WDLV
Skunk Hybrid Freak
I've posted on this topic before, but figured I'd post an update so I have something I can link to when I get questions on the topic.
Skunk Clown Varients:
Who's Whom?
I have had the pleasure of seeing quite a number of skunk hybrid photographs in recent years. Some in books and magazines, some through personal communications and even more via online forums and magazines.
To date, I have also been fortunate to observe two WC (wild collected) thiellei specimens, four WC leucokranos specimens and three CR (captive raised) leucokranos in my own private systems.
A. leucokranos
Photo: Walter D. LaRoque V
The general consensus about A. leucokranos is that it is a hybrid of A. sandaracinos and A. chrysopterus. I confirmed this same belief with other expert aquarists such as Bruce Carlson of the Georgia Aquarium and formerly the Wikiki Aquarium as well as Joe Yaiullo and Todd Gardner of Atlantis Marine World in Riverhead NY and Fernando Nosratpour of the Breeds Aquarium at Scripps who was the first to breed the fish in captivity.
On page 87 of Fautin and Allen's book, the second picture shows two A. leucokranos. The first has no saddle at the tail base. The second has a bit of a white saddle at the tail base though it is difficult to make out due to the angle of the shot. All seven of the leucokranos clowns that I have possessed have had a hazy white marking at the tail base too. This includes three captive bred and four wild collected specimens.
On page 85 of Fautin and Allen's book there is another picture of an A. leucokranos that is said to be crossed with A. chrysopterus. It seems that at the time that my edition was printed (1994) that A. leucokranos was considered to be a separate species. Knowing what we know now I would just call it A. leucokranos because A. chrysopterus and A. sandaracinos are the generally assumed parents of this hybrid. A cross would simply mean a more recessive appearance of the sandaracinos parent traits.
The parental origins of A. leucokranos has been partially confirmed. I have seen photos of a leucokranos coming from two A. sandaracinos parents courtesy of Alexandre da Cunha of Brazil.
Alexandre da Cunha was the first person I know of who raised A. leucokranos from sandaracinos parents. The leucokranos offspring are pictured below.
Note:
I photoshopped this photo for better resolution. So, color accuracy may have been compromised.
Photo: Alexandre da Cunha
Used with permission
This next shot is of poor quality but does show the body plan of the two above a little better.
Photo: Alexandre da Cunha
Used with permission
Alexandre said that out of six fry that survived past metamorphosis, that four had typical sandaracinos characteristics and 2 had leucokranos characteristics. Quite by accident he has reinforced the belief that sandaracinos is one of the parents.
I have had conversations with Bruce Carlson who has seen these fish in association with A. chrysopterus and A. sandaracinos in the wild and was the first to hypothesize that A. chrysopterus and A. sandaracinos were the likely parent species. After passing this idea on to Dr. Gerald Allen, this hunch was reinforced by Gerry's sighting of a chrysopterus/sandaracinos pair with a full term clutch. This discussion is documented on p. 37 of "œThe Amphiprion leucokranos Mystery" by Bruce Carlson in Vol 3. No. 3 issue of Aquarium Frontiers Magazine.
Mr. Carlson referred me to Fernando Nosratpour of the Birch Aquarium at Scripps. Mr. Nosratpour is credited with being the first person to breed a pair of A. leucokranos in captivity. Mr. Nosratpour referred me to an article that he wrote. Published in the March/April 1997 issue of Aquarium Frontiers magazine, it was titled "œAmphiprion leucokranos "“ A Case For Hybridization." In the article it discussed the methods used to breed the pair and more importantly for this discussion, the variants in the offspring. The following results were given on page 18 of the issue. Complete with photos. By the way, most of these photos show a saddle-like marking on the base of the tail.
"œPigmentation types of tank-reared A. leucokranos and percent occurrence from a total of 32 individuals.
Leucokranos type "“ 28.1 percent
Chrysopterus type "“ 12.5 percent
Sandaracinos type "“ 15.6 percent
Perideraion type "“ 9.4 percent
Interdeterminate "“ 34.4 percent"
I think this helps back up the hypothesis that A. leucokranos is indeed a hybrid between A. chrysopterus and A. sandaracinos.
I have spoken with Dr. Daphne Fautin regarding this fish. While prefacing that "˜Gerry is more the fish expert' she did discuss with me some details of his findings, thoughts and conclusions. Dr. Allen was among the first to find evidence that A. leucokranos was a hybrid of A. sandaracinos/chrysopterus based on a suggestion by Bruce Carlson.
