New Mozart and Beethoven Clownfish from Aquadancing

AquaDancing is a marine fish breeder based out of Taiwan which has introduced a couple of new strains of the beloved ocellaris clownfish. The Mozart and Beethoven is AquaDancing’s name for some strains that have been line-bred down parallel paths with many other breeders, but with at least one very different goal.

Being based in Taiwan, AquaDancing has developed their clownfish varieties in relative isolation, with different standards of ‘domesticated’ clownfish to strive for. First of all, the Mozart and Beethoven are top grade style of Snowflake clownfish, with a couple distinctions.

The Beethoven clownfish is an orange-base colored clownfish, but dominated by a white coloration all over the body. a small degree of black spotting is reminiscent of frostbite clownfish. Indeed, at first glance you’d be totally clear for calling these fish actual frostbite, but one of the biggest distinctions is one feature which we have always held dear in domesticated clownfish strains, and that is the presence of a white first dorsal fin.

We’ve always held the presence of a white dorsal fin in very high regard, and this trait holds true in AquaDancing’s other unique line of domestic clownfish, the Mozart Clownfish. The Mozart is a black-base clownfish with a varying degree of picasso pattern on its body which is graded from K1, K2, K3 and K4.

The ‘cleanest’ color pattern belongs to the Mozart K1 clownfish which has the most white dorsal fin, and very bold and well defined black color surrounding it. Even as you descend the grading scale of AquaDancing’s Mozart clownfish they all have the white first dorsal fin and the breeder claims 90% genetic fidelity to the overall look of the strains.

The development of domestic clownfish strains has been dominated by American breeders, with Bali Aquarich as an outlier of contribution. It makes sense that since Taiwan and other Asian countries are producing so many marine aquarium equipment products, they should also enter the fish breeding side of the hobby and industry, and AquaDancing’s musician honoring clownfish are a very strong offering. [AquaDancing]

Mozart K-2-clownfish — AquaDancing Mozart K2 Clownfish

Mozart K-3-clownfish — AquaDancing Mozart K3 Clownfish

Mozart K-4-clownfish — AquaDancing Mozart K4 Clownfish

Jake Adams

Jake Adams has been an avid marine aquarist since the mid 90s and has worked in the retail side of the marine aquarium trade for more than ten years. He has a bachelor’s degree in Marine Science and has been the managing editor of ReefBuilders.com since 2008. Jake is interested in every facet of the marine aquarium hobby from the concepts to the technology, rare fish to exotic corals, and his interests are well documented through a very prolific career of speaking to reef clubs and marine aquarium events, and writing articles for aquarium publications across the globe. His primary interest is in corals which Jake pursues in the aquarium hobby as well as diving the coral reefs of the world.