 |
 |
Achilles Tang: The Achilles tang is one of the most spectacular fish available for the aquarium, but it is also one of the most difficult to keep. This fish swims continuously, and usually at a very high speed, so it requires a large tank with plenty of open space. It also requires fairly turbulent water movement. More >> |
|
 |
|
Angelfish: Marine angelfish, of the family Pomacanthidae, are found on shallow reefs in the tropical Atlantic, Indian and western Pacific oceans. More >> |
|
 |
|
Anthias: The anthias is a subfamily in the grouper family. They are found in all tropical oceans and seas of the world. A length of 2 to 4 inches is average. Anthias are often recognized for their bright colors, elongated bodies and large mouths. More >> |
|
 |
|
Banggai Cardinal: The Banggai cardinal is a truly wonderful fish for the marine aquarium; so much so that it has been overfished to the point of possible extinction in the wild. Fortunately, it is also one of the easiest marine fish to get to spawn, and raising the babies is a fairly easy task. More >> |
|
 |
|
Bay Pipefish: Bay pipefish, aka the slender-nosed pipefish, inhabit coastal wetlands, swaying to and fro in the gentle current while utilizing a near-vertical swimming posture; they mimic the movement of eel grass Zostera spp blades, which they themselves resemble. More >> |
|
 |
|
Blue Devil: The blue devil is often confused with the yellowtail damsel because they both look so similar to each other. The main differences between the two species are that the blue devil has yellow on the mouth, face, and into the belly region and tail. More >> |
|
 |
|
Bluespotted Boxfish: The bluespotted boxfish is a beautiful fish that is not really suited for a marine aquarium unless you are willing to devote a tank to it. More >> |
|
 |
|
Boxfish: Boxfish, in the family Ostraciidae, are found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. They generally achieve a length of 3 inches and exhibit a variety of colors. They also feature hexagonal or "honeycomb" platelike scales. Boxfish may pose a hazard in a community tank. More >> |
|
 |
|
Butterflyfish: Butterflyfish are tropical marine fish of the family Chaetodontidae. They are found on the reefs of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. A length of 6 inches is average. Their small size, rounded bodies and slightly concave foreheads distinguish them from the larger angelfish. More >> |
|
 |
|
Cardinalfish: Though somewhat shy, cardinalfish are popular with aquarists because of their peaceful nature and attractive colors and patterns. Cardinalfish are hardy and can be easily kept in reef tanks. The average size of most species is 2 inches. More >> |
|
 |
|
Clownfish: Clownfish, or anemonefish, are of the subfamily Amphiprioninae of the family Pomacentridae. They average 3 inches in length. Most are brightly colored orange fish with white stripes on the head or side of the body. More >> |
|
 |
|
Damselfish: Damselfish belong to the Pomacentridae family. They are closely related to clownfish and are found throughout the world. They generally achieve a length of 2 to 3 inches. Some species of damselfish adapt well to the average aquarium. More >> |
|
 |
|
Domino Damsel: The domino damsel is readily available at most local fish stores. It is very hardy and is often used to get the nitrogen cycle going in a new aquarium. However, it has a number of drawbacks that makes it a less-than-ideal aquarium fish in the long run. More >> |
|
 |
|
Eel: Eels are popular among marine aquarists. The snowflake moray is commonly kept in tropical saltwater aquariums and averages 2½ feet in length. Moray eels are hardy and adjust well to life in captivity. More >> |
|
 |
|
Firefish: The firefish does exceptionally well in almost any type of marine aquarium. This fish is almost always available at local fish stores at very reasonable prices. More >> |
|
 |
|
Frogfish: Frogfish are members of the Antennariidae family. They are found in tropical oceans and seas around the world. Frogfish are relatively small; the largest is about 15 inches, but most only grow to around 2 to 4 inches in length. More >> |
|
 |
|
Goby: Gobies form the family Gobiidae, which is one of the largest families of fish, with more than 2,000 species in more than 200 genera. Gobies are small fish, reaching an average of 3 to 4 inches in length. More >> |
|
 |
|
Green Chromis: The green chromis makes an excellent aquarium fish, as do most chromis fish found in local fish stores. It is almost always available at reasonable prices, and the only word of warning is that it is best kept in groups of six or more fish of the same species. More >> |
|
 |
|
Grouper: Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae. The common name “grouper” is usually given to fish in one of two large genera: Epinephelus and Mycteroperca. More >> |
|
 |
|
Hawkfish: Hawkfish are tropical marine fish of the family Cirrhitidae. They are found on coral reefs in tropical ocean waters around the world. A length of 3 to 5 inches is average. Popular aquarium species include the longnose hawkfish and the flame hawkfish. More >> |
|
 |
|
Hippo Tang: The hippo tang has become extremely popular since Disney’s Finding Nemo came out. In the movie, Marlin, Nemo’s father, befriends a hippo tang named Dory. More >> |
|
 |
|
Jawfish: The jawfish (also called the “pearly” jawfish), is one of the most interesting and easy-to-keep fish available. This little fish is quite comical looking, always standing on its tail, bobbing up and down and eager to either dash out for a morsel of food or quickly back into the safety of its burrow. More >> |
|
 |
|
Lionfish: A lionfish is any of several species of venomous marine fish in the family Scorpaenidae. Lionfish are native to the tropical Indo-Pacific region of the world, but have been spotted in the warmer coral regions of the eastern Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. More >> |
|
 |
|
Longhorned Cowfish: Although the cute little yellow longhorned cowfish that is offered for sale in your local fish store are so adorable that it literally begs to be taken home to your tank, this is not a fish to be bought on impulse (actually, no fish should be bought without knowing about it’s habits and mature size). More >> |
|
 |
|
