True or false?

[Pennywise]

Percula, I mean. I have three (given to me by a co-worker). Two have mated, and are now spawning. I bought Joyce Wilkerson's book because I want to make the attempt at raising some. Even after looking at the pictures in her book, I still can't tell which ones I have? I think they're True, because the black lines bordering the white stripes do seem thick, but how can I be sure? And don't tell me to count the spines, I almost passed out from dizziness trying to follow them around with my eyes!

 

[jandree22]

if you can pick out black bars between the white and orange stripes without straining your eyes, you most likely have true. my signature has a pic of my False Percula, aka Ocellaris clown. as you can see(or not see for that matter), the black bars are almost invisible.... very thin.

Although, unfortunately as you realized, this is just a guideline and you can't be 100% sure based on the black bars alone. I'm not sure of the other features to look for, though.

 

[Modo]

The only sure fire way is to count the spines. :?

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know about anyone else, but I've always had a problem with the term "false" percula. As if they are in some way inferior, or less desireable than the "true" perculas. If anything, percs should be called false ocellaris.
I like calling them ocellaris, and leaving it at that.

Jim

 

[jandree22]

Jim, wow, 9 more posts till {squat}!

 

[Anonymous]

Wow! You're right! 8O

Jim

 

[reefann]

Yep, the best way is to count the spines.
_________________
Mercedes R Class

 

[ricky1414]

how many spines for the false or true perc?

 

[Anonymous]

The spines are variable, and aren't always a sure fire way, at least from what I understood of what Dustin D. said about them once. There are differences in eye shape and body shape as well, from what I remember. I'll try and dig up the post.

 

[Anonymous]

Go to fishbase.org.

 

[Anonymous]

http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t ... c&start=20

 

[Modo]

This is a quote straight out of "Anemonefishes and their Host Sea Anemones" by D. Fautin and G. Allen.

"A. ocellaris is nearly identical (to A. percula), but has 11 (rarely 10) dorsal spines compared to 10 (rarely 9) in A. percula; the spinous (anterior) part of the dorsal fin of A. ocellaris is taller (it's hieght fits about 2.1-2.9 in the head length compared to 3.1-3.3 in A. percula); A. ocellaris never has a thick black margin around the white bars. These two species do not have overlapping distributions."

Hope that helps!

I'm with Jim, I like True Ocellaris and False Ocellaris better. It's their turn to shine.

 

[shr00m]

uh the black line is not the best way to do it, i have a false perc that has messy black lines that are much broader than the signature false, but hes def false, i know from spines... and the way the face looks AND the eyes... so no you cant go by not straining your eyes to see the black, i mean unless you just are wanting to pretend your false is a true.

 

[shr00m]

also , spines are "a sure fire way" while they do vary it goes like this ture perc always have 9 or 10 while false is always 11 and Rarely 12...

 

[Anonymous]

Post some pics! (also an easy way to count spines! snap a pic or 10 and then count them on your computer screen, rather than in the tank!)

B

 

[John_Brandt]

I don't know about anyone else, but I've always had a problem with the term "false" percula. As if they are in some way inferior, or less desireable than the "true" perculas. If anything, percs should be called false ocellaris.
I like calling them ocellaris, and leaving it at that.

Jim

There is an interesting background to these common names. Historically, A. ocellaris has been imported to North America from the Philippines. Though A. percula is not found in the Philippines, the collectors and exporters there were calling them Percula (some still do). The name False Percula was the trade's way of self-correcting the previous error.

But there is more. The "official" taxonomists' English common name (if there is such a thing) for A. percula is Clown Anemonefish. And for A. ocellaris it's False Clown Anemonefish, or Clown Anemonefish as well.

Further, notice that "officially" the common names of this anemone-symbiotic subgenera (Amphiprion and Premnas) of the damselfish family are Anemonefishes, not Clowns. The common name modifier "Clown" refers to a bold coloration of contrasting stripes or spots, like the costume of a circus clown. That is why we have Clown Wrasse, Clown Tang, Clown Butterflyfish, Clown Sweetlips, Clown Grouper, Clown Triggerfish, etc.

So, common usage has switched from calling the group Anemonefishes to calling them all Clownfish or Clowns. Many people, as well as the movie 'Finding Nemo', have further confused things by suggesting that "Clownfish" refers to their funny clownish behavior, instead of their coloration.