Culturing Clownfish
Marine Aquaculture
By
Rudy Cordle
Name, Genus and species of clownfish
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Premium Picasso (Amphiprion percula)
Picasso (Amphiprion percula)
Platinum (Amphiprion percula)
Black Snowflake (Amphiprion ocellaris)
Premium Snowflake(Amphiprion ocellaris)
Naked Ocellaris (Amphiprion ocellaris)
Midnight (Amphiprion ocellaris)
Domino (Amphiprion ocellaris)
Ocellaris (Amphiprion ocellaris)
Misbar Ocellaris (Amphiprion ocellaris)
Black Ocellaris (Amphiprion ocellaris)
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Goldflake Maroon (Premnas biaculeatus)
Spotcintus (Amphiprion bicinctus)
Pearl-Eye Clarkii (Amphiprion clarkii)
Black Saddleback (Amphiprion polymnus)
Pink Skunk (Amphiprion perideraion)
Orange Skunk (Amphiprion sandaracinos)
Fire (Amphiprion ephippium)
Tomato (Amphiprion frenatus)
Cinnamon (Amphiprion melanopus)
Barberi (Amphiprion barberi)
McCullochi (Amphiprion mccullochi)
Amphiprion ocellaris – Ocellaris Clownfish
• One of the most common grown clownfish.
• Hardy, cheap, abundant and a great first
saltwater fish.
• Makes a great movie.
Economics of Clownfish
• Most inexpensive is $12.99 for Ocellaris.
• Most expensive is $249.99 for Super Black Ice
Snowflake Clownfish.
• Clownfish are among the most popular
species of aquarium fish in the world.
• A United Nations report found that at least
145,000 of them were traded internationally
between 1997 and 2002.
• Raised in Singapore, Taiwan, and the US.
• By 2011, Taiwan could breed 2 million
clownfish and generate NT$100 million in the
lucrative ornamental fish market, while
helping save the species in the wild
Life cycle of clownfish
• The eggs looked like little capsules about 2
to 3 mm long and 1 mm wide.
• The eggs take about 8 to 10 days to hatch.
• Larval period of 10 to 20 days.
• Critical stages are the two first days of
larvae life and the moment
metamorphosis takes place, when
mortality can be high.
• After about 25 days, juveniles can be
moved to a different tank to begin
acclimation.
• Clownfish are protandrous
hermaphrodites.
Clownfish eggs
Reproduction
• Clownfishes were among the first ornamental species to be
commercially bred in the 1980’s.
• Clownfishes typically reach sexual maturity at an age of 8-18
months.
• Spawning occurs during daylight hours and a small clutch of
eggs is laid usually on the underside of a rock or other solid
base.
• A typical nest may contain 100-300 eggs for the smaller
species such as percula, or up to several thousand eggs for
maroon clownfish.
• At an age of 10-14 days clownfishes will undergo
metamorphosis.
• This is when clownfish “earn their stripes” and will begin to
look like real clownfish.
Production methods
• RAS tank systems used for Breeding Adults.
• Prior to hatching, the eggs are moved to a
small tank with very low water movement.
• Round tank is preferred to enhance livability.
• Tank should be fitted with both mechanical
and biological filters.
Feeding
• The first few days the fry should be fed live
rotifers that have been prepped and fed
phytoplankton.
• After fry reach about 5mm start to feed brine
shrimp.
• By day 21 start feeding crushed flaked food
and large brine shrimp.
Age / Approx. Size
Characteristic
Hatch to day 6-8 / 2.8 to Larvae
4.3 mm
Days 6-14 / 4.3 to 5.2
Metamorphosis/early
mm
juvenile (body shape
changes from tapered to
oval)
Days 7-14 / 5.2 to 6.8
Forming head stripes
mm
Days 14 to 21/ 6.8 to 10 Forming mid-body
mm
stripes
Days 21 to 48 / 10 mm
Forming black edges to
to 3/8 inch
pectoral fins
Days 48 to 64 / ½ inch Forming tail stripes and
to 5/8 inch
black edges around
stripes
Days 64 to 90 / ½ inch
to 1 inch
Will continue to form
black edging
Food
Rotifers
Rotifers, powdered
flakes
Rotifers, brine shrimp
nauplii, powdered flakes
Brine shrimp nauplii,
powdered flakes
Crushed flakes, CyclopEeze
Crushed flakes, CyclopEeze, frozen spirulinaenriched adult brine
shrimp
All the above plus
whatever else they can
fit into their mouths
Water Chemistry
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The temperature should be around 24°C - 27°C.
Salinity should be about 28 ppt.
NH3 should be less than 3 ppm.
pH should be kept about 8.0.
Larval tank should be round.
Use airstone for O2 delivery.
Fry should be kept in very low light prior to 21 days of age.
Slow well circulated water.
Advantages and Disadvantages
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• Advantages
Hardy fish
People tolerant
Easy to raise
Very colorful
Numerous species to
choose from.
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• Disadvantages
Some can be very
expensive
Most still wild captured.
Can be territorial.
Saltwater species
References
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http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/2/fish
http://www.aquacon.com/Clownfish_saltwaterfish.html
shop.azaquaculture.com/...base/clownfish_culture/breeding_clownfish_1
http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f190/farming-clownfish-85571.html
www.orafarm.com/products/fish/clowns/
www.marshreef.com/files/raising_clownfish.doc
https://www.worldnaturevideo.com/productlist/Ocean_DVD_category.html
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/nationalnews/2009/07/02/214558/p1/Cute-%27Finding.htm