Percula or Ocellaris?

[Mihai]

Hi,

Can anybody identify the subject?
Thanks,
Mihai

 

[Anonymous]

looks pretty much like a false perc (ocellaris) but you have to count the dorsal spines to be sure.

Do you know where he came from? Petco, Petsmart, ect only carry false percs as far as I know.

B

 

[klam]

The eyes look like an ocellaris.

 

[npaden]

Looks like an ocellaris.

 

[Mihai]

looks pretty much like a false perc (ocellaris) but you have to count the dorsal spines to be sure.

Do you know where he came from? Petco, Petsmart, ect only carry false percs as far as I know.

B

It came from a LFS, labeled as farm-raised ocellaris, but I'm not sure they are correct (they misslabel fish quite often). I'll count spines if I have to, but how many are for the perc and how many for ocellaris? Also, do I count just the first spines (up to the drop) or all of the spines on the back?

Thanks,
Mihai

 

[Anonymous]

That's definitely an ocellaris.

Peace,

Chip

 

[Mihai]

That's definitely an ocellaris.

Great! It seems that everybody agrees that it's an ocellaris.
Thanks,
Mihai

 

[romunov]

I hope you find these links useful:
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/6279/ArticlePercula-vsOcellaris.html
http://www.edge-of-reef.com/pomacentridi/PMCAmphiprionocellarisen.htm
http://www.nano-reef.com/fish/?fish=4
As always, http://www.google.com is your friend. And if for some reason you get captured or killed, LFS will deny everything.

 

[npaden]

Here is probably the best description of how to tell the difference between the two IMO.

Some say the "eyes" have it. Perculas quite often have have a pure bright orange iris around the black pupil. This often gives them the illusion of having smaller eyes, or a beady little eyed look, as some say. Ocellaris clowns more often have a grayish orange iris which gives them the illusion of a larger looking eye than some percula clownfish. But, this sign isn't always reliable. Percula clownfish more often than not have more black coloration on their bodies than the similar looking ocellaris clownfish. This includes wider black margins which divide the orange and white markings. Ocellaris clownfish usually have thin black dividing margins between the orange and white. This overall darker coloration of the percula is recognized by most hobbyists as the most recognizable difference between these two fish.

I go by a combination of the eyes and coloration to tell the difference. Using the coloration and the eye difference together you can be pretty positive on the ID. It does make a difference if the picture was taken with a flash or not though on the eyes sometimes on how they look.

FWIW, Nathan