occelaris or perc??

[jaehyeokeom]

Unlike the other clowns in my tank, this one has more orange around its pupils. Is this a percula?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Unlike the other clowns in my tank, this one has more orange around its pupils. Is this a percula?

I’ve not found eye color to be a consistent way to tell them apart. I use dorsal spine count: usually 10 in percula and 11 in ocellaris, but rarely, the counts overlap.
Jay

 

[jaehyeokeom]

I’ve not found eye color to be a consistent way to tell them apart. I use dorsal spine count: usually 10 in percula and 11 in ocellaris, but rarely, the counts overlap.
Jay

How do you count its dorsal fins? You just catch it and count it outside water?

 

[PeterEde]

I’ve not found eye color to be a consistent way to tell them apart. I use dorsal spine count: usually 10 in percula and 11 in ocellaris, but rarely, the counts overlap.
Jay

Mine won't sit still long enough to count

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Mine won't sit still long enough to count

I know, it's tough. What I do is either use a fish anesthetic, or to take a picture with a high resolution camera and make the count from there.

Jay

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

How do you count its dorsal fins? You just catch it and count it outside water?

Using a fish anesthetic, yes. Or take a high res picture. With wild caught clowns, knowing where they came from helps.

jay