A. Chrysogaster, The Mauritian Anemonefish

Amphiprion chrysogaster pair



The wild caught Chrysogaster Clownfish/Mauritian Anemonefish has become increasingly difficult to acquire. Approximately mid-2011, the government of Mauritius placed a restriction on the numbers permitted for export. While allowing mainly juveniles through, almost no adult specimens are allowed to be exported.

So we are especially thrilled to have acquired this adult breeder's size pair.

Because nature is not wasteful, we believe that this pair may have already been spawning in the wild. Capture, quarantine, and medication will have interrupted spawning schedules. However, experience leads us to believe the pair is likely to resume spawning schedules, usually within 4 months, given the right conditions.

The wild caught adult Chrysogaster is now so hard to get, that you stand a much better chance of getting a McCullochi, which was once a very rare clownfish, than you do of getting a Chrysogaster.

A breeder's size wild caught pair of Chrysogasters, like these pictured, is fast approaching the fabled unicorn's status.

This beautiful adult pair is probably among the very last wild caught we'll have the privilge of acquiring. The pair has found a very nice home with an enthusiast who has waited patiently for quite a while.

The Chrysogaster is endemic to the island of Mauritius.

Host Anemones : S. haddoni, H. aurora, S. mertensii, H. magnifica, M. doreensis.

Maximum size generally about 5.5". However 6" specimens have been previously collected.

Body coloration almost always black. Very dark brown tending towards black have sometimes been collected. Upper snout generally yellow to yellowish orange. Forehead to upper lip generally diffused black in females and older males. Younger males and sub adults, yellow to yellowish-orange. Pectoral fins, pelvic fins generally yellow to yellowish-orange. Anal fin, depending on location and host anemone, yellow, yellow-orange or black. Caudal fin generally black or very dark blackish brown. In some specimens yellow or yellow-orange may stretch from anal fin to lower quarter of caudal fin. Three white bars are the norm in this species of anemonefish.

Chrysogaster Pair


Juvenile Chrysogaster (Mauritian Clownfish)


Male Chrysogaster (Mauritian Clownfish)

 

Very Nice article, beautiful fish it's a pity that A.Chrysogaster is uber rare even more than a A.Mccullochi cause of the government prohibition.

 

I respectfully disagree; I don't blame the Mauritian (or any other) government for protecting their wildlife. What's a shame is that after nearly half a century since the popularity explosion in the SW hobby, we still rely heavily on wild-caught fish, even for species that readily breed in captivity.

JM2C

 

I agree there needs to be better efforts to establish more breeding programs for the rarer species of fish in order to responsibly sustain the SW hobby. Especially with species that have limited larval stages like clownfish. Only a couple years ago, you couldn’t find full-bar captive bred latz clowns … now you can with the efforts of people like Karen B. in Hawaii. As the experience rises in breeding techniques, so too should the list of CB species.

There are only a handful of breeders working towards raising captive bred Gasters. Back in 1992, Mauritius did embark on a Gaster breeding program via Association Reunionnaise pour le Developpement de l’Aquaculture, Aquarium de la Reunion and of the Center for the Discovery of the Reunion Marine Life, but they really haven’t done much since.

This pair was acquired in the hopes of establishing a source of captive bred Gasters, so hopefully down the road there will be more CB Gasters available in the future.

 

Fully agree.