Species Profiles
2458 articles- Slender Lionhead (Steatocranus tinanti) Care GuideSteatocranus tinanti is a slender, elongated rheophilic cichlid from the Congo rapids, a bottom-dwelling cave spawner needing strong, oxygen
- Buffalohead Cichlid (Steatocranus casuarius) Care GuideSteatocranus casuarius is a rheophilic Congo rapids cichlid with a nuchal hump in adult males, a bottom-dwelling cave spawner needing strong
- Star-Spangled Jewel (Hemichromis stellifer) Care GuideHemichromis stellifer is a small Congo-basin jewel cichlid with a red body and iridescent blue spotting, a pair-bonding substrate brooder.
- Sea Mat Zoa (Zoanthus sociatus) Care GuideZoanthus sociatus is a hardy encrusting zoanthid forming dense, colourful polyp mats, popular but a producer of toxic palytoxin.
- Organ Pipe Coral (Tubipora musica) Care GuideTubipora musica, the organ pipe coral, is an octocoral with a red calcareous tube skeleton and green polyps, near threatened in the wild.
- Knopia (Knopia octocontacanalis) Care GuideKnopia octocontacanalis, the jasmine or daisy polyp, is a compact Indo-Pacific octocoral forming dense mats of feathery polyps.
- Glove Polyps (Clavularia sp.) Care GuideClavularia, the clove or glove polyps, is an encrusting octocoral whose stolon-linked polyps form a colourful mat in reef tanks.
- Daisy Polyps (Pachyclavularia violacea) Care GuidePachyclavularia violacea, sold as daisy polyps, is a fast-spreading encrusting octocoral now treated as a synonym of Briareum violaceum.
- Green Star Polyps (Briareum violaceum) Care GuideBriareum violaceum, known as green star polyps or GSP, is a hardy encrusting octocoral with fluorescing star-shaped polyps.
- Sympodium (Sympodium brasiliensis) Care GuideSympodium is an encrusting Xeniidae soft coral with star-shaped neon polyps, photosynthetic and beginner-friendly in reef tanks.
- Octopus mercatoris (Pygmy Octopus) Care GuideOctopus mercatoris is a small nocturnal Caribbean octopus kept by advanced aquarists, with a short lifespan and demanding husbandry.
- Tridacna gigas (Giant Clam) Care GuideTridacna gigas is the largest living bivalve, an Indo-Pacific reef giant suited only to public aquariums and protected by CITES.
- Tridacna squamosa (Squamosa Clam) Care GuideTridacna squamosa is a giant clam recognised by its prominent shell scutes, hardy among Tridacna and relying on zooxanthellae.
- Tridacna maxima (Maxima Clam) Care GuideTridacna maxima is the small giant clam, the widest-ranging Tridacna species, with a vivid mantle that depends on intense light.
- Tridacna derasa (Derasa Clam) Care GuideTridacna derasa is a large smooth-shelled giant clam from the Indo-Pacific, hosting zooxanthellae and tolerant of more moderate light.
- Tridacna crocea (Crocea Clam) Care GuideTridacna crocea is the smallest giant clam, a boring Indo-Pacific bivalve with a vivid mantle that depends on intense reef lighting.
- Eunice aphroditois (Bobbit Worm) Care GuideEunice aphroditois is a large predatory polychaete and a notorious live-rock hitchhiker that ambushes prey from a sediment burrow.
- Bispira brunnea (Social Feather Duster) Care GuideBispira brunnea is a Caribbean cluster-forming sabellid feather duster that filters plankton through a crown of banded radioles.
