The Precursor to the Lightning Maroon Clownfish

The gang at EcoReef UK have gotten their hands on an amazing wild-caught Maroon Clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus) from Papua New Guinea, and it’s patterns are so different from the norm that it actually reminds us of the wild looking Lightning Maroon Clown that was caught in the same waters a couple of years ago. While the patterns on this newly captured clownfish aren’t near as elaborate as those of the lightning clown, we see very strong hints of the lightning bolt across the dorsal region of the fish. In fact, the resemblance is so strong that we’re calling it the precursor to the lightning pattern, and who knows, perhaps the two clowns share a very similar lineage.

Despite the rarity of this fish, it’s actually not EcoReef UK’s first foray into insanely patterned maroon clownfish. In March, we got to see several PNG Maroon Clowns that had unique patterns. Those clowns, along with this latest beauty, are destined for an active breeding program where EcoReef UK hopes to better develop the pattern through selective breeding.