I recently wrote a post about the options available to hobbyists who have unwittingly purchased a tankbuster fish. The subject of today’s post—the oriental sweetlips (Plectorhinchus vittatus)—could very well serve as the “poster fish” for that situation if it weren’t…
The Sturdy but Shy Marine Betta
With its dark-brown body covered with a myriad of tiny white to pale-blue dots, the marine betta, a.k.a comet (Calloplesiops altivelis) is truly a dazzling sight to behold. Start out with a healthy specimen, and you’ll find it’s also a…
Seeing Red: The Colorful, Cantankerous Maroon Clownfish
Many of the clownfishes have a well-deserved reputation for feistiness. But there’s one clown that makes all the others seem like milquetoasts by comparison—the maroon clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus) from the Indo-West Pacific. Though it’s among the hardier and more strikingly…
X. auromarginatus: A Well-Mannered, Reef-Friendly Triggerfish
As I alluded in an earlier post about the Niger triggerfish (Odonus niger), triggers in general aren’t usually among the first species that come to mind when one is seeking an aquarium specimen with a peaceful disposition. Certainly as far…
The Psychedelic Sixline Wrasse
Whenever I’m asked to recommend a hardier, similarly sized, and equally attractive alternative to the green mandarinfish, the first species that usually pops into my mind is the sixline wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia). If you can acquire a healthy specimen, you’ll…
Why You Should Never, Ever Release Marine Aquarium Livestock into the Wild
In a perfect world, every fish, invertebrate, or alga introduced to a marine aquarium would be allowed to live out its entire lifespan there. But as we all know, there are many contingencies that can make it necessary for hobbyists…
The Sally Lightfoot Crab: A Real Character of a Crustacean
Sharing the surname of a famous Canadian folk singer, of whom I’ve been an ardent fan for many, many years (once again confirming that my profound nerdiness knows no bounds), the Sally Lightfoot crab, a.k.a. the nimble spray crab, of…
Yellowheaded Sleeper Goby: A Fascinating but Challenging Sand-Sifter
Though not the most chromatically gifted species, the yellowheaded sleeper goby (Valenciennea strigata), is interesting to observe and can serve a utilitarian purpose in marine aquaria—regularly overturning and oxygenating the top layer of the substrate with its sand-sifting feeding behavior.…
Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish: One of the Best Aquarium Butterflies
The butterflyfishes tend to be a touchy lot when it comes to aquarium keeping. Many have highly specialized diets that are difficult—if not impossible—to satisfy in aquariums. Several are obligate corallivores, which means they eat nothing but coral polyps, making…