- Myriophyllum tuberculatum 'Red' Care GuideMyriophyllum tuberculatum 'Red' is a feathery Asian watermilfoil (Haloragaceae) that develops red-to-rust tones under bright light; a demand
- Lobelia cardinalis 'Mini' Compact Care GuideLobelia cardinalis 'Mini' Compact is an extra-compact selection of the American cardinal flower (Campanulaceae), suited to nano foreground a
- Alternanthera reineckii 'Pink' Care GuideAlternanthera reineckii 'Pink' is a compact pink-leaved cultivar of a South American Amaranthaceae stem plant, a reliable colour accent unde
- Persicaria odorata Care GuidePersicaria odorata (Vietnamese coriander, Polygonaceae) is an aromatic Southeast Asian herb used emersed in paludariums; submerged growth sh
- Persicaria amphibia Care GuidePersicaria amphibia (water knotweed, Polygonaceae) is an amphibious Holarctic herb with floating leaves and pink flower spikes, tolerating c
- Bacopa lanigera Care GuideBacopa lanigera is a Brazilian water hyssop (Plantaginaceae) with soft light-green leaves and a woolly hairy emersed stem; a more demanding
- Hygrophila odora Care GuideHygrophila odora is a West African stem plant (Acanthaceae) with aromatic emersed foliage and fine, fern-like submerged leaves; a moderately
- Hygrophila lacustris Care GuideHygrophila lacustris (a synonym of Hygrophila costata, Acanthaceae) is a Neotropical stem plant with pale green leaves tolerating a wide ran
- Hygrophila polysperma 'Sunset Red' Care GuideHygrophila polysperma 'Sunset Red' is a colourful selection of an Asian Acanthaceae stem plant with pink-red shoots; vigorous but a US Feder
- Limnophila polysperma 'Red' Care GuideLimnophila polysperma 'Red' is a red-toned Asian stem plant (Plantaginaceae), an easy, fast-growing selection often confused with Hygrophila
- Limnophila heterophylla Care GuideLimnophila heterophylla is an Asian stem plant (Plantaginaceae) with finely divided whorled leaves that forms lush green feathery groups in
- Limnophila sessiliflora 'Mini' Care GuideLimnophila sessiliflora 'Mini' is a compact cultivar of the Asian Ambulia (Plantaginaceae) with fine whorled leaves, suited as a feathery mi
- Ludwigia natans Care GuideLudwigia natans, a trade name for Ludwigia repens (Onagraceae), is an easy-care stem plant with green-and-red leaves tolerating a wide range
- Ludwigia atropurpurea Care GuideLudwigia atropurpurea is a South American stem plant of the family Onagraceae, grown for dark purple-red foliage under bright light with CO2
- Ludwigia peruensis Care GuideLudwigia peruensis is a South American stem plant of the family Onagraceae, valued in aquaria for red foliage that intensifies under strong
- Carnation Tree Coral (Nephthea erecta) Care GuideNephthea erecta is a photosynthetic tree soft coral of the family Nephtheidae with feathery polyps, easier than non-photosynthetic Dendronep
- Aussie Pink Tree Coral (Stereonephthya cundabiluensis) Care GuideStereonephthya cundabiluensis is a bright pink Australian tree soft coral of the family Nephtheidae; photosynthetic but benefiting from heav
- Litophyton Tree Coral (Litophyton fungicum) Care GuideLitophyton is a photosynthetic tree soft coral of the family Nephtheidae with bushy growth, easier to keep than its non-photosynthetic relat
- Spicata Capnella (Capnella spicata) Care GuideCapnella spicata is a hardy tree-shaped soft coral of the family Nephtheidae with thick branches, photosynthetic and easy to propagate.
- Kenya Tree Coral (Capnella imbricata) Care GuideCapnella imbricata is a hardy tree-shaped soft coral of the family Nephtheidae, photosynthetic and easy to propagate from dropped branches.
- Flexibilis Anthelia (Anthelia flexibilis) Care GuideAnthelia flexibilis is a hardy encrusting Xeniidae soft coral with long flexible polyp stalks that sway in flow, photosynthetic and beginner
- Waving Hand Anthelia (Anthelia glauca) Care GuideAnthelia glauca is a hardy encrusting soft coral of the family Xeniidae with permanently extended pulsing polyps, suited to beginner reefs.
- Cluster Duster (Bispira variegata) Care GuideBispira variegata is a small Caribbean sabellid worm that forms dense clusters of banded radiole crowns and filters plankton.
- Christmas Tree Worm (Spirobranchus giganteus) Care GuideSpirobranchus giganteus is a small serpulid worm with two spiral radiole crowns that embeds its tube in living coral and filter feeds.
- Giant Feather Duster (Sabellastarte indica) Care GuideSabellastarte indica is an Indo-Pacific sabellid feather duster that builds a sediment tube and filters plankton from the water.
- Magnificent Feather Duster (Sabellastarte magnifica) Care GuideSabellastarte magnifica is a large Caribbean sabellid tube worm with a showy radiole crown that filters fine organic particles.
- Hawaiian Feather Duster (Sabellastarte spectabilis) Care GuideSabellastarte spectabilis is a filter-feeding sabellid tube worm with a feathery radiole crown, peaceful and reef-safe.
- Tiger Tail Sea Cucumber (Holothuria impatiens) Care GuideHolothuria impatiens is a slim, banded, nocturnal deposit-feeding sea cucumber that cleans sand and rubble in reef aquariums.
- Sea Apple (Pseudocolochirus violaceus) Care GuidePseudocolochirus violaceus is a colourful filter-feeding sea cucumber that can release lethal holothurin toxin, suited only to experienced k
- Pinkfish Sea Cucumber (Holothuria edulis) Care GuideHolothuria edulis is an Indo-Pacific detritivorous sea cucumber that processes seabed sand, suited to mature reef aquariums.
- Ludwigia helminthorrhiza Care GuideLudwigia helminthorrhiza is a floating aquatic plant of the Onagraceae family from tropical America, with white spongy floating rootlets and
- Ludwigia ovalis 'Sumatra' Care GuideLudwigia ovalis 'Sumatra' is an East Asian stem plant (Onagraceae) with rounded leaves that turn pink-orange under strong light; CO2 is opti