Differentiating Between Tomato (frenatus) and Cinnamon (melanopus) Clowns?

[tanglovers]

Hi All,

I picked up a pair of clowns for a fellow aquarist yesterday that he had for 7-8 years, nice large spawning pair. He obviously was not sure the species of clowns as he called them maroons, well they are obviously tomato/cinnamon clowns. I am at work currently and started looking into the varients between these two species and having mixed luck. Is there any definite way to tell their species, like in ocellaris/perculas counting the dorsal spines?

I have wilkerson's at home which I will be looking at late tonight but just curious.

I will get some pics up of them. The female (4" or so) is very dark red with the single white band where the male is about 2.5" and is lighter in color with the single band.

Any suggestions would be great and I will be getting pics up tomorrow.

Scott

 

[JetCat USA]

the pic will help allot, as they get older the two look allot alike but the coloration usually gives it away pretty easily. Cinnamons are more brown/orange and Tomatos are dark red/black

 

[tanglovers]

Yeah I figured a pic would be mandatory, I will see when I get out tonight if I can snap a few pics otherwise I will in the morning.

Thanks!

 

[criccio]

What color are the anal fins?

 

[phender]

Generally, melanopus have completely black anal fins, there is a rare local variety that has red anal fins but they are rarely imported. Tomatoes will sometimes have a black leading edge on the anal fin but its not completely black.

Melanopus also usually have an orange tail (lighter than the body) and tomatoes tail is the same shade as the body, but transparent.

Athough both can have black on their bodies, the shape of the black is different. I don't really know how to describe it, but it is different.

 

[tanglovers]

I appreciate all the input. I will be getting out of work shortly and can hopefully get some pics up tonight yet.

 

[tanglovers]

Here are some pics.

Pair is about 8 years old or so.

 

[phender]

A. frenatus, a very nice pair.

 

[tanglovers]

That is what I figured/hoped. After I picked them up and saw the male with lighter fins I second guessed my instinct that was telling me tomatos. Figured they were a nice pair reguardless but if they were a mixed pair, I would split them and repair as I personally do not like hybrids/crosses.

Thanks!

 

[MimicTang]

Those are tomatoes for sure.

 

[ChunksInClemson]

Nice pair of maters!