Lyretail Anthias: Of all of the anthias, the lyretail is just about the most cantankerous and territorial. More >> |
|
 |
|
Marine Comet: The marine comet (also known as the “marine betta”) is an absolutely stunning fish and makes a wonderful addition to any marine tank where the fish are not too aggressive. When the fish completely spreads its fins, it appears to be many times its actual size. More >> |
|
 |
|
Maroon Clown: The maroon clownfish is a strikingly beautiful fish, with its basic body color really not seen in any other marine fish. It is the only fish in the genus, and it is separated from the other clownfishes by the fact that it has a large cheek spine on each side of its head. More >> |
|
 |
|
Naso Tang: The naso tang goes by a number of different common names, often called the “lipstick” tang for the fact that the lips of the fish look like they were painted in place. However, it is universally called “Naso”, which is its genus. More >> |
|
 |
|
Pajama Cardinal: Very similar to its cousin the Banggai cardinal, the pajama cardinal (also called “PJ”) is found in a much greater range throughout the western Pacific, whereas the Banggai is limited to one group of islands. More >> |
|
 |
|
Peach Anthias: The peach anthias is found in the wild in great numbers, and in an aquarium it needs to be kept in schools of at least 10 to 12 fish. Because it needs a lot of swimming room it should be kept in as large a tank as possible, with a 100-gallon tank being the minimum size. More >> |
|
 |
|
Percula Clown: The percula clownfish is probably the most easily recognized of all marine fish, especially after the movie where it starred as “Nemo.” The vision of a percula clownfish nestling in amongst the tentacles of a sea anemone has probably gotten more hobbyists started than any other fish. More >> |
|
 |
|
Porcupine Puffer: This fish probably has more common names than any other fish – in addition to being called the porcupine puffer, it is also called the spiny puffer, hedgehog fish, balloon fish, plus a slew of others. More >> |
|
 |
|
Powder Blue Tang: The powder blue tang (often called by its scientific species name leucosternon) is one of the most beautiful and coveted fish for marine aquariums. More >> |
|
 |
|
Pufferfish: Pufferfish belong to the family Tetraodontidae, which includes puffers, balloonfish, blowfish, bubblefish, globefish, swellfish, toadfish and toadies. Puffers are known for certain species’ ability to inflate when threatened, which they achieve by swallowing water. More >> |
|
 |
|
Rabbitfish: Rabbitfish are perciform fish in the family Siganidae. They are found in shallow lagoons in the Indo-Pacific and eastern Mediterranean. Rabbitfish have small mouths, large dark eyes and a peaceful temperament. They are colorful, but have venomous dorsal and anal fin spines. More >> |
|
 |
|
Royal Gramma: The royal gramma is really an excellent fish for a marine aquarium, including a reef tank. Very hardy, colorful and interesting to watch, this fish’s coloration consists of purple to dark blue in the front half of the body, bright yellow in the rear, and a black lighting strike through the eye. More >> |
|
 |
|
Seahorse: The seahorse is by far one of the most interesting fish the hobby has to offer. Available in sizes from the very small dwarfs, who barely reach 2 inches, some of the huge Pacific seahorses can be a foot long. More >> |
|
 |
|
Sergeant major: When it comes time to stock a new marine reef tank, a fish-only-with-live-rock tank or a specialized marine biotope (coral reef lagoon, reef face, reef cave, etc.), domestic aquarists are most often predisposed to go with Indo-Pacific fishes, corals and invertebrates. More >> |
|
 |
|
Soldierfish: The Holocentridae is a family of ray-finned fish known as squirrelfish or soldierfish. These are found in the tropical Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. They generally grow to a length of 10 to 14 inches. More >> |
|
 |
|
Squarespot Anthias: The squarespot anthias takes its name from a square or sometimes rectangular spot on the side of the male fish. This spot may vary in size from being very small to almost taking up more than half of the fish’s side. More >> |
|
 |
|
Squirrelfish: Squirrelfish are saltwater species belonging to the family Holocentridae. They are typically found in tropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. More >> |
|
 |
|
Striped Burrfish: In a Seussian world of diffendoofers, bar-ba-loots and loraxes, one might certainly expect to cross paths with a striped burrfish (aka the spiny puffer). More >> |
|
 |
|
Surgeonfish: Surgeonfish, also known as tangs, are marine fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae. These fish are characterized by a pair of sharp spines located on either side of the tail. Several species are popular in the home aquarium, including the yellow tang, blue tang and purple tang. More >> |
|
 |
|
Tang: Tangs, also known as surgeonfish, are marine fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae. These fish are characterized by a pair of sharp spines located on either side of the tail. Several species are popular in the home aquarium, including the yellow tang, blue tang and purple tang. More >> |
|
 |
|
Threadfin Anthias: The threadfin anthias is a wonderful fish with lots of things to recommend it to the hobbyist. It is beautifully colored, almost always on the move, and once it begins to take food in an aquarium it is a good feeder. More >> |
|
 |
|
Triggerfish: Triggerfish are marine fish from the family Balistidae. Many are brightly colored and can grow quite large, with some species reaching up to 2½ feet in length. More >> |
|
 |
|
Wrasse: Wrasses, marine fish belonging to the family Labridae, are considered “reef safe” and inhabit coral reef environments around the world. More >> |
|
 |
|
Yellow Tang: The yellow tang is a standard fish for marine aquariums. It is hardy, fairly resistant to disease, and in general a good citizen for either a fish-only or reef aquarium. The yellow tang is probably the fish caught in the most quantities in Hawaii. More >> |
|
 |
|
Yellowtail Damsel: One of the more peaceful damselfishes, the yellowtail damsel is an excellent fish for beginning hobbyists. It can be kept in small groups if the tank is large enough and there are sufficient hiding places and bolt-holes for it in the rockwork. More >> |
|