Vertebrata Actinopterygii Perciformes Pomacentridae Black
Feeding Eats soft corals in the wild, but readily accepts meaty and algae-based substitute foods. Compatibility Not reef safe. May eat corals. Aggressive toward other fishes. Juveniles can be kept in groups, but adults become extremely aggressive. Keep singly or in mated pairs. Hardy but aggressive species. This genus has juveniles that are stunningly attractive, but that grow into dull-looking, brownish black adults that will bully most other fishes in a home aquarium. Vertebrata...
Cnidaria Anthozoa Alcyonacea Alcyoaniina Alcyoniidae Mushroom coral Leather
Medium-sized colonies Indo-Pacific Lighting Contains symbiotic algae needs high light intensity. Feeding Nourished primarily by the photosynthetic products produced by its symbiotic algae probably does not require feeding. Water Quality Often found on oceanic reefs in nutrient-poor water. This bright yellow species normally grows in very shallow water and has a mushroom colony shape typical of the Sarcophyton genus. An excellent candidate for a special biotope aquarium copying a shallow reef...
Cnidaria Anthozoa Actiniaria Stichodactylidae Magnificent Sea AnemoneHeteractis
To 100 cm 39 in. across Indo-Pacific Lighting Photosynthetic needs strong light intensity. Circulation Needs moderate but steady water motion. Compatibility Has a strong sting and will severely burn neighboring sessile animals. Feeding Carnivore that needs meaty marine foods. A large anemone with a poor record of survival in the aquarium. Very sensitive to physical damage to its tissue. The column is brilliant purple or bright orange the tentacles are greenish. Cnidaria Anthozoa Actiniaria...
Panulirus versicolor
Aquascaping Should be given overhangs and small caves in which it can hide. Feeding A scavenger that feeds on food remains will accept a variety of meaty foods, including frozen and dried rations. Compatibility Not completely reef safe. May prey on fishes and invertebrates. May become destructive to the reefscape as it grows. One of the few spiny lobsters that is suited for a robust community tank with very stable rockwork. Hardy, but allow slow, careful acclimation. Crustacea Decapoda,...
Anemone Mushroom CoralHeliofungia actiniformis
Huge solitary polyp Central Pacific Lighting Photosynthetic needs medium to strong lighting. Water Quality Demands excellent water quality, including calcium supplementation for skeletal growth. Aquascaping Should be on a quiet sandy bottom where it can expand freely. Keep away from strong currents. Resembles an anemone, but is a solitary single polyp stony coral. Often damaged in collection or shipping, but is hardy once established. Needs very careful acclimation. Cnidaria Anthozoa...
Cnidaria Anthozoa Zoanthidea Zoanthidae Sea mats
Lighting Photosynthetic need moderate to high light intensity. Hazards Symbiotic bacteria living with Palythoa spp. produce palytoxin, a potent toxin in the mucus. Handle with care gloves are recommended. These easily kept polyps are connected by fleshy tissue that encrusts the substrate. They often form large colonies in shallow water. Colors are usually yellowish or brownish. Lighting Probably needs moderate light intensity. Feeding Should be given minute plankton during the night when the...
Annelida Polychaeta Sabellidae Social Feather Duster
Colony 20-30 cm 7.8-11.7 in. across Aquascaping Needs peaceful conditions and harmless tank-mates best kept in a small, quiet reef system. Feeding Feeds on tiny plankton and organic particles collected by the crown. Needs plenty of food in the reef aquarium. Compatibility Reef safe. May fall victim to large brittlestars. This small feather duster forms dense colonies of clones and varies in color from region to region. These pretty worms are as delicate as they appear, and are among the more...
Pedersons Commensal Shrimp Periclimenes pedersoni
To 2 cm 0.8 in. long Caribbean, Tropical Western Atlantic Lighting Requires intense lighting for its host sea anemone. Compatibility Reef safe. Lives individually, in pairs, or in larger groups associated with sea anemones. Needs a healthy host sea anemone for example, Condylactis gigantea to survive in captivity. A lovely little commensal shrimp that is easy to keep in a quiet dedicated aquarium, but which will often disappear in a reef community tank. Must have slow, careful acclimation to...
American Giant Hermit CrabPetrochirus diogenes
To 25-30 cm 9.8-11.7 in. Caribbean Western Atlantic Aquascaping Lives on sandy bottoms and on seagrass beds perfect for a special aquarium replicating this habitat. Feeding A scavenger and carnivore, grazing rather indiscriminately on small invertebrates e.g., mollusks and worms . Accepts substitute meaty foods in the aquarium. Compatibility Not reef safe. The largest hermit crab from the Caribbean region and a possible choice for a biotope or fish-only reef tank. Hardy and long-lived. Polkadot...
