Dorsal spine count and eyes have the same percentage of being acurate. You have to take into acount all the hybrids. Out of a clutch of hybrid Clowns, one fry could have the spine count of a Perc and eyes of an Ocellaris and another fry could have the spine count of an Ocellaris and eyes of a Perc. And yes ora does a lot of hybridizing so not shocking they show a Snowlfake with Perc eyes! As far as a it being a Picasso, Snowflake or Blackice......Do you know how you get a Blackice? It is a cross between a Snowflake and a Darwin (Black & White) so, to say it looks more like an Onyx than a Blackice is like saying a Dove looks more like a bird than a Dove? I think you are missing something here....Why and how do we have all these different names for designer clowns, like the Blackice, Snowflake, Picasso, Fancy White, Platinum etc......? All those names are based on the coloration and patterns of each fish. The one posted in this thread has the colors and patterns of a Snowflake. If you look at the picture of our male Ocellaris, he has a ton of black filling in, yet he is still just a normal Ocellaris. Our male Snowflake also has a ton of black filling in. Since the one male is a Snowflake and turning more black, leads one to think that he is possibly a Blackice, the female could be also, just without all the extra black so she would never be called a Blackice, only a Snowflake. Do you see where I am going with this? All designer clowns are named based on the color and patterns they have plain and simple. So if the Clown in question in this thread has black eyes, then there is no doubt that is a very nice Snowflake. Once the fish matures and all the black comes in, then it could or could not be considered a Blackice (all based on genetics) If we knew the Linage of this Clown that would help, but we dont.
Well since your tone has now turned condescending, I'm not sure how far we will get on this issue. I have 12 pairs of clownfish that I breed. This includes designer clowns. So yes honey, I think I have a good grasp of clownfish genetics. I know exactly what you are saying. I just don't agree.
When I said it looked more like an Onyx, I was referring to the dark coloration of the Percula clownfish that Rod's most commonly refers to as Onyx. So when you said this
Do you know how you get a Blackice? It is a cross between a Snowflake and a Darwin (Black & White) so, to say it looks more like an Onyx than a Blackice is like saying a Dove looks more like a bird than a Dove?
I think you were the one missing something. I don't necessarily think this is a Black Ice. I of course have no way of knowing, but I think the way the black is developing it resembled an Onyx percula more so than a Black Ice ocellaris.
Why and how do we have all these different names for designer clowns, like the Blackice, Snowflake, Picasso, Fancy White, Platinum etc......? All those names are based on the coloration and patterns of each fish.
DESIGNER NAMES are based on coloration,and species. But SPECIES is not based on coloration. You cannot always determine the SPECIES of a clown by coloration. So for you to say this
The one posted in this thread has the colors and patterns of a Snowflake.
Is an opinion. There are picassos that have similar coloration to the Snowflake. The picassos you posted are stereotypical, high grade picassos. But as a breeder you SHOULD know that not all picassos look the same. To classify a fish's species by what designer clownfish it most resembles is not accurate.
A Black Ice clownfish is ONLY a true Black Ice clown if it is a Darwin ocellaris X snowflake mix. It cannot be a Black Ice just because it has dark coloration. If a snowflake has a ton of black on it but did not come from a Darwin parent, then it is NOT a Black Ice.
So this statement is incorrect:
Our male Snowflake also has a ton of black filling in. Since the one male is a Snowflake and turning more black, leads one to think that he is possibly a Blackice, the female could be also, just without all the extra black so she would never be called a Blackice, only a Snowflake. Do you see where I am going with this? All designer clowns are named based on the color and patterns they have plain and simple.
Designer names are NOT based on color alone, but also on the species they come from.
So if the Clown in question in this thread has black eyes, then there is no doubt that is a very nice Snowflake. Once the fish matures and all the black comes in, then it could or could not be considered a Blackice (all based on genetics) If we knew the Linage of this Clown that would help, but we dont
In this statement you contradict yourself. First you say names are based on color ALONE, but now you are saying it is "all based on genetics," so who is missing something now?
Sorry OP for getting into this rant. I just hate that someone wants to come on here in a condescending manner and claim to know what kind of clownfish you have, putting you down in the process.
I cannot say one way or another what kind of clownfish this is, I can only share my experience.