Algae eater or algivore is a

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

for any bottom-dwelling or filter-feeding

aquatic animal An aquatic animal is any animal, whether invertebrate or vertebrate, that lives in water for most or all of its lifetime. Many insects such as mosquitoes, mayflies, dragonflies and caddisflies have aquatic larvae, with winged adults. Aquatic ...

species that specialize in feeding on

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular micr ...

and

phytoplankton Phytoplankton () are the autotrophic (self-feeding) components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater ecosystems. The name comes from the Greek words (), meaning 'plant', and (), meaning 'wanderer' or 'drifter'. ...

s. Algae eaters are important for the fishkeeping hobby and many are commonly kept by

aquarium An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...

hobbyists to improve

water quality Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, generally achieved through tr ...

. They are also important

primary consumer A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpart ...

s that relay the

biomass Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms bio ...

and

energy In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of ...

from

photosynthetic Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored in ...

autotroph An autotroph or primary producer is an organism that produces complex organic compounds (such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) using carbon from simple substances such as carbon dioxide,Morris, J. et al. (2019). "Biology: How Life Wo ...

es up into the food web, as well as protecting the aquatic ecosystem against algae blooms.

Freshwater

Pterygoplichthys joselimaianus albino ventral L-001 c

Fish

Some of the common and most popular freshwater aquarium algae eaters include: * Many loricariid

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sou ...

, such as genera '' Otocinclus'', '' Ancistrus'', and '' Plecostomus'', constantly graze algae and

biofilm A biofilm comprises any syntrophic consortium of microorganisms in which cells stick to each other and often also to a surface. These adherent cells become embedded within a slimy extracellular matrix that is composed of extracellular po ...

, although many species of "plecos", which attain an adult length of over 10 inches, eat much less frequently as they near adulthood. * The Siamese algae eater (''Crossocheilus oblongus'') is a more gregarious and tolerant

cyprinid Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest ...

that ranges up to . It is one of the only fish that will graze on " black brush algae" (freshwater ''Rhodophyta'', or red algae), but even so will eat anything else in preference. * Fishes of the genus '' Gyrinocheilus'', family '' Gyrinocheilidae''. There are three species in this genus with the Chinese algae eater, ''

Gyrinocheilus aymonieri ''Gyrinocheilus aymonieri'' is a freshwater fish native to large parts of Southeast Asia. It is of interest as a local food source and for the aquarium trade. Its common names include honey sucker, sucking loach and Chinese algae eater. ''G. ...

'', the most common. Small specimens make good

community fish Community aquaria are tanks that are designed to contain more than one species of fish. Most commonly they include a variety of species that do not normally occur together in nature, for example angelfish from Brazil, swordtails from Mexico, and ...

but may become territorial when older. *American-flag fish, '' Jordanella floridae'', are also dependable algae-eating fish. They are one of the only fish to graze on black brush algae, as with the siamese algae eater, and will also indiscriminately graze on other algae such as

diatom A diatom ( Neo-Latin ''diatoma''), "a cutting through, a severance", from el, διάτομος, diátomos, "cut in half, divided equally" from el, διατέμνω, diatémno, "to cut in twain". is any member of a large group comprising se ...

s and hair algae. However, like all pupfish, they can be nippy to fish smaller or slower than them. Males can also be territorial. Common freshwater algivorous fish: * Loricariid ** '' Otocinclus'' ** '' Ancistrus'' ** '' Plecostomus'' *

Cyprinid Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest ...

** Siamese algae eater (''Crossocheilus oblongus'') ** Chinese algae eater (''Gyrinocheilus aymonieri'') ** Japanese white crucian carp (''Carassius cuvieri'') ** Silver carp (''Hypophthalmichthys molitrix'') ** Bighead carp (''Hypophthalmichthys nobilis'') ** Grass carp ''(Ctenopharyngodon idellus'')

Shrimp

Some freshwater

shrimp Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are ref ...

are also excellent algae eaters: * Almost all of them belong to the family Atyidae (the only family in the superfamily Atyoidea) including many genera :* ''

Caridina ''Caridina'' is a genus of freshwater atyid shrimp. They are widely found in tropical or subtropical water in Asia, Oceania and Africa. They are filter-feeders and omnivorous scavengers. They range from 0.9–9.8 mm ('' C. cantonensis'') to 1. ...

'': '' red rhinoceros shrimp'', '' bee shrimp'', etc... One shrimp well known for its ability to clean an aquarium is the ''

Amano Shrimp ''Caridina multidentata'' is a species of shrimp in the family Atyidae. It is native to Japan and Taiwan.De Grave, S., Shy, J. & Cai, X. 2013''Caridina multidentata''.The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013. Downloaded on 14 June 2016. I ...

''. :* '' Neocaridina'': '' Neocaridina davidi'' (cherry shrimp), '' Neocaridina palmata'', etc. * Some of them belong to the genus ''

Palaemonetes ''Palaemonetes'', its common names include glass shrimp, ghost shrimp, feeder shrimp, is a genus of caridean shrimp comprising a geographically diverse group of fresh water, brackish and marine crustaceans. Conventionally, ''Palaemonetes'' in ...

