Ocellaris vs Percula

[kiwis]

So if you have a choice which one is better.. and by better i mean
- more colourful
- easier to keep
- lives longer
- gets bigger

The Ocellaris is the false clownfish but what does this actually mean?

 

[Coralreefer1]

Ocellaris Clowns have 11 dorsal spines that are not as round as with True Perculas
True Clowns have 10 dorsal spines that are more rounded.
True Perculas tend to be wild caught, whereas Ocellaris tend to be tank raised now.
True Perculas grow larger than its counterpart and are more aggressive, and not as hardy for the most part.
True Perculas are more colorful because of the coloration, pattern and the darker and thicker black lines separating the orange from the white.
Ocellaris Clowns have a muddy coloration around the brown ring of it’s eye, whereas a True Perculas has a clear color ring.

 

[nereefpat]

They are close cousins. Attributes and behavior should be basically the same. They can even hybridize.

Both species are widely captive bred, so color depends on how they were selectively bred. Look at live aquaria's website for all the variants of each. There are some crazy colors and patterns for each species.

Don't read too much into the "false clownfish" thing. It's just a common name. Words like false, common, Harold's, whatever are frequently used.

 

[ca1ore]

I'm not sure that I could even reliably distinguish one from another. I 'think" I have Ocellaris clowns, and they are a nice bright orange.

 

[davocean]

They are both so similar it's actually pretty easy to even mix the 2 as a pair, so size, lifespan, all similar.
I personally like percs slightly better just as my own personal taste, and if I did not have picasso's I'd probably have SI or PNG percs for their darker coloring, again just a personal preference.

Both are commonly tank bred.

I think the terms true or false are kind of silly and used less lately, I think mainly by people not certain how to properly spell ocellaris!

The anemone you may wish to keep might be a factor in which to go w/, both are naturally found in mags and gigs in the wild, but percs also accept crispa(a sebae) which is easier to come by and care for, while occs other option is mertensi, much harder to find and care for.

 

[nereefpat]

They are both so similar it's actually pretty easy to even mix the 2 as a pair, so size, lifespan, all similar.
I personally like percs slightly better just as my own personal taste, and if I did not have picasso's I'd probably have SI or PNG percs for their darker coloring, again just a personal preference.

Both are commonly tank bred.

I think the terms true or false are kind of silly and used less lately, I think mainly by people not certain how to properly spell ocellaris!

The anemone you may wish to keep might be a factor in which to go w/, both are naturally found in mags and gigs in the wild, but percs also accept crispa(a sebae) which is easier to come by and care for, while occs other option is mertensi, much harder to find and care for.

Probably some truth to the spelling comment. Good info.