Clownfish ID: Onyx percula

[User]

Hi guys

bought a pair of clowns 3 years ago, as a young bonded Onyx Picasso Perculas back when I didn’t know a whole lot about designer clowns.

the smaller male passed a couple weeks ago after jumping out of a temp holding tank while I moved house. 18 months ago he took a trip down the return line during an apex power failure, and ended up losing an eye, a fin and getting a scar across his side. The female seemed to reject him after that but never bothered him. They had been ‘doing the dance’ before then but never laid eggs. They had made home next to the gyre, between the overflow box and side glass of the tank.

They never showed any interest in any of the RBTA in the tank, until I moved the female from holding back into the new relocated display. She sleeps in the RBTA now and never gets more than 8” away

anyway- looking to replace the male, and hopefully get into babies if they pair off. She doesn’t look like any of the pics of onyx Picasso’s I’m seeing, so I’m hoping for an id so I can get a compatible
Male

alternatively- if anyone has suggestions for a new male that would give an interesting new strain of mated, that would be great. No long fins though, just don’t like them, sorry!

thanks in advance!

 

[D-Nak]

Both male and female in the photos look like Onyx Picassos that aren't showing much of the Picasso trait. You can see in the center bar of both that the back line (where the white part ends, on the side closer to the tail) isn't completely straight.

This happens frequently in a batch of Onyx Picasso babies. Some consider them lower grade because the goal is to have the Picasso trait show through, but I think they're totally fine, and when given the opportunity, people looking for Onyx clownfish are happy to take these as suitable replacements.

Live Aquaria actually sells them as Onyx:

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product...ue-percula-clownfish?pcatid=5154&c=15+27+5154

If you want to breed Onyx Picasso, I suggest finding one with exaggerated shapes, possibly with a helmet or side burns which will increase value (assuming you want to sell them).

 

[User]

Both male and female in the photos look like Onyx Picassos that aren't showing much of the Picasso trait. You can see in the center bar of both that the back line (where the white part ends, on the side closer to the tail) isn't completely straight.

This happens frequently in a batch of Onyx Picasso babies. Some consider them lower grade because the goal is to have the Picasso trait show through, but I think they're totally fine, and when given the opportunity, people looking for Onyx clownfish are happy to take these as suitable replacements.

Live Aquaria actually sells them as Onyx:

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product...ue-percula-clownfish?pcatid=5154&c=15+27+5154

If you want to breed Onyx Picasso, I suggest finding one with exaggerated shapes, possibly with a helmet or side burns which will increase value (assuming you want to sell them).

Thanks for the info- much appreciated.

I actually really like the pattern on these- and don’t much like the Picasso trait I’ve been seeing in ‘grade A’ specimens.

mill take a look at the link and see if one pops out to me.

so- for breeding- I can technically cross with any other Percula, right? But they won’t mate with Ocellaris.


Wonder what it would look like crossed with a mocha

 

[D-Nak]

Mochas are actually Ocellaris (black and white ocellaris x regular ocellaris) and you can breed them with your Onyx Picasso. The offspring may just turn into "dirty" Onyx Picassos, meaning just a darker mocha with a slight kink in the center bar pattern. It may even look like a Photon (Onyx clown x black and white ocellaris). You can see where the traits overlap.

 

[acanman]

Here's my 2 for reference of grade A Picassos

 

[User]

Here's my 2 for reference of grade A Picassos

Eww, gross!

Lol, kidding. I bought my guys way back when I wasn’t paying attention to designers. $35 for the pair.

 

[D-Nak]

Here's my 2 for reference of grade A Picassos

The second one is not a grade A. Grades are not a rating of quality, but merely how the white bars line up. A grade A has all white bars connecting.

 

[User]

Mochas are actually Ocellaris (black and white ocellaris x regular ocellaris) and you can breed them with your Onyx Picasso. The offspring may just turn into "dirty" Onyx Picassos, meaning just a darker mocha with a slight kink in the center bar pattern. It may even look like a Photon (Onyx clown x black and white ocellaris). You can see where the traits overlap.

So I can cross percula and ocellaris?
That’s cool.

 

[D-Nak]

So I can cross percula and ocellaris?
That’s cool.

Yup! That's how photons were created!

 

[User]

Yup! That's how photons were created!

Sorry, brain fart.

they are all Amphiprion, so that makes sense.

I’m liking the look of the Mocha on liveaquaria, and the size would work out great. I might grab one next week

 

[User]

Yup! That's how photons were created!

That’s a nice looking fish