Amphiprion nigripes “Rose Skunk” Clownfish, aka. Black Footed Clownfish, Captive Bred

I will always remember the first time I saw a photo of a “Blackfoot Clownfish”, Amphiprion nigripes; it was photo from the wild, an orange fish residing in a green and purple anemone, part of a coral reef calendar I was given as a kid. For decades, this was one of those simply off the beaten path type fish.

These days, you can find the Rose Skunk or Blackfoot / Black-footed Clownfish as a captive-bred offering on occasion…to be honest is is very rare that I’ve seen these ever imported and sold as wild-caught.  I’ll be frank, captive-bred fish, while definitely attractive, for whatever reason seem to fail to live up to the color potential of wild fish, generally appearing more pinkish-tan to brown and not the bright orange you’ll sometimes see in wild photos. That said, there are plenty of examples (see this) of the captive coloration in the wild. Is it diet? Sunlight? Host? The person who figures out the answer to this question will have my gratitude.

One of the best things going for the Nigripes is the thought that this is as very peaceful clownfish that can handle being kept in a group setting. While there are several species that can be attempted in this fashion, for whatever reason Nigripes seems to be one that repeatedly comes up as a good one to try. Even now as I write this, I am housing a Nigripes pair with a wild Fijian Sunkist Pink Skunk pair and some other juvenile clownfish. There is certainly some bluster and posturing, but truly no murderous intent.