Breeding Clownfish by Gideon Griebenow
Introduction
The (family of fish that are called) Clownfish are probably the world's favourite marine fish species. When it comes to breeding, they are also the most frequently and most easily bred marine fish (their eggs are quite large and the fry are more easily fed). That being said, it still is quite an accomplishment to get clowns to spawn, the eggs to hatch and the fry to survive.
Most marine fish are much harder to breed than most freshwater fish. Luckily, the pioneers of marine fish breeding have been gathering practical experience regarding Clownfish breeding for years now, and a newcomer can piggy-back on this collected knowledge to achieve success relatively easily.
Ambience
I'm not talking Barry White on the stereo, here. Before a captive fish can breed, you have to supply it with all it needs to at least survive, and most likely thrive. I am not going to go into general aquarium health and fitness issues here. The bottom line is you need an aquarium with proper conditions. Go get it.
Then you have the specific needs for breeding Clownfish. They have to be fed a variety of good quality food, in order for them to obtain all the nutrients they need for reproducing. Read up on frozen food, live cultured food, flakes, etc. and put together a feeding schedule that fit your time, your pocket and, most importantly, the fish's needs. Along with a regular feeding schedule, Clowns will feel more comfortable having a regular light cycle. Acquire some timers for your lights and, if possible, provide them with a dawn and dusk period. While the fish themselves only need some light for sight, your lighting needs will probably be determined by other factors, such as your own viewing pleasure or other marine life. Either way, keep the chosen light cycle regular.
Another requirement for comfortable Clowns is they have to share the aquarium with proper tank mates. If fish have to use all their energy to defend themselves and their territory, they will not have much energy and time left to breed. For this reason, Clowns are often given their own breeding tank. If you do not want to set up a separate Clownfish breeding tank, you will have to limit your livestock choices to some degree. However, this does not mean you will only have one or two species to choose from. Just research each potential species thoroughly for clown breeding compatibility.
Finally, unlike in the wonderful, wide world of the wild, Clowns do not need a host Anemone to survive or breed in captivity. Actually, they are probably just as happy without one, as long as they are not threatened by other livestock. Anemones have their own special requirements, so, if you want to keep your Clowns with a host Anemone (which does add a lot of aesthetical value), make sure you satisfy its needs. Also make sure you get a compatible Clown-Anemone combination.
Choosing a Clown
While this article talks about Clowns in general, every species may differ to some degree regarding one or more of the aspects discussed. I recommend that you research the specific Clownfish species that interests you in detail.
Some Clown species are less suited than others as beginner breeding species, for a variety of reasons. For instance, Maroon Clowns can be very aggressive and difficult to pair. Some Clowns score high in one department (e.g. getting them to spawn), but lower in other departments (e.g. raising the fry). Percula and Tomato Clowns are two of the easier Clowns to breed. Identify a species that you like, make sure you know the pro's and con's of the specific species, and make sure you are willing and able to commit to the implications. I have chosen Tomato Clowns, so this article will probably be slightly biased towards them.
Pairing Up
Clowns have a very peculiar system of sexual development. A batch of juveniles will "sort each other out" to determine the group hierarchy. The "Alpha Clown" will change into a female, the "Second in Command" will change into a male, and the rest will stay genderless. If, for whatever reason, the female disappears, the current male will change into a female and one of the genderless Clowns will change into a male. When the male disappears, one of the genderless Clowns will change into a male.
The best way to obtain a pair is probably to get a batch of 4 to 6 juveniles and let them decide it for themselves. The genderless Clowns can be removed once a female and male are identified. When you already have one Clown that has been on its own for a while, it would almost certainly be a female. In this case you could add a small Clown, that has always been in an aquarium with larger Clowns (and therefore still genderless), to your aquarium. The female will harass the newcomer in order to assert her dominance for a few days. She will chase the newcomer around and nip at it. If it knows what is good for it, it will retreat and hide, and sometimes wriggle and shake when attacked to show submissiveness. This is a very crucial stretch of time, as the female could inflict excessive harm to the newcomer, and even kill it. If the newcomer is submissive enough, and the female decides to accept it as a mate, she will stop harassing it, except for minor harmless chases to re-assert her dominance. A sure sign of acceptance is when the pair shares a sleeping spot at night, for instance a host Anemone. "It" will turn into "him", and the pair bonding will start.
