The Percula Clownfish (Amphiprion Percula) is the most heavily collected marine fish in the hobby along with the Ocellaris clownfish. Many people might correlate their popularity with the release of the hit animated film, Finding Nemo. But these clown fish were just as popular before Finding Nemo was released.

Percula clownfish are staple offerings in the hobby. Heavily collected from the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Northern Queensland. A common fish that is only outdone by their twin, the ocellaris.They are also heavily bred in captivity with tank-raised specimens costing slightly more than wild percula's.

These fishes are all orange with a thick white band (outlined with black) running down their bodies, heads and right before their tails. To the casual onlooker both the ocellaris and percula look the same. But they are both physically different, only slightly. The difference is in the number of dorsal spines they both have, 11 for the ocellaris and 10 for the percula. Fortunately, there is an easier way. Percula clownfish have thicker, more pronounced black outlines while those on the ocelaris are always thin.

They usually cost twice what ocellaris clownfish go for, with juveniles fetching up to $20 per specimen. Tank raised percula's usually cost a few dollars more. Given a choice, you should always go for tank-bred clownfish as they're generally better suited to captive life.

Their common names include the true percula clown and the true clown anemonefish. They are called anemonefish because of the symbiotic relationship they have with anemones. The anemone cannot sting clownfish, it is thought they have a layer of mucus on their bodies that fool the anemone into thinking there's nothing there. While percula clownfish are always found hosting anemones (H.Crispa, H.Magnifica) in the wild, anemones are not required for survival in captivity.

Percula clownfish are generally peaceful fish that get along well with tank mates. However, they are aggressive towards other clownfish outside or within their species. There are three routes you can take when looking for pair :-

* Buy a pair from the pet store * Put a large one in with a small one and hope they pair up * Buy two small ones and put them together, they'll fight, with the winner turning into a female

There are no guarantees that options 2 and 3 will work.

Considered a small fish, percula clownfish only reach 3 inches in length. All clownfish are site attached, which means they rarely stray from their territory (a small area). Their territory can be anything from an anemone to some pieces of live rock. When an anemone isn't available, they can even host other corals such as mushroom or elegance corals. They can be housed aquariums as small as 20 gallons due to this behaviour.

Captive percula clownfishes are very easy to feed because they consume almost anything offered. While they are omnivores in the wild, they will eat both algae and meaty foods in an aquarium. A wide variety of foods should be given. Prime reef, Formula One and Formula two are some good dry foods to offer. Formula two has an added amount of algae mixed in with seafood while Prime reef is mostly made up of seafood.

The best pellet food on the market are those made by New Life Spectrum. Add in some frozen food like krill or mysis shrimp and you're set.

Overall, the ocellaris is great choice for both beginners and experienced hobbyists.

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Written by Roman Veaila using tags: amphiprion percula, clown fish, clownfish, marine aquarium fish, marine clownfish, percula clownfish, percula clownfish care, percula clownfish care guide, percula clownfish guide, Pets, pomacentridae, saltwater aquarium fish, saltwater clownfish, saltwater fish