What exactly is a clown face?

Is it just where the head blotch connects to the first red blotch, or is there more to it than that?

I ask because the knob you show has quite a bit of fusion of the red blotches or bands, happening down the entire length of the snake. I'm wondering, is the clown face is associated with a general fusion of the red blotches?

Is it inheritable?
-----
www.hcu-tx.org/