The least controversial of the aquacultured fishes is the Misbar clownfish. These colorful designer clownfishes and happy creatures have become very popular in saltwater aquariums across America and worldwide for the fun-loving attitudes that make them perfect pets.
Clownfish are among the most prevalent fishes in the saltwater aquarium community.
When looking to buy a new fish, you may have come across the different strange names of “clownfish.” These curious creatures are often sold under names like false percula clownfish or ocellaris clownfish in pet stores.
Still, they can also be found on websites for aquaculture enthusiasts who seek out unusual traits such as abnormal coloration patterns, with popular breeds being Picasso clownfish(large), naked clownfish(without scales), and misbar clownfish.
These fish are also called designer clownfishes.
Misbar Clownfish Meaning
Misbar clownfish occur naturally or are bred meticulously for their distinctive coloration. They’re missing an incomplete center stripe known as the caudal stripe, and sometimes they also lack an incomplete head bar which makes them stand out even more!
What Is A Misbar Clownfish?
It is essential to mention that the Misbar Clownfish are not any unexplored new type or separate species of clownfish. They are simply clownfish with barred(marked with incomplete bands of colors) patterns. For example, the extreme misbar ocellaris clownfish have a distinctive barred pattern.
And a clownfish is named misbar because of the barred white bands, which are incomplete. Because of these outstanding unusual patterns, the Misbar fish are immensely popular among saltwater hobbyists who admire unique specimens.
Also, the miss barred white bands are aesthetically attractive to hobbyists.
Due to this fact, every clownfish is going to have a distinctive streak pattern as they all are unique and independently different from each other.
For this reason, even misbar clownfishes are almost always more valuable than your ‘regular’ variety.
Many commercial breeders are now focusing on the misbar pattern morph and only breeding for it. It makes sense that they would do this, as these high-priced misbar fish will sell better than low-priced ones.
But reputed farming companies like ORA Farms do not particularly breed these misbar clownfishes as they want them to appear inherently in the aquaculture during initial larval development.
Is Selective Breeding An Ethical Practice?
Aquarists have a controversy regarding the morals or ethics behind exclusively breeding these misbar fishes to develop a stripe pattern in them.
The discussion intensifies when more assertive selective breeding methods are utilized.
Selective breeding techniques are not new, but they’ve recently come under fire for the consequences that can arise from them.
These include chemically treating fish’s eggs or forcing unrelated species to cross-breed in order to get desired traits like color changes and patterns; manipulating water parameters so characteristics show up on a clownfish only when necessary.
People have been selectively breeding fish for their traits and appearance in the last few decades.
These tank-raised fishes often do not look anything like their wild ancestors because they were bred that way in order to improve certain aspects such as coloration or shape; however, when released into nature, these selectively breed misbars would likely die off.
Many disorders and diseases can be found in breeding programs. These include deformed mouths, and missing fins or eyes, among others that would make the fish unfit for sale to customers.
Breeding for the perfect fish can be difficult, but it is worth it when you get that one in an unusual color.
Some hobbyists find abnormalities aesthetically pleasing, and these fishes are generally not culled. In addition to misbar clownfish (fishes with absent vertebra), stubby tail fish species also fall into this category of acceptable traits for some collectors in the fish market like the ocellaris clownfish species.
Also Read: Bumblebee Catfish Care – Size, Diet, Tank Mates, And More!
Selective Breeding of Misbar Clownfishes
While some people debate the ethics of keeping misbarred clownfishes, most seem to agree that they can be useful additions for hobbyists.
Most people agree that these fish should be allowed in hobby aquariums as long as they come from a wild-caught population and aren’t selectively bred through aggressive breeding techniques like those used with many other species.
Misbarring can be caused by manipulating the fish’s environmental conditions like offering meaty foods to the fish during the breeding process, but it is also possible to be genetic.
Some people believe that only aggressive culling is the only suitable option when captive breeding results in any inferior abnormalities. An “inferior abnormality” may be defined as a difference from the species’ natural form, which could include anything such as size or shape.
Purchasing Misbar Clownfish
Just as in any other area of the marine aquarium industry, educated enthusiasts will be able to make informed decisions when it comes time to purchase.
As the world of marine aquarium hobby and designer fish like the misbar clownfish grows, hobbyists need to make informed purchases. The purchasing power you hold as an individual will shape how captive-bred fish plays a role in future developments.
The importance lies not just in choosing what kind or style of fish one wants but also in understanding where they come from – whether this means finding ethical sources that use sustainable practices or unethical ones.
Different Types Of Misbar Clownfish
Understanding the different kinds of misbar fishes is important in comprehending how to keep and care for them. Below, we have listed 11 popular misbar clownfish species that you can find in the hobby today.
- Misbar Percula Clownfish
- Misbar Onyx Percula Clownfish
- Misbar Black Ocellaris Clownfish
- Extreme Misbar Black Ocellaris Clownfish
- Misbar Ocellaris Clownfish
- Amphiprion Ocellaris Clownfish
- Extreme Misbar Ocellaris Clownfish
- Black Misbar Longfin Clownfish
- Misbar Blood Orange Clownfish
- Misbar Caramel Orange
- Black Saddleback Misbar Clownfishes
The other different species of these misbar fishes other than the percula clownfish & Amphiprion ocellaris are maroon clownfish and false percula clownfish.
Conclusion
Misbar Clownfish are just your regular old-fashioned, run-of-the-mill fish with an interesting mutation.
They have white markings that don’t quite make it across their bodies or fins, which gives them a colorful look and helps identify these curious creatures in the coral reefs of your aquarium!
Depending on how severe the pattern morph, misbar clownfish are often categorized into two groups: standard and extreme.
The standard can be wild-caught, but the extreme class is rarer than its counterparts in terms of prevalence across populations worldwide – though this does not mean it doesn’t exist at all!
We hope all your questions about the misbar clownfish has been answered here.
But, if you have anything to add or want to know more about these clownfishes or true percula clownfish, then you can tell us in the comments section below!
