Coral Fishes

Angelfish

Angelfish


Pterophyllum is a small genus of freshwater fish from the family Cichlidae known to most aquarists as angelfish. The three species of Pterophyllum are unusually shaped for cichlids, being greatly laterally compressed, with round bodies and elongated triangular dorsal and anal fins. This body shape allows them to hide among roots and plants on a vertical surface. Naturally occurring angelfish are frequently striped transversely, coloration which provides additional camouflage. Angelfish are ambush predators and prey on small fish and macroinvertebrates.
Anthias

Anthias


Anthias, the swallowtail sea perch or marine goldfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish from the grouper and sea bass family Serranidae. It is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, associated with reefs. It is found in the aquarium trade. Anthias has a rather deep body with a standard length equivalent to 2.5 times its depth. The dorsal fin has ten spines, with the third spine being exceptionally long and 15 soft rays. The anal fin has three spines and seven soft rays. The pectoral fins are longer than the pelvic fins. The caudal fin has asymmetrical, pointed lobes, with the lower lobe longer than the upper lobe. It has a complete lateral line with 36-39 scales. Their color varies from pink to red, and they have three yellow lines on the sides of their heads. Frequently they can show brown blotches along the back. The pelvic fins are yellow, but males turn red when breeding. They can attain a standard length of 27 centimeters, generally around 12–18 centimeters.
Banded Butterfly Fish

Banded Butterfly Fish


The banded butterflyfish (Chaetodon striatus) is a spceis of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish found in the tropical western Atlantic Ocean from Brazil to Bermuda. Common names include the banded butterflyfish, the butterbun, the butterflyfish, the Portuguese butterfly, the school mistress and the banded mariposa. The name is derived from the dark vertical bands on the fish's body. This, combined with a vertical, black bar through the eye, is an antipredator adaptation, the bands disrupting the body's outlines. The banded butterflyfish grows to a maximum length of about 16 cm (6.3 in). The dorsal fin has 12 spines and 19 to 21 soft rays. The anal fin has 3 spines and 16 to 17 soft rays. The colour of this fish is silvery with a slender black bar passing through its eye, two wide black bars in mid-body and a third wide bar that starts on the rear of the dorsal fin and continues to the caudal peduncle. The pelvic fins and the caudal fin are black. This fish is native to the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic Ocean at depths down to about 55 metres (180 ft) but mostly in less than 20 metres (66 ft). Its range extends from Massachusetts in the United States to Santa Catarina in Brazil, and includes the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, Bermuda and Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago. It is a benthic fish and is found on coral reefs. The banded butterflyfish is usually seen singly or in pairs, but can occur in small shoals of about twenty individuals. The diet is mainly small invertebrates, crustaceans, coral polyps, polychaete worms and various eggs. Sometimes it will act as a cleaning fish and remove the external parasites from surgeon fishes, grunts and parrot fishes.
Batfish

Batfish


Batfish, any of about 60 species of fishes of the family Ogcocephalidae (order Lophiiformes), found in warm and temperate seas. Batfishes have broad, flat heads and slim bodies and are covered with hard lumps and spines. Some species have an elongated, upturned snout. Batfishes grow at most about 36 cm (14 inches) long. They are poor swimmers and usually walk on the bottom on thickened, limblike pectoral and pelvic fins. Most live in the deep sea, but some inhabit shallow water. Batfishes are members of the group known as anglerfish and are equipped with a “fishing pole,” tipped with a fleshy “bait” to lure prey close enough to be eaten. The apparatus is located above the small mouth and, unlike that of other anglers, can be drawn into recess when not in use.
Chromis