Skunk Clown Varients:
Who's Whom?
I have had the pleasure of seeing quite a number of skunk hybrid photographs in recent years. Some in books and magazines, some through personal communications and even more via online forums and magazines.
To date, I have also been fortunate to observe two WC (wild collected) thiellei specimens, four WC leucokranos specimens and three CR (captive raised) leucokranos in my own private systems.
A. leucokranos
Photo: Walter D. LaRoque V
The general consensus about A. leucokranos is that it is a hybrid of A. sandaracinos and A. chrysopterus. I confirmed this same belief with other expert aquarists such as Bruce Carlson of the Georgia Aquarium and formerly the Wikiki Aquarium as well as Joe Yaiullo and Todd Gardner of Atlantis Marine World in Riverhead NY and Fernando Nosratpour of the Breeds Aquarium at Scripps who was the first to breed the fish in captivity.
On page 87 of Fautin and Allen's book, the second picture shows two A. leucokranos. The first has no saddle at the tail base. The second has a bit of a white saddle at the tail base though it is difficult to make out due to the angle of the shot. All seven of the leucokranos clowns that I have possessed have had a hazy white marking at the tail base too. This includes three captive bred and four wild collected specimens.
On page 85 of Fautin and Allen's book there is another picture of an A. leucokranos that is said to be crossed with A. chrysopterus. It seems that at the time that my edition was printed (1994) that A. leucokranos was considered to be a separate species. Knowing what we know now I would just call it A. leucokranos because A. chrysopterus and A. sandaracinos are the generally assumed parents of this hybrid. A cross would simply mean a more recessive appearance of the sandaracinos parent traits.
The parental origins of A. leucokranos has been partially confirmed. I have seen photos of a leucokranos coming from two A. sandaracinos parents courtesy of Alexandre da Cunha of Brazil.
Alexandre da Cunha was the first person I know of who raised A. leucokranos from sandaracinos parents. The leucokranos offspring are pictured below.
Note:
I photoshopped this photo for better resolution. So, color accuracy may have been compromised.
Photo: Alexandre da Cunha
Used with permission
This next shot is of poor quality but does show the body plan of the two above a little better.
Photo: Alexandre da Cunha
Used with permission
Alexandre said that out of six fry that survived past metamorphosis, that four had typical sandaracinos characteristics and 2 had leucokranos characteristics. Quite by accident he has reinforced the belief that sandaracinos is one of the parents.
I have had conversations with Bruce Carlson who has seen these fish in association with A. chrysopterus and A. sandaracinos in the wild and was the first to hypothesize that A. chrysopterus and A. sandaracinos were the likely parent species. After passing this idea on to Dr. Gerald Allen, this hunch was reinforced by Gerry's sighting of a chrysopterus/sandaracinos pair with a full term clutch. This discussion is documented on p. 37 of "œThe Amphiprion leucokranos Mystery" by Bruce Carlson in Vol 3. No. 3 issue of Aquarium Frontiers Magazine.
Mr. Carlson referred me to Fernando Nosratpour of the Birch Aquarium at Scripps. Mr. Nosratpour is credited with being the first person to breed a pair of A. leucokranos in captivity. Mr. Nosratpour referred me to an article that he wrote. Published in the March/April 1997 issue of Aquarium Frontiers magazine, it was titled "œAmphiprion leucokranos "“ A Case For Hybridization." In the article it discussed the methods used to breed the pair and more importantly for this discussion, the variants in the offspring. The following results were given on page 18 of the issue. Complete with photos. By the way, most of these photos show a saddle-like marking on the base of the tail.
"œPigmentation types of tank-reared A. leucokranos and percent occurrence from a total of 32 individuals.
Leucokranos type "“ 28.1 percent
Chrysopterus type "“ 12.5 percent
Sandaracinos type "“ 15.6 percent
Perideraion type "“ 9.4 percent
Interdeterminate "“ 34.4 percent"
I think this helps back up the hypothesis that A. leucokranos is indeed a hybrid between A. chrysopterus and A. sandaracinos.
I have spoken with Dr. Daphne Fautin regarding this fish. While prefacing that "˜Gerry is more the fish expert' she did discuss with me some details of his findings, thoughts and conclusions. Dr. Allen was among the first to find evidence that A. leucokranos was a hybrid of A. sandaracinos/chrysopterus based on a suggestion by Bruce Carlson.