Breeding clowns is a hard task. Making a profit as a clownfish breeder is even harder. With breeding comes ethical responsibility to (a) produce clowns that mimic their wild counterparts and (b) to offer high quality clowns to consumers who pay their hard earned dollars for your product.
The first part of ethical responsibility is harder than ever due to constant introduction of designer clowns that do not happen naturally in the wild. However, that doesn't absolve a breeder of duty to produce clowns with minimal deformities. As someone who has bred clowns I can tell you firsthand that mimicking Mother Nature is no walk in the park. Nevertheless, culling is an essential part of breeding to get rid of offsprings that exhibit extreme deformities.
Second, if a breeder is to produce clowns with "rare" patterns that demand charging a premium price then it is imperative to offer fishes that not only look "cool" but also lack severe deformities. The truth is many hobbyists entering the saltwater world cannot spot even some of the most obvious deformities in clowns. They spend over $100 on a pair of designer clowns only to find out later that what they bought is a lemon. Now they are stuck in a situation where they have to rehome the fishes or deal with an eyesore in their tank. Neither choice is ideal.
Lastly, when a major commercial platform such as Diver's Den gives you an opportunity to showcase your product, why not send them high quality clownfishes? It's your time to shine. Send them the best. Let DD offer the best rather than sell your products as "blemished".
