The Sunkist Clownfish is a naturally occurring variety of the pink skunk clownfish, Amphiprion perideraion. I’ve been extolling the importance of understanding and appreciating the wild geographic variants of our clownfish species for a couple years now, so you might understand the excitement about today’s captive-breeding announcement from Sustainable Aquatics.
Their latest introduction, the “Sunkist” (or Sun-Kissed) variant of the ubiquitous Pink Skunk Clownfish, Amphiprion perideraion, brings this delightful form to the masses. This natural variation of the Pink Skunk clownfish lives up to its namesake, replacing the pale pink typically associated with the species for a beautiful bright, airy, orange sherbert.
In every respect, the only real difference here is a good known provenance (Sustainable Aquatic’s line comes from Fiji) and the beautiful and different coloration. Otherwise, these are Pink Skunk Clowns through and through. The best part? While wild caught Sunkist variant Pink Skunk Clownfish can fetch prices that are upwards of 10-times greater than the typical Pink Skunk, SA has opted to introduce this fish at a pricing level comparable to their Fire and Ruby Clownfish (A. ephippium and A. barberi respectively). This suggests a robust supply, and is yet another example of how captive-breeding makes rare variants and species more accessible to the mainstream hobbyist.
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