dumb question

[zap800]

ok i dont know if this post should be here or in the newbie area. what are the differences between a true perc and a false. well besides the obvious that they are 2 different fish lol.just curious

 

[giraffemaster]

They are pretty much the same. The True Percula(Amphiprion Percula) has black coloring around its white bands. The False Percula(Amphiprion Ocellaris) doesn't have this black coloration. As the Percula clown gets older the black spreads throught its body and darkens it. There may also be differences in the number of bones in the two but I can't remember if this is true.
Here is a picture of the pair of Percula clowns I used to have.

 

[viper_930]

Perculas have 10 dorsal spines and ocellaris clowns have 11.

 

[zap800]

ok thanx for the info. but why are they named true and false?

 

[viper_930]

They just look similar to ameratures strolling around the LFS. :yes:

 

[thomas712]

Originally posted by zap800
ok thanx for the info. but why are they named true and false?
We the commoners name them true and false, simply put one was discovered, and catologed before another was.
Amphiprion Percula - Lacepède, 1802 = True
Amphiprion ocellaris - Cuvier, 1830 = False

 

[barry cuda]

Personally I think this nomenclature is kind of unfortunate. Is there really anything less desirable or less "true" about ocellaris? I can't see any reason to strongly prefer percs unless you want the smallest possible clowns, and even that is subject to individual size. I've seen several percs that were larger than my male ocellaris.

 

[zap800]

thanx a bunch barry

 

[viper_930]

Another reason that one might want true perc over ocellaris clowns is because the trues have much more black along their white stripes.