Pictured here is a very peculiar looking color pattern of a captive bred clownfish which got us doing more than a few double-takes when we spotted it in Italy. This “two and a half barred” clownfish looks more or less like a typical captive raised clark’s clownfish, Amphiprion clarki, with fully formed bars except for the central one which is reduced to just a spot.
We’ve seen this nearly identical pattern in captive bred wide bar clownfish, A. latezonatus, but never really to this degree in any other species in the genus. If we had been observing just a single specimen, we would have been much less excited about this color pattern but this particular tank included a whole cohort of these weird two and half barred clownfish.
Alas, the display aquarium containing the weird clownfish was installed in the booth of Hydor/Prodibio and furnished by a third party and we failed to come up with a breeder or origin for this wacky clownfish. We are not incluned to believe that some hybridization took place to create these bizarre clark’s clownfish, but you never know.
But we do know that some among you in our reading audience are better versed in the nuances of captive bred clownfish morphs, and what happens when you cross species A with species B. So how about it Reef Builders readers, what do you think this clownfish is and have you seen it before?
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