Cnidaria Anthozoa Alcyonacea Stolonifera Tubiporidae Organpipe CoralTubipora
Lighting Photosynthetic species that needs very strong light. Water Quality Demands nutrient-poor water and conditions tha prevent the colony from being overgrown by hair algae. Not a true stony coral, but with a distinctive dark red brittle skeleto composed of calcite tubes. Polyps may be light brown, green, or white, and are highly variable in shape, suggesting that several different species may exist. Can be rather difficult to keep, compared with other members of the Order Stolonifera....
Crustacea Decapoda Alpheidae Pistol shrimps
Aquascaping Need a deep sand bed for their burrowing activities. Feeding Normal diet Is small invertebrates, but will take substitute meaty foods in captivity. Compatibility Reef safe. Many species live in association with shrimp gobies in shared burrows. Best kept in a quiet setting. Many colorful species are collected. They can be hardy, but need careful acclimation to captivity. By snapping a peg on the right claw the pistol shrimps generate a sharp' POP, hence the common name. Crustacea...
Cnidaria Anthozoa Alcyonacea Alcyoaniina Nephtheidae Kenya TreeCapnella
Medium-sized colonies Indo-Pacific Lighting Photosynthetic species that needs very strong light. Feeding Nourished primarily by the photosynthetic products produced by its symbiotic algae does not require intentional feeding. A hardy, popular coral that is very easy to keep and propagate by cuttings. Reproduces asexually by releasing daughter colonies from its branches. Color may be brown, yellowish brown, or pale yellow, with polyps located at the ends of small branches. One of the first soft...
Protoreaster lincki
With brilliant red spines, this Is a showy and distinctive species for a large tank and tankmates that are not on its usual list of prey. Hardy, but requires slow, careful acclimation to new water conditions. Echinodermata Asteroidea Valvatida Ophidiasteridae Elegant Sea Star Fromia indica Feeding Omnivorous grazes over rock, eating algae, tiny invertebrates, and microorganisms living with the algae. Difficult to provide with sufficient food in a typical reef system. Compatibility Reef safe....
Arthropods Chelicerata Merostomata Limulidae Horseshoe CrabLimulus polyphemus
Aquascaping Needs a habitat with a large open sandy area. Water Quality Needs cooler temperatures, 21 24 C 70-75 F . Feeding Carnivorous will eat mussels and shrimps. Compatibility Potentially destructive and not reef safe. This a living fossil that occasionally becomes available to aquarists. Hardy, but must have a special aquarium. Beneath the formidable shell are chelicerae claws and five pairs of walking legs. Crustacea Stomatopoda Gonodactylidae Mantis shrimps Lysiosquillina spp. To 10 cm...
Fromia nodosa
Echinodermata Asteroidea Valvatida Ophidiasteridae Tamarisk Sea Star Tamaria stria To 20 cm 7.8 in. Eastern Pacific Feeding Omnivorous grazes over rock, eating algae, tiny invertebrates. and microorganisms living with the algae. Difficult to provide with sufficient food in a typical reef system. Compatibility Generally reef safe, but may attack certain sessile invertebrates. A richly pigmented sea star that is very sensitive to changing water conditions and thus difficult to ship without...
The Blue Cheeked Butterfly Fish Chaetodon semilarvatus
This typical reef dweller with its exceptionally attractive shape and coloration is unique to the Red Sea. It is one of the world's largest Butterfly Fish and can usually be seen foraging on the reef in pairs or in small groups. Vertebrata Actinopterygii Perciformes Chaetodontidae Orangeface Butterflyfish Chaetodon larvatus Feeding This fish is an obligate corallivore it feeds primarily on live coral polyps. Nearly impossible to adapt to substitute foods. Compatibility Not reef safe. Will eat...
Vertebrata Actinopterygii Perciformes Pomacanthidae Multibarred Angelfish
10 cm 3.9 in. Indo-west-Pacific Aquascaping This shy species requires caves and crevices for refuge, as well as live rock as a source of live food organisms. Feeding Natural diet is largely unknown possibly sponges, algae and tiny benthic invertebrates. Very difficult to feed in the aquarium. Does not readily accept substitute foods. Compatibility Not fully reef safe, but will ignore most soft corals. A very pretty fish, but shy, hard to feed, and with poor chances of survival. For experienced...
Aiptasiaeating NudibranchBerghia verrucicornis
Normally around 2 cm 5 in. long Caribbean Feeding Feeds exclusively on glass anemones from the genus Aiptasia. Can be used as a predator in a tank infested with an uncontrolled population of Aiptasia. Compatibility Reef safe. Will die if its food supply is eradicated. A small, rather delicate nudibranch that is being tank-raised and sold as a biocontrol agent for nuisance Aiptasia. Short-lived. Careful acclimation needed. Mollusca Bivalvia Mytiloida Mytilidae
Cyphoma gibbosum
Compatibility Most species eat bristleworms some will kill and eat fishes. Need a specialized system of their own and expert care. Hazards Some cone shells, e.g., C. geographus and C. textile, are extremely poisonous and their sting can even be fatal to humans. Cone shells some 300 species in total are living works of art that deserve utmost respect. Conus geographus is the best-known species and has caused at least 12 fatalities among humans.
