Common Name: Micronesian Skunk Anemonefish
Scientific Name: Amphiprion cf perideraion
Distribution: Micronesia, from Palau in the west to the Mariana Islands in the north and the Marshall Islands in the east.
Type Locality: n/a
Identification: Body typically bright orange, becoming a bit duller dorsally. A thin, white stripe extends from between the eyes to the base of the caudal fin. A single vertical stripe anteriorly. The dorsal and caudal fins are translucent white in females; males sometimes with the margins colored orange. Pectoral and ventral fins usually white, sometimes yellow in males.
Similar: Populations from Micronesia and Fiji are likely distinct genetically and worthy of species recognition, but are otherwise nearly identical in appearance to the West Pacific A. perideraion. In general, these two regions have fishes with a brighter orange hue than the pink shade seen in the West Pacific. The vertical stripe easily distinguishes these from the otherwise similar A. akallopisos, A. cf akallopisos and A. pacificus.
Notes: It’s not clear if the population from Micronesia is distinct from those in the West Pacific, but they typically appear more brightly colored than their dull pink relative. A possible mixed species pair has been seen in Palau, shown below. There is a strong need for a thorough investigation into this groups population genetics. The population from the Mariana Arc should be looked at particularly closely, as this region often harbors endemic Amphiprion.
Amphiprionology 