Chromis


Chromis chromis has an oval and laterally compressed body with an noticeably large eye. Its mouth is strongly protractile, reaching to below the centre of the eye, with small canine-like teeth set in 3 rows on the jaws. The preoperculum is not serrated and the anterior gill arch has 30 slender gill rakers. There are 13-14 spines and 10-11 soft rays in the dorsal fin and in the anal fin has 11 spines and 10-12 soft rays. Its body is covered in large scales, including the head, and there are 24-30 scales along the lateral line. The youngest fish are a brilliant iridescent blue in colour; older juveniles have blue stripes with the dorsal and anal fins outlined in blue while the adults are dark brown with the centres of each scale a paler golden brown or grey-brow and with the edge of the caudal fin lacking any colour, especially in the centre of the fork. The males become a vivid pale violet.There is a single pair of nostrils. Chromis chromis occurs in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic, from Portugal to Angola including the Macaronesian Islands and the Gulf of Guinea Islands, appearing to be commoner off islands than off the mainland. It is uncommon in the Black Sea and Sea of Marmara. Chromis inhabits littoral, mainly in rocky areas from 2 to 40 metres (6.6 to 131.2 ft) in depth, in small shoals in midwater above or near rocky reefs and above sea-grass meadows.
Clownfish

Clownfish


Bright orange with three distinctive white bars, clown anemonefish are among the most recognizable of all reef-dwellers. They reach about 4.3 inches in length, and are named for the multicolored sea anemone in which they make their homes. Clownfish perform an elaborate dance with an anemone before taking up residence, gently touching its tentacles with different parts of their bodies until they are acclimated to their host. A layer of mucus on the clownfish's skin makes it immune to the fish-eating anemone's lethal sting. In exchange for safety from predators and food scraps, the clownfish drives off intruders and preens its host, removing parasites. There are at least 30 known species of clownfish, most of which live in the shallow waters of the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the western Pacific. They are not found in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, or Atlantic Ocean. Surprisingly, all clownfish are born male. They have the ability to switch their sex, but will do so only to become the dominant female of a group. The change is irreversible.
Copperband Butterflyfish

Copperband Butterflyfish


The Copperband Butterflyfish, also known as the Beaked Butterflyfish, Beaked Coralfish, or Orange Stripe Butterfly, has a long, narrow nose and mouth used for hunting into crevices and holes for food. The Copperband Butterflyfish has yellow-orange vertical bands with a black edging. It has a false eyespot on the rear of the dorsal fin. This is a difficult fish to mistake for any other. It is best housed in very large reefs, or in peaceful community tanks. It should be kept singly, not with conspecifics or similar butterflyfish, and should not be kept with any stress-inducing fish. Caution should be exercised if housing these fish in a reef aquarium. They may pick on invertebrates, especially anemones and feather dusters. They are an excellent fish when used to control aiptasia, or glass anemones, in the reef aquarium. The Copperband Butterflyfish is a difficult fish to feed; it is a shy and deliberate feeder that may need a variety of foods offered to it in order to start feeding.
Damselfish

Damselfish


Damselfish, also called demoiselle, any of about 250 species of small, primarily tropical marine fishes of the family Pomacentridae (order Perciformes) found in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific oceans. Damselfishes are deep-bodied and usually have forked tails. They resemble the related cichlids and, like them, have a single nostril on each side of the head and have interrupted lateral lines. Damselfishes have two anal spines. Many species are brilliantly coloured, often in shades of red, orange, yellow, or blue; most do not exceed a length of about 15 cm (6 inches). Damselfishes are lively and quick, and are usually strongly territorial and aggressive. Some feed mainly on plant matter or small animals suspended in the water; others are omnivorous. Most damselfishes live along reefs, but certain species, the anemone fishes, are noted for living among the stinging tentacles of sea anemones. Better-known members of the family include the bright-coloured species of Pomacentrus, the black-and-white, or three-stripe, damselfish (Dascyllus aruanus) of the Indo-Pacific; the garibaldi (Hypsypops rubicundus), a bright orange California fish about 30 cm long; the beau gregory (Eupomacentrus leucostictus), a blue-and-yellow Atlantic species; and the sergeant major (Abudefduf saxatilis), a black-banded, bluish and yellow fish of the tropical Atlantic.
Dottyback

