The yolk of clownfish is coloured brightly as they are tinted
with the parent colour pigments. Wilkerson reported that
the eggs of Amphiprion clarkii, A. perideraion and Premnas
biaculeatus are yellowish-orange, pinkish and red, respectively
(Wilkerson, 2001). However, in the present study, the colour of
newly laid eggs of A. akallopisos was found to be pale white in
colour (Fig. 1).
The abdomen of the female became swollen prior to spawning.
Spawning took place mostly during the morning; between
09:00 and 13:00 h. Females laid capsule-shaped eggs on the
cleaned substratum in almost circular or oval patches and subsequently
the male fertilized the eggs. The spawning activity
lasted from an hour to an hour and forty five minutes. The eggs
are adhesive and are covered with a transparent chorion and a
narrow perivitalline space. The eggs measured 2.0–2.1 mm in
length and 0.9–1.0 mm in width. Approximately 300–400 eggs
were spawned at a time. The number of eggs gradually increased
in subsequent spawning. One end of the egg capsule identified as
the animal pole contained some gelatinous substance to adhere
itself to the substratum.
Eggs are white in colour at the time of spawning and may
get darker with time. The yolk and comparatively large fat
globules are visible. The fertilized eggs hatched within 7–9 days
generally between 19:00 and 22:00 h. A major role in parental
care was played by the male during incubation. This mainly involves
fanning and mouthing the eggs. Fanning was done by
flurrying the pectoral fins, which created mild water current
over the egg clutch. The unfertilized, dead eggs and dust
particles were also removed during the process of mouthing.
The embryonic development of the skunk clownfish,
A. akallopisos was classified in to 26 stages (Table 1)