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Reef Safe
Reef safe is a distinction used in the saltwater aquarium hobby to indicate that a fish or invertebrate is safe to add to a reef aquarium. There is no fish that is completely reef safe. Every fish that is commonly listed as reef safe are species that usually do not readily consume small fish or invertebrates. Fish listed as reef safe also do not bother fellow fish unless in some cases, for instance tangs, they do not get along with conspecifics and sometimes fish with similar color or body shape. Every fish has a personality, is different, and, in some cases, are opportunistic feeders. Tangs, which by most accounts are reef safe, may in adulthood eat some crustaceans shortly after they molt. Many larger predatory fish, for instance eels and pufferfish, will adapt very well to a reef tank and will be problem-free as long as they have sizable tank-mates and no crustaceans. Some aquarists have also had success in keeping smaller fish with predatory ones in reef tanks by adding the smal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saltwater Aquarium
A marine aquarium is an aquarium that keeps marine plants and animals in a contained environment. Marine aquaria are further subdivided by hobbyists into fish only (FO), fish only with live rock (FOWLR), and reef aquaria. Fish only tanks often showcase large or aggressive marine fish species and generally rely on mechanical and chemical filtration. FOWLR and reef tanks use live rock, a material composed of coral skeletons harboring beneficial nitrogen waste metabolizing bacteria, as a means of more natural biological filtration. Marine fishkeeping is different from its freshwater counterpart because of the fundamental differences in the constitution of saltwater and the resulting differences in the adaptation of its inhabitants. A stable marine aquarium requires more equipment than freshwater systems, and generally requires more stringent water quality monitoring. The inhabitants of a marine aquarium are often difficult to acquire and are usually more expensive than freshwater aqu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dragonet
Dragonets are small, percomorph, marine fish of the diverse family Callionymidae (from the Greek ''kallis'', "beautiful" and ', "name") found mainly in the tropical waters of the western Indo-Pacific. They are benthic organisms, spending most of their time near the sandy bottoms, at a depth of roughly two hundred meters. There exist 139 species of the fish, in nineteen genera. Due to similarities in morphology and behavior, dragonets are sometimes confused with members of the goby family. However, male dragonets can be differentiated from the goby by their very long dorsal fins, and females by their protruding lower jaws. The Draconettidae may be considered a sister family, whose members are very much alike, though rarely seen. Genera The following genera are classified within the Callionymidae: * '' Anaora'' J. E. Gray, 1835 * '' Bathycallionymus'' Nakabo, 1982 * '' Callionymus'' Linnaeus, 1758 (including ''Calliurichthys'') * ''Diplogrammus'' Gill, 1865 (including ''Ch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crab
Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the world's oceans, in freshwater, and on land, are generally covered with a thick exoskeleton, and have a single pair of pincers. They first appeared during the Jurassic Period. Description Crabs are generally covered with a thick exoskeleton, composed primarily of highly mineralized chitin, and armed with a pair of chelae (claws). Crabs vary in size from the pea crab, a few millimeters wide, to the Japanese spider crab, with a leg span up to . Several other groups of crustaceans with similar appearances – such as king crabs and porcelain crabs – are not true crabs, but have evolved features similar to true crabs through a process known as carcinisation. Environment Crabs are found in all of the world's oceans, as well as in fresh w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coral
Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton. A coral "group" is a colony of very many genetically identical polyps. Each polyp is a sac-like animal typically only a few millimeters in diameter and a few centimeters in height. A set of tentacles surround a central mouth opening. Each polyp excretes an exoskeleton near the base. Over many generations, the colony thus creates a skeleton characteristic of the species which can measure up to several meters in size. Individual colonies grow by asexual reproduction of polyps. Corals also breed sexually by spawning: polyps of the same species release gametes simultaneously overnight, often around a full moon. Fertilized eggs form planulae, a mobile early form of the coral polyp which, when m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Odonus
The Redtoothed triggerfish (''Odonus niger'') is a triggerfish of the tropical Indo-Pacific area, and the sole member of its genus.Matsuura, K. (2014): Taxonomy and systematics of tetraodontiform fishes: a review focusing primarily on progress in the period from 1980 to 2014. ''Ichthyological Research, 62 (1): 72-113.'' Some other common names include blue triggerfish, redfang triggerfish, redtoothed filefish, and Niger triggerfish. Description Redtoothed Niger Triggerfish are normally deep purple with bluish-green markings on their heads and glowing light blue margins on the tail lobes and fins. Just like other fish in the family Balistidae, the tail is lyre-shaped. The mouth of the triggerfish seems to be grinning and it maintains tiny red teeth that are needle-sharp with two teeth in the upper jaw which can be seen when its mouth is closed. These triggerfish are one of the more peaceful triggers in the family but can become threatening with age and can perform a grunting-type ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melichthys
''Melichthys'' is a small genus in the triggerfish family ( Balistidae). Member species are found in the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and even the Red Sea (''M. niger''). The Black triggerfish is the largest species in this genus at 45 cm in length and the Indian triggerfish is the smallest at 25 cm. ''Melichthys niger'' and ''Melichthys indicus'' are similar in appearance and are often confused. Species There are currently 3 recognized species in this genus:Matsuura, K. (2014): Taxonomy and systematics of tetraodontiform fishes: a review focusing primarily on progress in the period from 1980 to 2014. ''Ichthyological Research, 62 (1): 72-113.'' * ''Melichthys indicus'' J. E. Randall & Klausewitz, 1973 (Indian triggerfish) * ''Melichthys niger'' Bloch, 1786 (Black triggerfish) * ''Melichthys vidua ''Melichthys'' is a small genus in the triggerfish family ( Balistidae). Member species are found in the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and even the Red Sea (''M. niger''). T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Triggerfish
