ACANTHURIDAE Acanthurus sohal The sohal tang is one of the most beautiful of the Acanthurids. It can accept artificial vegetable food, but it prefers to feed on brine shrimps and ground mussels. Its territorial behavior sometimes makes it aggressive. Size: 25 cm. Naso brevirostris Young longnose unicorn fish do not have a horn. A related […]
ZANCLIDAE SIGANIDAE These are distinguished by spiny spokes which secrete a venomous substance. A prick is painful for an aquarist, although not as much as one caused by a lionfish (but it is still advisable to consult a doctor). These small-mouthed fish are herbivorous. Siganus Several of these species are commercially available. The peaceful rabbitfish […]
LABRIDAE Gomphosus coeruleus The birdmouth wrasse can live in couples, but two males will not tolerate each other. it is easy to keep and its feeding poses no special problems. The adult male is greenblue, the female brown-purple. Size: 30 cm male), 20 cm (female). Labroides dimidiatus This wrasse is “cleaning” an Acanthurus […]
POMACENTRIDAE DAMSELS Damsels are pretty fish that are easy to raise, and some live in association with anemones. They adapt well to captivity and often accept artificial food (though live prey, mussels, and ground shrimps are clear favorites); they lay eggs quite easily. With these characteristics in mind, and not forgetting their modest price, damsels […]
POMACANTHIDAE Genicanthus caudovittatus The Japanese swallow can be distinguished from the G. lamarck by its vertical stripes. Shy, but often on the move, it eats the same as the G. lamarck: prey small enough to fit into its mouth. Size: 20 cm. Apolemichthys trimaculatus The spine characterizing this family is blue, as is […]
Holacanthus tricolor The black patch on the juveniles of the rock beauty angelfish enlarges as they grow, until, by the time they are adults, it covers their entire body. Famous for being difficult to acclimatize, they feed on algae, brine shrimps, and small pieces of fish. Size: 15 cm. Holacanthus ciliaris Even the […]
The Pomacanthids are reef-dwelling fish, although they can also be found in the rocky coastal areas where algae grow. They can sometimes be difficult to feed in captivity, although younger fish adapt more easily to the food offered by aquarists. The Pomacanthids include both angelfish and dwarf angelfish. Angelfish Angelfish can be distinguished from butterfly […]
CHAETODONTIDAE Chaetodon vagabundus The color of the young vagabond butterfly fish differs from that of adults. This species is not given to shyness and is easy to feed, with live prey and vegetable supplements. Its acclimatization is relatively smooth. Size: 1 5 cm. Chaetodon striatus The banded butterfly fish, like the C. capistratus […]
Chaetodon lunula Easy to acclimatize, the raccoon butterfly fish accepts food of animal origin backed up with vegetable material. The black patches on the young (dorsal area and rear) get bigger in adults once they have reached 7 or 8 cm. Size: 20 cm. Chaetodon meyeri Rarely found in the aquarium trade, Meyer’s […]
The blood red snapper has a good appetite and appreciates small fish. The juveniles have a dark band running from the eye to the base of the dorsal fin, but this is not very evident in adults. Size: 30-35 cm. Ocyurus chrysurus The yellowtail snapper is native to the tropical Atlantic. This strong […]