons]

BTW, we were thinking our clownfish is an Ocellaris but might it actually be a Percula? How do you tell the difference?

-Mike

 

[D-Nak]

Is your ultimate goal to breed your pair? If not, then any two clowns should be fine together, they just may not pair up. If your goal is to breed them, as others have mentioned, it's possible and has been done a few times before. I personally am not a fan of hybrids, but I am also not a fan of "stubby" clowns. Now that you know that you "could" you may want to ask yourself if you "should."