Skunk Hybrid Attempt (A. Thiellei)

[CoralsAddiction]

I've been researching A.Leucokranos and A. Thiellei. There aren't many of them for sale so I thought I'd try pairing an Orange Skunk with an Ocellaris clown. They are known to hybridize in the wild. Both are wild caught. The odds are against me and this thread could very well be short lived. But it's worth a shot. I have contingency plans should things go south.
So, I paired up the clowns today and so far they are staying close to each other. God knows how long this will go on but I hope a very very long time.

 

[addictedreefer]

Do we know whether a. thiellei are F1 hydrids of ocellaris and skunk or several generations removed?

 

[CoralsAddiction]

Do we know whether a. thiellei are F1 hydrids of ocellaris and skunk or several generations removed?

I don't know of that many (or any) tank raised Thiellei clowns to be several gens removed, at least not as of late. Even leucs aren't as often available as tank raised. I was going to get the only avialble ORA leuc locally and pair it with an orange skunk but it got sold 2 days before I could make the purchase :/
Also, it seems that Thiellei clowns are reportedly found with smaller Occy clowns. As such I don't know what kind of offsprings they produce and what they are called.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

The Occy is rejecting the Skunk. The latter is actually being quite social and avoiding the fight while the former is acting like a grumpy old clown. LOL
I'll separate them tomorrow.
PS
Just noticed they were sleeping together. We'll see.

 

[hotelbravo]

i dont know that i would abandon the experiment just yet keep them in there lets see

 

[CoralsAddiction]

i dont know that i would abandon the experiment just yet keep them in there lets see

I think I might.
Interesting observation: The clowns are nudging each other's bellies quite a bit. It seems that they are communicating this way instead of doing the usual dance/shaking.

 

[phender]

Good luck with this and keep us posted.
I tried a chrysopterus, sandaracinos cross several years ago (trying to make leucokranos). They lived together in the same anemone for a couple years until one day when the chrysopterus decided to eat the skunk's face off.

It may have to do with the mating dances/clicking noises not being quite the same in different species. When one of the individuals reaches breeding age/size and they don't get the proper response, they drive their former friend away. Sometimes it works out though, so good luck.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

Good luck with this and keep us posted.
I tried a chrysopterus, sandaracinos cross several years ago (trying to make leucokranos). They lived together in the same anemone for a couple years until one day when the chrysopterus decided to eat the skunk's face off.

Thanks for sharing and sorry to hear about what happened to your pair. I was thinking last night that this type of hybridization attempts are best done by labs and hatcheries. They can accommodate a larger number of potential clown pairs in multiple tanks than an average hobbyist.
Matt Pederson put together an impressive presentation about clownfish hybrids. I looked at it last night on my phone and my mind was blown away by how many hybrid clowns there are not just in captivity but also in the wild.
https://prezi.com/_mxlh9rermr9/part-1-species-clownfish-wilkersons-lost-chapters/

 

[Winwood]

I think a thielli could very possibly be the result of a first generation hybrid. There are several documented sitings of ocellaris and sandaracinos sharing mertens carpets.

 

[OrionN]

I notice that pairing species can get kinda rough, even with Ocellaris and Percula. Several time when I do cross species pair I was on the verge of separating them because the male got beat up so bad.

 

[oh207]

Interesting that the skunk is avoiding. I figured the occy was gonna get owned.