... to be continued ...
Introduction
The (family of fish that are called) Clownfish are probably the world's favourite marine fish species. When it comes to breeding, they are also the most frequently and most easily bred marine fish (their eggs are quite large and the fry are more easily fed). That being said, it still is quite an accomplishment to get clowns to spawn, the eggs to hatch and the fry to survive.
Most marine fish are much harder to breed than most freshwater fish. Luckily, the pioneers of marine fish breeding have been gathering practical experience regarding Clownfish breeding for years now, and a newcomer can piggy-back on this collected knowledge to achieve success relatively easily.
Ambience
I'm not talking Barry White on the stereo, here. Before a captive fish can breed, you have to supply it with all it needs to at least survive, and most likely thrive. I am not going to go into general aquarium health and fitness issues here. The bottom line is you need an aquarium with proper conditions. Go get it.
Then you have the specific needs for breeding Clownfish. They have to be fed a variety of good quality food, in order for them to obtain all the nutrients they need for reproducing. Read up on frozen food, live cultured food, flakes, etc. and put together a feeding schedule that fit your time, your pocket and, most importantly, the fish's needs. Along with a regular feeding schedule, Clowns will feel more comfortable having a regular light cycle. Acquire some timers for your lights and, if possible, provide them with a dawn and dusk period. While the fish themselves only need some light for sight, your lighting needs will probably be determined by other factors, such as your own viewing pleasure or other marine life. Either way, keep the chosen light cycle regular.
Another requirement for comfortable Clowns is they have to share the aquarium with proper tank mates. If fish have to use all their energy to defend themselves and their territory, they will not have much energy and time left to breed. For this reason, Clowns are often given their own breeding tank. If you do not want to set up a separate Clownfish breeding tank, you will have to limit your livestock choices to some degree. However, this does not mean you will only have one or two species to choose from. Just research each potential species thoroughly for clown breeding compatibility.
Finally, unlike in the wonderful, wide world of the wild, Clowns do not need a host Anemone to survive or breed in captivity. Actually, they are probably just as happy without one, as long as they are not threatened by other livestock. Anemones have their own special requirements, so, if you want to keep your Clowns with a host Anemone (which does add a lot of aesthetical value), make sure you satisfy its needs. Also make sure you get a compatible Clown-Anemone combination.
Choosing a Clown
While this article talks about Clowns in general, every species may differ to some degree regarding one or more of the aspects discussed. I recommend that you research the specific Clownfish species that interests you in detail.
Some Clown species are less suited than others as beginner breeding species, for a variety of reasons. For instance, Maroon Clowns can be very aggressive and difficult to pair. Some Clowns score high in one department (e.g. getting them to spawn), but lower in other departments (e.g. raising the fry). Percula and Tomato Clowns are two of the easier Clowns to breed. Identify a species that you like, make sure you know the pro's and con's of the specific species, and make sure you are willing and able to commit to the implications. I have chosen Tomato Clowns, so this article will probably be slightly biased towards them.
Pairing Up
Clowns have a very peculiar system of sexual development. A batch of juveniles will "sort each other out" to determine the group hierarchy. The "Alpha Clown" will change into a female, the "Second in Command" will change into a male, and the rest will stay genderless. If, for whatever reason, the female disappears, the current male will change into a female and one of the genderless Clowns will change into a male. When the male disappears, one of the genderless Clowns will change into a male.
The best way to obtain a pair is probably to get a batch of 4 to 6 juveniles and let them decide it for themselves. The genderless Clowns can be removed once a female and male are identified. When you already have one Clown that has been on its own for a while, it would almost certainly be a female. In this case you could add a small Clown, that has always been in an aquarium with larger Clowns (and therefore still genderless), to your aquarium. The female will harass the newcomer in order to assert her dominance for a few days. She will chase the newcomer around and nip at it. If it knows what is good for it, it will retreat and hide, and sometimes wriggle and shake when attacked to show submissiveness. This is a very crucial stretch of time, as the female could inflict excessive harm to the newcomer, and even kill it. If the newcomer is submissive enough, and the female decides to accept it as a mate, she will stop harassing it, except for minor harmless chases to re-assert her dominance. A sure sign of acceptance is when the pair shares a sleeping spot at night, for instance a host Anemone. "It" will turn into "him", and the pair bonding will start.
... to be continued ...
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