Dottyback


Dottybacks, also known as Pseudochromis, are brightly colored, and reach a size of three inches. Dottybacks feed on plankton, small crustaceans, worms and will accept most prepared foods. The bright colors and the way that dottybacks swim in and out of the reef rock have made them one of the most popular reef tank families. They will not harm other invertebrates, with the exception of small crustaceans they may feed upon. They are found in the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific, where most inhabit coral reefs. Many species are brightly coloured fish, often showing striking sexual dimorphism. They are generally small, mostly less than 10 cm (4 in) in length, and some less than 2 cm (0.8 in).The largest by far, at up to 45 cm (1 ft 6 in), is Congrogadus subducens. Dottybacks are distinguished from other families by the presence of three or less spines in the dorsal fin and an incomplete lateral line organ
Moorish Idol

Moorish Idol


The Moorish idol is a marine fish species, the sole extant representative of the family Zanclidae order Perciformes. A common inhabitant of tropical to subtropical reefs and lagoons, the Moorish idol is notable for its wide distribution throughout the Indo-Pacific. A number of butterflyfishes (genus Heniochus) closely resemble the Moorish idol. It is closely related to, if not a direct descendant of, the extinct Eozanclus brevirostris, from the Middle Eocene of Monte Bolca. The Moorish idol got its name from the Moors of Africa, who purportedly believed the fish to be a bringer of happiness. Moorish idols are also a coveted aquarium fish but, despite their abundance and wide array of habitats, they are notoriously finicky and hard to adjust to captivity. Their omnivorous diet can be extremely difficult to replicate in aquaria, as the vegetation which they live on is normally exterminated and they have a habit of eating corals and sponges. Generally denizens of shallow waters, Moorish idols prefer flat reefs. This fish may be found at depths from 3 to 180 m (9.8 to 590.6 ft), in both murky and clear conditions. Their range includes East Africa, the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf and the Ducie Islands; Hawaii, southern Japan, and all of Micronesia; they are also found from the southern Gulf of California south to Peru. With distinctively compressed and disk-like bodies, Moorish idols stand out in contrasting bands of black, white, and yellow, which makes them attractive to aquarium keepers. The fish have relatively small fins, except for the dorsal fin, whose six or seven spines are dramatically elongated to form a trailing, sickle-shaped crest called the philomantis extension. Moorish idols have small terminal mouths at the end of long, tubular snouts; many long bristle-like teeth line the mouth. The Moorish idol differs from butterflyfish in having a prominent black, triangular anal fin. The eyes are set high on the fish's deeply keeled body; in adults, perceptible bumps are located above each. The anal fin may have two or three spines. Moorish idols reach a maximum length of 23 cm (9.1 in). The sickle-like dorsal spines shorten with age.
Rock Beauty Angelfish

Rock Beauty Angelfish


The Rock Beauty Angelfish has a body that is predominately black especially on the back half, as an adult. The head and front half portion of the body, and the caudal fin are a bright yellow. The eyes have striking sapphire-blue accents. Similar in appearance, the juvenile initially has a predominately yellow body with a large caudal black spot that just seems to enlarge, overwhelming the yellow coloration with the exception of head, body area just behind the head, and the caudal fin. The tail itself is yellow. The pectoral fins and ventral fins are yellow, and the lips and the edges of their dorsal fins and anal fins are dark blue. The adult measures up to 10 inches (25 cm). The fish inhabits reefs from the tropical western Atlantic Ocean to the northern Gulf of Mexico. It can be found at depths between 3 and 92 metres (9.8 and 301.8 ft). The adults stay in pairs year-round, perhaps suggesting a long-term monogamous bond. The pairs reproduce by rising up in the water, bringing their bellies close together, and releasing clouds of sperm and eggs. The female produces 25,000 to 75,000 eggs per day, and up to ten million eggs during each spawning cycle. The eggs are transparent, buoyant, and pelagic, floating in the water column. They hatch after 15 to 20 hours into larvae that lack effective eyes, fins, or even a gut. The large yolk sac is absorbed after 48 hours, during which time the larvae begin to develop normal characteristics of free-swimming juveniles. They feed on plankton for 3 to 4 weeks, reaching 1.5 to 2 centimetres (0.59 to 0.79 in) in length, and then settle on the bottom as juveniles.
Squirrelfish