Triggerfish are about 40 species of often brightly colored fish of the family Balistidae. Often marked by lines and spots, they inhabit tropical and subtropical oceans throughout the world, with the greatest species richness in the Indo-Pacific. Most are found in relatively shallow, coastal habitats, especially at coral reefs, but a few, such as the oceanic triggerfish (''Canthidermis maculata''), are pelagic. While several species from this family are popular in the marine aquarium trade, they are often notoriously ill-tempered. Anatomy and appearance The largest member of the family, the stone triggerfish (''Pseudobalistes naufragium'') reaches , but most species have a maximum length between . Triggerfish have an oval-shaped, highly compressed body. The head is large, terminating in a small but strong-jawed mouth with teeth adapted for crushing shells. The eyes are small, set far back from the mouth, at the top of the head. The anterior dorsal fin is reduced to a set of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wrasse
The wrasses are a family, Labridae, of marine fish, many of which are brightly colored. The family is large and diverse, with over 600 species in 81 genera, which are divided into 9 subgroups or tribes. They are typically small, most of them less than long, although the largest, the humphead wrasse, can measure up to . They are efficient carnivores, feeding on a wide range of small invertebrates. Many smaller wrasses follow the feeding trails of larger fish, picking up invertebrates disturbed by their passing. Juveniles of some representatives of the genera ''Bodianus'', ''Epibulus'', ''Cirrhilabrus'', ''Oxycheilinus'', and ''Paracheilinus'' hide among the tentacles of the free-living mushroom corals & ''Heliofungia actiniformis''. The word "wrasse" comes from the Cornish word ''wragh'', a lenited form of ''gwragh'', meaning an old woman or hag, via Cornish dialect ''wrath''. It is related to the Welsh ''gwrach'' and Breton ''gwrac'h''. Distribution Most wrasses inhabit the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tang (fish)
Acanthuridae are the family of surgeonfishes, tangs, and unicornfishes. The family includes about 86 extant species of marine fish living in tropical seas, usually around coral reefs. Many of the species are brightly colored and popular in aquaria. Morphology The distinctive characteristic of the family is that they have scalpel-like modified scales, one or more on either side of the peduncle of the tail. The spines are dangerously sharp and may seriously injure anyone who carelessly handles such a fish. The dorsal, anal, and caudal fins are large, extending for most of the length of the body. The mouths are small and have a single row of teeth adapted to grazing on algae. Surgeonfishes sometimes feed as solitary individuals, but they often travel and feed in schools. Feeding in schools may be a mechanism for overwhelming the highly aggressive defense responses of small territorial damselfishes that vigorously guard small patches of algae on coral reefs. Most species are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seahorse
A seahorse (also written ''sea-horse'' and ''sea horse'') is any of 46 species of small marine fish in the genus ''Hippocampus''. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek (), itself from () meaning "horse" and () meaning "sea monster" or "sea animal". Having a head and neck suggestive of a horse, seahorses also feature segmented bony armour, an upright posture and a curled prehensile tail. Along with the pipefishes and seadragons (''Phycodurus'' and ''Phyllopteryx'') they form the family Syngnathidae. Habitat Seahorses are mainly found in shallow tropical and temperate salt water throughout the world, from about 45°S to 45°N. They live in sheltered areas such as seagrass beds, estuaries, coral reefs, and mangroves. Four species are found in Pacific waters from North America to South America. In the Atlantic, ''Hippocampus erectus'' ranges from Nova Scotia to Uruguay. ''Hippocampus zosterae, H. zosterae'', known as the dwarf seahorse, is found in the Bahamas. Colonies hav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pseudochromis
''Pseudochromis'' is a genus of fish in the family Pseudochromidae found in Indian and Pacific Ocean. Species There are currently 71 recognized species in this genus: * '' Pseudochromis aldabraensis'' Bauchot-Boutin, 1958 (Orange dottyback) * '' Pseudochromis alticaudex'' A. C. Gill, 2004 (Spot-breast dottyback) * '' Pseudochromis ammeri'' A. C. Gill, G. R. Allen & Erdmann, 2012 (Raja Ampat dottyback) Gill, A.C., Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M. (2012)Two new species of striped ''Pseudochromis'' from the Philippine Islands and Indonesia, with a redescription of ''P. colei'' (Perciformes: Pseudochromidae).''Zootaxa, 3165: 25–38.'' * '' Pseudochromis andamanensis'' Lubbock, 1980 (Andaman dottyback) * '' Pseudochromis aureolineatus'' A. C. Gill, 2004 (Gold-lined dottyback) * '' Pseudochromis aurulentus'' A. C. Gill & J. E. Randall, 1998 (Yellow-lip dottyback) * '' Pseudochromis bitaeniatus'' ( Fowler, 1931) (Double-striped dottyback) * '' Pseudochromis caudalis'' Boulenger, 1898 ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pipefish
Pipefishes or pipe-fishes (Syngnathinae) are a subfamily of small fishes, which, together with the seahorses and seadragons (''Phycodurus'' and ''Phyllopteryx''), form the family Syngnathidae. Description Pipefish look like straight-bodied seahorses with tiny mouths. The name is derived from the peculiar form of the snout, which is like a long tube, ending in a narrow and small mouth which opens upwards and is toothless. The body and tail are long, thin, and snake-like. They each have a highly modified skeleton formed into armored plating. This dermal skeleton has several longitudinal ridges, so a vertical section through the body looks angular, not round or oval as in the majority of other fishes. A dorsal fin is always present, and is the principal (in some species, the only) organ of locomotion. The ventral fins are consistently absent, and the other fins may or may not be developed. The gill openings are extremely small and placed near the upper posterior angle of the gill ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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