Search Species
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Found 61 species
Broadbarred firefish
Pterois antennata
This is the lionfish with the long "antennae" (those banded tentacles above the eyes) and the ragged, spotty fins that make it look extra dramatic under reef lighting. It'll spend the day tucked under ledges and then cruise out at dusk to ambush shrimp, crabs, and any small fish it can fit in its mouth-also worth remembering it's venomous, so you treat it with respect when you're in the tank.
Chinese zebra goby
Ptereleotris zebra
Ptereleotris zebra is one of those slick, torpedo-shaped dartfish that likes to hover in the water column, then instantly zip back into a bolt-hole when it gets spooked. In the wild it hangs out on exposed seaward reefs in groups, often in current, and in a tank the big thing is giving it open swim room plus tight cover because it is absolutely a jumper.
Comet
Calloplesiops altivelis
This is the famous "Marine Betta" look-alike: jet-dark with those starry spots, and that wild fake eye near the back that makes predators bite the wrong end. It's a super shy cave-dweller by day and then turns into a sneaky night hunter, cruising out for crustaceans and small fish.
Common fusegoby
Fusigobius neophytus
A tiny sand-perching goby from Indo-Pacific reefs, it spends its days sitting on rubble or sand patches and making quick dashes for tiny prey. The body is semi-translucent with fine speckling and a small black spot on the first dorsal, and it usually shows up alone or in small loose groups.
Coral Beauty Angelfish
Centropyge bispinosa
Coral Beauty is that classic little dwarf angel with the purple-blue body and orange striping that looks different from fish to fish. It spends a lot of the day weaving through rockwork and picking at algae and other bits, so a tank with mature live rock really brings out its best behavior. It can be a little bossy (especially with other dwarf angels) and some individuals will nip corals, so it is reef-safe with caution.
Diamond Watchman Goby
Valenciennea puellaris
This is that sand-sifting goby you'll see cruising the bottom, taking huge mouthfuls of sand and spitting it out like a little construction crew. It's awesome for keeping a sandy substrate looking clean, but it'll also redecorate-so anything sitting on the sand is gonna get buried or undermined sooner or later. Super cool personality too, especially once it picks a favorite burrow and starts "working" all day.
Dwarf goatfish
Upeneus parvus
A bottom-cruiser from the western Atlantic, it uses a pair of chin barbels like little metal detectors to find worms, shrimps, and tiny crabs in sandy bottoms. Adults show a reddish-pink body with fine yellow lines and dark bars in the tail and kick up neat little sand clouds while foraging. It grows larger than many expect, so it really suits big marine systems.
Exquisite wrasse
Cirrhilabrus exquisitus
This is one of those fairy wrasses that looks like it was painted with highlighters - males can shift through greens, reds, blues, and purples depending on mood and whether they are showing off. In a reef tank its usually out and cruising the water column, grabbing tiny meaty foods, and doing little display flare-ups at its own reflection or other wrasses. Biggest real-world gotcha is they are jumpers, so a tight lid or mesh top is basically mandatory.
Finspot wrasse
Xenojulis margaritacea
This is a small Western Pacific wrasse that cruises shallow weedy and rubble zones, then dives into sand to sleep. Males get a burgundy body with green head striping and little spots on the fins, and it spends the day picking tiny invertebrates off macroalgae. In a tank it appreciates a deep sand bed and a tight lid.
Firefish (Fire Goby / Fire Dartfish)
Nemateleotris magnifica
This is that little "hover-and-dart" reef fish with the yellow face and the white-to-red fade that looks like it was airbrushed on. It'll pick a bolt-hole in the rockwork, hang in the water column facing the current, and do that cute little flag-flick with the tall first dorsal fin when it's feeling bold.
Flaming Prawn Goby
Discordipinna griessingeri
This tiny reef goby flashes long orange fins as it shuffles between rock crevices, so you usually spot it in quick cameos. At barely 3 cm long, its crisp white-and-orange striping and spiky fin displays look wild for such a small fish.
Foxface Rabbitfish
Siganus vulpinus
Siganus vulpinus is that bright yellow "fox-masked" rabbitfish you see cruising around picking at algae all day. It's generally chill with other fish, but it can get a little bossy with similar-shaped grazers-and those dorsal spines are venomous, so nets and hands need to be treated with respect.