Differentiating Between Percula and Ocellaris

[zoozilla]

Hello,

Can anybody tell me how best to I.D. between Percula and Ocellaris clownfish???

Thanks..

 

[Ebmorri]

The way I was told to id them is the black striping that outlines the white bars on the Percula is typically somewhat thicker. Not sure if thats 100% but it seems to work most of the time.

 

[SDguy]

Best that I've seen is that percs have an orange ring around the eye, ocellaris have a muddy/dark ring.

 

[Amphiprion]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8459178#post8459178 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SDguy
Best that I've seen is that percs have an orange ring around the eye, ocellaris have a muddy/dark ring.

Rather unreliable, IME/IMHO. This trait can even vary with age, with younger fish looking like A. percula, while older fish will look like A. ocellaris. A combination of characteristics (i.e. stripe shading, dorsal spinous ray count, etc.) are more reliable, though not absolute.

 

[edwing206]

one of them has 11 dorsal spines and the other has 10 not sure which is which though

 

[SDguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8459405#post8459405 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Amphiprion
Rather unreliable, IME/IMHO. This trait can even vary with age, with younger fish looking like A. percula, while older fish will look like A. ocellaris. A combination of characteristics (i.e. stripe shading, dorsal spinous ray count, etc.) are more reliable, though not absolute.

I'm assuming you mean there are percs with dark rings, not the other way around?

I've found stripe shading to be one of the worst characteristics to go by, IME.

 

[OrionN]

After you look and several hundred or so of each clowns you just know. The characteristic that help me the most is the color of the eyes. Color help some but not 100% and the size of the dorsal fins. Ocellaris have larger dorsal fins than Percula

 

[zoozilla]

Thanks for the responses guys.

OrionN - What color should I be looking for in the eyes???

 

[adtravels]

must admit not much help but orion n is right after seeing lots you can tell straight away.
Another good one is that juvenile or newly introduced percs tend to occupy and sleep in the top third of the tank. occelaris in the mddle third

 

[OrionN]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8462221#post8462221 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zoozilla
...

OrionN - What color should I be looking for in the eyes???

Percula eye is clear yellow around the iris while Ocellaris is have darker dirtier yellow/orange. Next time you have a Percula and Ocellaris side by side like in LFS, look at the dorsal fins and eyes.

 

[SDguy]

Here's what I was talking about: Note that IME, the picture MUST be taken without a flash. A flash will make the ocellaris eye look light, like a percs. Hope this helps...

Percula:

Ocellaris:

 

[OrionN]

Agree with SDguy. Great pictures. This effect is often change with lighting condition when picture is taken so photo is not always accurate. IME, it is close to 100% accurate when view the fish in person.

 

[zoozilla]

SDGuy and OrionN - These id tips help a lot..

Thanx

 

[Amphiprion]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8460404#post8460404 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by OrionN
After you look and several hundred or so of each clowns you just know. The characteristic that help me the most is the color of the eyes. Color help some but not 100% and the size of the dorsal fins. Ocellaris have larger dorsal fins than Percula

I have seen veritable thousands of these clowns from working at an LFS for years. In both species, the eye characteristics are too variable, somewhat like shading. I have even observed the eyes change when moved from tank to tank.

SDguy, you are right, shading can be very unreliable, but no more so than the eye color. However, when used in combination with proven morphological/morphometric characteristics, it can be helpful. Though it is prone to having problems as well, my preferred way is a spinous dorsal ray count. This mostly holds true, though there are a few atypical individuals that fall in between, which is when other characteristics come into play to help possibly arrive at a correct identification.