It’s incredible to think how many maroon clownfish hybrids have surfaced over the years but we still have never seen them with this particular crossing. This pair of hybrids from ORA and listed on LiveAquaria is believed to be a cross between maroon clownfish and the saddleback clownfish, Amphiprion polymnus.
This was not an intentional cross made with a mismatched pair by ORA but is instead another one of their accidental hybrids. This has happened for them a number of times, or maybe a little bit all the time, due to having many different pairs of clownfish on a common aquarium system.
However slim the chances are for sperm to travel from their spawn tank, through the filter system, pumps, pipes and into another tank, it happens often enough at ORA. This time the oddball clownfish were spotted in a clutch of regular maroon clownfish and since this has happened for them before, they knew what had happened but the identity of the Amphiprion is an educated guess.
This is the coolest thing about hybrids, because large polymnus can get quite showy, and so can maroon clownfish, so this hybrid pair will be a surprise when they grow up. Hopefully the deep maroon color of Premnas and the rich brown of the saddleback will blend to produce an original looking clownfish, but these guys still have some time yet until they develop their hybrid appearance to the fullest. [LiveAquaria]
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