'' (grass shrimp)

Snails

Most species of

freshwater snail Freshwater snails are gastropod mollusks which live in fresh water. There are many different families. They are found throughout the world in various habitats, ranging from ephemeral pools to the largest lakes, and from small seeps and springs ...

s, discounting most adult specimens of species belonging to the family '' Ampullariidae'', which primarily subsist on aquatic plants as adults. * Bellamyinae * Lioplacinae * Viviparinae

Saltwater

Some of the known types of fish to eat algae are blennies and tangs, but along with fish there are snails, crabs, and sea urchins who also eat algae. These species are known to eat red slime algae, green film algae, hair algae,

diatoms A diatom (Neo-Latin ''diatoma''), "a cutting through, a severance", from el, διάτομος, diátomos, "cut in half, divided equally" from el, διατέμνω, diatémno, "to cut in twain". is any member of a large group comprising sev ...

cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria (), also known as Cyanophyta, are a phylum of gram-negative bacteria that obtain energy via photosynthesis. The name ''cyanobacteria'' refers to their color (), which similarly forms the basis of cyanobacteria's common name, bl ...

, brown film algae,

detritus In biology, detritus () is dead particulate organic material, as distinguished from dissolved organic material. Detritus typically includes the bodies or fragments of bodies of dead organisms, and fecal material. Detritus typically hosts comm ...

, and

microalgae Microalgae or microphytes are microscopic algae invisible to the naked eye. They are phytoplankton typically found in freshwater and marine systems, living in both the water column and sediment. They are unicellular species which exist indiv ...

Fish

There are several saltwater fish species that eat algae. Two of the major algae eaters are blennies and tangs. These fish eat red slime algae, green film algae, and hair algae. Some of the known species are as follows: Blennies: GRNMS Yellow Seaweed Blenny (48937514352)

GRNMS Yellow Seaweed Blenny (48937514352)

* Leopard Blenny * High Fin Blenny * Linear Blenny * One Spot Blenny * Sailfin Blenny * Segmented Sail Fin Blenny * Starry Blenny * Tail Spot Blenny * Two Spot Benny *

Seaweed Blenny The seaweed blenny (''Parablennius marmoreus'') is a species of combtooth blenny found in coral reefs in the western Atlantic Ocean along the coasts of New York, Bermuda, the Bahamas, also in the Gulf of Mexico, south to southern Brazil. This ...

Tangs:

Pacific Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) (3149754704)

Regal Blue Tang ''Paracanthurus hepatus'' is a species of Indo-Pacific surgeonfish. A popular fish in marine aquaria, it is the only member of the genus ''Paracanthurus''. A number of common names are attributed to the species, including regal tang, palette s ...

* Blonde Naso Tang * Red Sea Sailfin Tang * Purple Tang * Cheveron Tang * Convict Tang * Kole Tang * Goldrim Tang * Orangebar Tang * Powder Blue Tang * Yellow Tang Ciliopagurus strigatus cropped highlight legs

Ciliopagurus strigatus cropped highlight legs

Crabs

Hermit crabs and other species of crabs eat algae. Crabs eat green algae, film algae, red slime algae, diatoms, cyanobacteria, and microalgae. Some of the known species are: Hermit Crabs: * Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab * Dwarf Red Tip Hermit Crab * Electric Blue Hermit Crab * Halloween Hermit Crab * Hawaiian Zebra Hermit Crab * Anemone Carrying Hermit Crab Other Species: * Arrow Crab * Spotted Porcelain Crab * Decorator Spider Crabs

Sea urchin Sea urchins () are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin live on the seabed of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone from the intertidal seashore down to . The spherical, hard shells (tests) o ...
s

All species of sea urchin eat algae. They eat all sizes of algae, from something as small as

macroalgae Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of '' Rhodophyta'' (red), ''Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...

to something as large as kelp, and have been known to eat

Coralline algae Coralline algae are red algae in the order Corallinales. They are characterized by a thallus that is hard because of calcareous deposits contained within the cell walls. The colors of these algae are most typically pink, or some other shade of re ...

. In cooler waters, sea urchins have even been known to eat enough to control the size and compositions of kelp forests. Sea urchins act as scavengers and will also eat dead algae that they find. Some sea urchins, such as the variegated sea urchin or the

red sea urchin The red sea urchin (''Mesocentrotus franciscanus'') is a sea urchin found in the northeastern Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Baja California. It lives in shallow waters from the low-tide line to greater than deep, and is typically found on rocky ...

, have become popular as pets for home aquariums because of their ability to proficiently eat algae.

Snails

Snails are known for eating hair algae, cyanobacteria, diatoms, green film algae, brown film algae, and detritus. * Chestnut Cowrie Snail * Zebra Turbo Snail * Trochus Snails * Mexican Turbo Snail * Conch Snail * Cerith Snail * Orange Spot Butterscotch Nassarius Snail * Lager Super Longan Nassarius * Tropical balone * Bumblebee Snails

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Algae Eater *

Freshwater

Fish

Shrimp

Snails

Saltwater

Fish

Crabs

Sea urchin Sea urchins () are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin live on the seabed of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone from the intertidal seashore down to . The spherical, hard shells (tests) o ...s

Snails

References

Sea urchin Sea urchins () are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin live on the seabed of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone from the intertidal seashore down to . The spherical, hard shells (tests) o ...
s