Lightning Maroon Clownfish Care Guide
The Lightning Maroon is a captive-bred strain of Premnas biaculeatus originating from Papua New Guinea, marked by branched, reticulated white patterning.
Overview
The Lightning Maroon is a designer strain of the maroon clownfish, Premnas biaculeatus (also classified as Amphiprion biaculeatus), a marine anemonefish of the family Pomacentridae. Instead of the thin white bars of a typical maroon, it shows a branched, reticulated white pattern with circle-and-dot splotches within the markings. There is considerable variation among individuals.
Pattern and origin
Only two true lightning-patterned wild specimens were ever collected, from Fisherman Island near Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. One of these, a fish later known as Mama Lightning, was first collected as a roughly two-inch male and matured into a female in captivity. Aquaculturist Matt Pedersen first bred the strain after about two years; when crossed with a local PNG maroon, a significant proportion of the first captive-bred batch displayed the lightning pattern, allowing the line to be propagated widely.
Taxonomy
- Family: Pomacentridae
- Genus: Premnas / Amphiprion
- Scientific name: Premnas biaculeatus "Lightning"
- Common name: Lightning Maroon clownfish
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 250 L
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Carbonate hardness (dKH): 8-12
- Specific gravity: 1.024-1.026
- Maximum size: females about 17 cm, males much smaller (6-7 cm)
- Lifespan: 10-20 years
Reef compatibility
The Lightning Maroon is reef-safe and does not damage corals or invertebrates. The natural host of the maroon clownfish is the bubble-tip anemone, Entacmaea quadricolor, but a host is not required for captive care.
Diet
It is omnivorous, feeding in the wild on zooplankton and benthic algae. Captive-bred specimens readily accept marine pellets, frozen mysis and enriched brine shrimp, fed about twice daily.
Compatibility
As a maroon clownfish it is aggressive and highly territorial and should be kept singly or as a single bonded pair. Robust tankmates such as tangs, triggers and sturdy wrasses suit a large system, while other clownfish, additional maroons and small peaceful fish should be avoided.
Breeding
The species is a protandrous sequential hermaphrodite with marked size dimorphism, females being much larger than males. The breeding male changes to female if the sole female dies. Spawning is oviparous; demersal eggs adhere to substrate and are guarded and aerated by the male. The lightning pattern is heritable, as demonstrated by Pedersen's captive-bred offspring.