The following is cut and pasted from my site. The site has more photos which I did not have permission to post elsewhere.
http://www.clowntank.com/About_Us.html A. thiellei A. thiellei is “reddish-orange with single relatively narrow white head bar; also small white saddle on top edge of tail base. Maximum length 65mm.” (Fautin and Allen, Anemone Fish And Their Host Anemones 1994 edition p110)
My male and female are about 80mm and 90mm respectively.
Mike Thielle of Reef Encounter in NJ was the first person recorded to have possessed a pair of A. thiellei and is the gentleman for whom the species is named.
I have been in contact with Mike Thielle. He was kind enough to pass on to me the original description written up by Dr. Burgess and photos of his current specimens. One of which was among those pictured in my 1994 edition of Fautin and Allen’s field guide. In case you’re not doing the math, that means that this fish has been alive in captivity for 15+ years. Her mate has been with her since about 2006. He said that he’s seen twenty or so come through his store through the years. I presume he meant since 1981; though it was first reported to Dr. Burgess in 1979. Many were DOA, which provided the carcasses with which Dr. Burgess made his original description.
As far as I can tell, Matias Gomes of Portugal was the second person to have acquired a pair. According to Matias, a friend of his had collected the specimens, having imported them one at a time in his coat pocket. Tragically, Matias lost his specimens along with 80% of his coral farm after a malfunction with a protein skimmer wiped out the system they were in.
The first two thielleis that I acquired were obtained from two different retailers on opposite US coasts. Both cited the collector as having shipped from Cebu, Philippines. If they were collected close to the shipping point, this would be consistent with the range suggested in Fautin and Allen’s field guide.
These are the two specamins I'm currently keeping. The photo was taken shortly after the quarrantine of the second fish. I have a third A. thiellei that was acquired in March 2011. These fish have become my primary focus.
It has been rumored that experts such as Drs. Fautin and Allen believe that A. thiellei may be a hybrid. I have confirmed with Dr. Fautin that it is her belief that A. thiellei is a hybrid cross of A. sandaracinos and A. chrysopterus; which is the same hybrid cross as A. leucokranos. This is to say that she believes that they are the same fish.
Per a discussion with Mike Thielle, I was informed that Dr. Burgess does not share this view.
So, of the two gentlemen that I consider to be the foremost experts on anemonefish (Dr Allen and Dr. Burgess) there is no consensus as to whether they are a true species or a natural hybrid.
I’ve spoken with two members on rareclownfish.com who have A. thiellei individuals. One is a classic example, the other is a bit less cut and dry. Both individuals cite their source as being from the Philippine Islands. One is specifically from Cebu.
I have neither the room the time, nor the breeding experience to try multiple mixed pairs in hopes of getting a confirmation of the parent species, but I would love to know about it if others are able to do so.
My second thiellei was obtained in July 2009. I paired the two in August. Hopefully in a year or so I will get some babies to do a visual comparison of the offspring.
Some might say A. thiellei’s status as a species is “provisional.” Either way, I find this “species” fascinating. Whether it retains it’s species status over time, becomes known as the Thielle hybrid or becomes recognized as a new and developing species within the Amphiprion genus seems immaterial.
I for one believe that this fish is an A. sandaracinos-ocellaris hybrid but I also believe that this hybrid provides an insight to how new species are created within the genus.
More research is needed.