Porifera Demospongiae Halichondrida Axinellidae Strawberry spongePseudaxinella
Grows slowly to medium-sized colonies Caribbean Sea Lighting Needs medium to low light intensities. Circulation Needs medium to strong alternating water motion. Feeding Filter feeder that needs dissolved or very fine suspended organic particles and minute plankton. This pretty species is frequently imported but relatively difficult to keep in most well-skimmed reef systems. As with most sponges, this species must never be exposed to open air, which can become trapped in the animal and lead to...
Cnidaria Anthozoa Alcyonacea Holaxonia Gorgoniidae Sea PlumePseudopterogorgia
To 2 m 6.6 ft. high Caribbean Lighting Contains symbiotic algae and needs moderate to strong light intensities. Circulation Needs alternating medium to strong water currents. Aquascaping Grows large and requires plenty of space. A good beginner's gorgonlan hardy and quite attractive with violet or yellow branches. Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata develops feathery branches that are arranged in one plane. Cnidaria Anthozoa Alcyonacea Holaxonia Gorgoniidae Lighting Photosynthetic need moderate to...
Curleycue AnemoneBartholomea annulata
To 30 cm 11.7 in. across Caribbean Lighting Contains symbiotic algae and needs high light intensity. Compatibility Has strong stinging cells and will burn neighboring sessile animals severely. A common and hardy anemone with knobby, nearly transparent tentacles. It is a good candidate for a small biotope aquarium where the animal can serve as host for its many natural symbiotic shrimps and crabs. Cnidaria Anthozoa Actiniaria Aiptasidae Glassrose, Aiptasia Aiptasia sp. To 6 cm 2.3 in. tall...
Scroll Coral Turban CoralTurbinaria peltata
Medium-sized colonies Indo-Pacific Lighting Photosynthetic needs medium to strong light intensity. Circulation Requires moderate to strong water movement. Water Quality Like all stony corals it needs excellent water quality. including calcium for building the calcareous skeleton. Forming either flat plates, cups, or upright columns, this is a variable but hardy and interesting coral. May require a regular blast of water current to flush out detritus that may tend to accumulate in the cup of the...
Porifera Demospongiae Haplosclerida Petrosiidae Hard blue spongeXestospongia sp
Grows slowly to medium-sized colonies Indo-Pacific Circulation Needs medium to strong water currents. Feeding Difficult to keep well fed. Sponges are filter feeders that needs fine suspended organic particles and minute plankton Compatibility Dead or dying colonies may release toxins that can kill corals and other invertebrates. A beautiful blue sponge with dense, hard tissue. Unfortunately, very difficult to keep and often dead upon arrival. Best broken into smaller fragments and planted in...
Cnidaria Anthozoa Alcyonacea Alcyoaniina Alcyoniidae Encrusting leather
Medium-sized colonies Indo-Pacific Lighting Photosynthetic needs moderate to strong lighting. Compatibility Competes with neighboring corals and algae by releasing irritating chemical compounds. Can therefore be a potential threat to other corals. This encrusting soft coral formerly known as Parerythropodium sp. is regularly imported and both easy to keep and simple to propagate by cuttings. Usually bright yellow, occasionally brown, with long polyps and a thin encrusting base. Difficult to...
Cnidaria Anthozoa Alcyonacea Alcyoaniina Alcyoniidae Cauliflower coralCladiella
Medium-sized to large colonies Indo-Pacific Lighting Contains symbiotic algae and needs intense lighting. Circulation Needs moderate to strong water motion. Water Quality Needs the best possible water quality more sensitive than other species when it comes to shifting water quality. More difficult to keep and propagate than other genera in the family. Usually has white tissue with brown polyps, a coloration that separates the genus from other genera in the family. Colonies are usually slimy to...
Cnidaria Anthozoa Alcyonacea Holaxonia Gorgoniidae Sea rodRumphella sp
Medium to large colonies Indo-Pacific Lighting Contains symbiotic algae and needs moderate to strong light intensities. Circulation Needs alternating medium to strong water motion. Aquascaping Can grow to form huge colonies and may need a large aquarium. A very hardy coral and one of only a few photosynthetic gorgonians found in the Indo-Pacific. The common R. aggregata forms bushy colonies, usually with a gray or light brown color. Cnidaria Anthozoa Alcyonacea Holaxonia Ellisellidae Sea whips...
Porifera Demospongiae Haplosclerida Chalinidae Soft blue spongeHaliclona sp
Grows slowly to medium-sized colonies Indo-Pacific Circulation Needs medium to strong water currents. Feeding Difficult to keep nourished. Requires dissolved or very fine suspended organic particles and minute plankton. Forms bright blue branching colonies. The tissue is soft in comparison to Xestospongia below . Difficult to keep in well-skimmed, nutrient-poor reef systems. Best broken into smaller fragments and planted in different spots in the aquarium.