Wild Caught Clownfish

[Clowning_Around72]

I don't know if it just happens to be the local stores in my area, but I've been seeing a lot more wild caught clowns than captive bred ones lately.

Not just the rare species that you would expect occasional imports of wild fish.

I've seen plenty of wild ocellaris and wild clarkii. Fish that are very commonly captive bred and make little sense to import (unless you have a breeding project and want to improve genetic diversity).

Have you guys seen a bit more of this lately or is it just some random supplier having good prices on wild clowns?

 

[tzabor10]

I’ll have to look at my LFS. Things seem to go in waves. Do you have many clownfish?

 

[Clowning_Around72]

I’ll have to look at my LFS. Things seem to go in waves. Do you have many clownfish?

I just traded in a tomato for a pair of ocellaris.
What I have been seeing is most stores have a few captive bred clowns and then have 2 or 3 tanks full of wild clowns that are at best on frozen food and at worst not eating.

 

[Cheese Griller]

I got my wild percula pair from an LFS that gets a handful of them every couple of months. The percs are the only wild clowns they have, though. The particular store I got mine from takes excellent care of their livestock and they came home eating frozen and pellets.

 

[VexedTomb792]

I’ll have to look at my LFS. Things seem to go in waves. Do you have many clownfish?

It’s funny you should say that but my local lfs (which is a chain) has stacks of wild caught clowns in, tomatoes, clarkii but also some ocellaris and percula. I will ask them why that is next time I’m in there. There must be thousands of tank bred common clowns, I wonder why they have wild caught ones? Not that I’m a cynic but they may not be actual wild caught and just priced as though they were.

 

[littlefoxx]

Yeah Ive noticed this on websites too, lots of them

 

[PreziosoReef]

Not sure if this is the practical thinking that is driving this trend you may be seeing. However, I will always want a wild caught clownfish over a captive bred.

Wild clownfish naturally (speaking in generalities) hosting anemones as it is part of their natural protection and life cycle in the open ocean. Captive bred have not inherently learned this normal behavior, therefore, I have seen and heard in my lifetime, more people frustrated with their captive bred clowns not hosting or finding it difficult to host.

Every wild caught clown i have ever introduced into a tank has almost immediately sought out the sanctity of an anemone in the tank. Captive breds don't have that learned behavior.

Most LFS owners i have talked with that are hobbyist as well, will always steer their customers to wild caught.

my 2 cents

 

[VexedTomb792]

Not sure if this is the practical thinking that is driving this trend you may be seeing. However, I will always want a wild caught clownfish over a captive bred.

Wild clownfish naturally (speaking in generalities) hosting anemones as it is part of their natural protection and life cycle in the open ocean. Captive bred have not inherently learned this normal behavior, therefore, I have seen and heard in my lifetime, more people frustrated with their captive bred clowns not hosting or finding it difficult to host.

Every wild caught clown i have ever introduced into a tank has almost immediately sought out the sanctity of an anemone in the tank. Captive breds don't have that learned behavior.

Most LFS owners i have talked with that are hobbyist as well, will always steer their customers to wild caught.

my 2 cents

I have 1 wild and one captive bred, the wild one swims around the tank, the captive bred is in the nem constantly :grinning-squinting-face: my clownfish are defective!

 

[PreziosoReef]

I have 1 wild and one captive bred, the wild one swims around the tank, the captive bred is in the nem constantly :grinning-squinting-face: my clownfish are defective!

And hence why this site is amazing to gain a sense of understanding into this hobby, but not a source of truth, as nature does not follow predetermined boundaries...

Its a dang free for all out there.

 

[VexedTomb792]

And hence why this site is amazing to gain a sense of understanding into this hobby, but not a source of truth, as nature does not follow predetermined boundaries...

Its a dang free for all out there.

I thought you’d reply and say ALL clownfish are defective ;):face-savoring-food:

 

[Largeangels]

I'm all for tank raised, but most tank raised clownfish have some type of deformity compared to wild caught so from that perspective wild caught are more attractive.

 

[Cheese Griller]

I'm all for tank raised, but most tank raised clownfish have some type of deformity compared to wild caught so from that perspective wild caught are more attractive.

Completely agree. In my experience like the more wild-type ocellaris morphs have less of the deformities, as I had a pair of standard black/white ocellaris that I grew out and they looked almost indistinguishable from wild fish. But even the wild-type CB perculas are a train wreck from a structural perspective. When I got my wilds they were in a tank next to CB percs and the difference was night and day.

 

[dlemonz]

Just my 2 cents… I have two captive bread long fin clowns and they host both of my Duncan coral and are super active across the tank

 

[Isosceles]

I just traded in a tomato for a pair of ocellaris.
What I have been seeing is most stores have a few captive bred clowns and then have 2 or 3 tanks full of wild clowns that are at best on frozen food and at worst not eating.

Obv I still give frozen but my wc maroon goes crazy for cobalt flakes. Maybe cuz I have the mysis ones...

 

[bencameron27]

I got my wild percula pair from an LFS that gets a handful of them every couple of months. The percs are the only wild clowns they have, though. The particular store I got mine from takes excellent care of their livestock and they came home eating frozen and pellets.

Would you mind me asking what store, I am after a pair of wild perculas? Thank you.

 

[Cheese Griller]

Would you mind me asking what store, I am after a pair of wild perculas? Thank you.

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