Squirrelfish


The longspine squirrelfish (Holocentrus rufus) is a silvery red, sea fish with orange-gold body stripes. One of about 150 species of squirrelfish, their most distinguishing characteristics are their large eyes and the long third spine of the anal fin. It is often included in public aquarium displays. The length of the longspine squirrelfish is about 18 cm (7.8 inches). It lives in coral reefs in tropical and warm temperate seas and eats zoobenthos. It is territorial and uses sounds called 'grunts' and 'staccatos' to defend its crevice, warn of danger and, in groups, intimidate predators such as the moray eel. The longspine squirrelfish is edible and harvested on a small scale. The body of the longspine squirrelfish is silvery red, with orange-gold body stripes. Its eyes are very large, which is characteristic of all squirrelfish. The rear dorsal fin is pronounced and sticks up. The anal fin has a strongly elongated third spine, from which this squirrelfish gets its name. here are about 150 species of squirrelfish. Squirrelfish, belonging to the order of Beryciformes, are brightly colored, medium-sized fish that are active during the night. Sdequirrelfish live in rocky or coral reefs in tropical and warm-temperate seas. Their most distinguishing characteristics are their large eyes. Longspine squirrelfish are marine fish that live in coral reefs. The length of the longspine squirrelfish is up to 18 cm (7.8 inches). They are found along the south eastern coast of the United States to Northern South America and Brazil, as well as in-between locations such as Bermuda and the West Indies.
Surgeonfish

Surgeonfish


Surgeonfish, also called tang, any of about 75 species of thin, deep-bodied, tropical marine fishes of the family Acanthuridae (order Perciformes). Surgeonfishes are small-scaled, with a single dorsal fin and one or more distinctive, sharp spines that are located on either side of the tail base and can produce deep cuts. The spines, which resemble a surgeon’s scalpel, may be either fixed in place or hinged at the rear so they can be opened outward and directed forward. Surgeonfishes are mostly algae eaters. They develop from a transparent larva (acronurus) and, with growth, may change considerably in form or colour. Their maximum length usually does not exceed 50 cm (20 inches). Species include the yellow surgeon, or yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens), an Indo-Pacific species about 20 cm (8 inches) long and coloured either bright yellow or deep brown; the blue tang (Acanthurus coeruleus), an Atlantic and Caribbean fish, yellow when young but more or less blue when adult; and the manini (A. triostegus sandvicensis), a form common in Hawaii.
Yellow Tang

Yellow Tang


The yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) is a saltwater fish species of the family Acanthuridae. Adult fish can grow to 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in length, and 1–2 centimetres (0.39–0.79 in) in thickness. Adult males tend to be larger than females. Yellow tangs are bright yellow in color. At night, the yellow coloring fades slightly, and a prominent brownish patch develops in the middle with a horizontal white band. They rapidly resume their bright yellow color during daylight. It's important to be aware, however, that Yellow Tangs can be aggressive, are prone to the fish disease called 'ich,' and may damage coral within a reef tank. Male and female yellow tang look very similar. When mating, however, males change color and have a 'shimmering' behavior which makes them identifiable. n the wild, yellow tangs feed on benthic turf algae and other marine plant material. It is commonly found in shallow reefs, from 2–46 metres (6.6–150.9 ft) deep, in the Pacific Ocean, west of Hawaii and east of Japan. Hawaii is the most common place for aquarium harvesting, where up to 70% of the yellow tangs for the aquarium industry are sourced from. Over 70% of the yellow tang's natural range is protected from collection and fishing[3]. The yellow tang is listed as 'Least Concern' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The yellow tang has been recorded in waters around Florida, where it is not native.


Foxtaco

Foxtaco