I’ve long been a fan of the hawkfishes, and many a specimen has graced my various tanks over the years—most often the readily available and affordable (for me) Falco’s hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys falco). But another hawk that I’ve always found particularly…
Go Ahead and Buy a (Captive-Bred) Banggai Cardinalfish!
Being fascinating to behold, very hardy and adaptable to aquarium fare, an exceptional choice for reef systems, suitable for modest-sized aquariums, and even easy to breed in captivity, the Banggai, or Kaudern’s, cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) is a lot like Mary…
The Saddled Toby: Puffer Personality in a Small Package
Sometimes good things come in small packages. Such is the case with Canthigaster valentini, better known as the saddled toby, black-saddled toby, or Valentin’s toby (you may also see “sharpnose puffer” substituted for “toby” in various sources). Reaching only about…
Tomato Clownfish: A Stunning Beginner Fish Ripe for the Picking
Lately it seems many of the species profiles I’ve written have been on fish that either grow too large for the average home aquarium or are otherwise poor choices for aquarium keeping for one reason or another. By now, some…
The Sohal Tang: A Big, Belligerent Beauty
The sohal tang (Acanthurus sohal) is one of many fish species available in the marine aquarium trade that should come with a warning label. It’s a gorgeous fish and generally very hardy, which is a plus, but anyone contemplating purchasing…
Chaetodon kleinii: An Excellent Beginner’s Butterflyfish
The word “beginner” and “butterflyfish” aren’t often paired together, as so many of the butterflyfishes seem to present some manner of husbandry challenge, often related to diet. Still, certain butterflies have a well-deserved reputation for hardiness and general ease of…
Oriental Sweetlips: So Pretty but Seldom Suitable for Marine Systems
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…
Stenopus hispidus: A Look at a Popular Boxer Shrimp
Among the various ornamental crustaceans available in the marine aquarium trade, one of the most popular and easiest to obtain is Stenopus hispidus, the banded coral shrimp, also known by the common names coral banded shrimp, banded boxer shrimp, barber…
Picasso Triggerfish: A Marine Aquarium Masterpiece
Certain fishes available in the marine aquarium trade are truly bizarre in their coloration and patterning. Ranked high among them when it comes to both exotic appearance and aquarium adaptability is Rhinecanthus aculeatus, better known as the Picasso triggerfish or…
Humbug Damsel: Prepping for the Hunt
There’s a reason I chose to spotlight Dascyllus aruanus, the humbug or three-striped damselfish, in this profile. “Caribbean” Chris and I will soon be matching wits with four representatives of this species that have laid claim to a large marine…