Madagascar Butterflyfish (Chaetodon madagaskariensis) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Seychelles Butterflyfish, Madagascar Pearlscale Butterfly Fish, or Indian Ocean Chevron Butterflyfish is found in the Indian Ocean from eastern Africa, to as far south as Port Elizabeth in South Africa; east to the Australian territories of Christmas Island and Cocos Keeling Islands, and […]

Read the full story

Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Beaked Butterflyfish, Beaked Coralfish, or Orange Stripe Butterfly are found in the Western Pacific from Andaman Sea to the Ryukyu Islands, and Australia. Copperband Butterflyfish are usually encountered as single fish or in pairs in estuaries, silty inner reefs, and rocky shorelines of […]

Read the full story

Mertensii Butterflyfish (Chaetodon mertensii) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Chaetodon mertensii, the Atoll Butterflyfish, Yellowback Butterflyfish, Orangetail Butterflyfish, Crowned Pearlyscale Butterflyfish, Merten’s coralfish. and Merten’s Butterflyfish is found in the western Pacific Ocean, East Indian Ocean, West Indian Ocean, Australia, The Red Sea, and Indonesia. The Mertensii Butterflyfish was first discovered in the […]

Read the full story

Pearlscale Butterflyfish (Chaetodon xanthurus) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Yellow Tailed Butterflyfish, Crosshatch Butterflyfish or Philippines Chevron Butterflyfish is central Indo-Pacific region from Indonesia and the Philippines north to the Ryukyu Islands. Pearlscale Butterflyfish can be encountered alone, in pairs, and in small groups along drop offs in the clear, coastal outer reef […]

Read the full story

Golden Semilarvatus Butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus) is known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts by a variety of names including; Bluecheek Butterflyfish, Addis Butterflyfish, Masked Butterflyfish, Blue Cheeked Butterflyfish, Bluemask Butterflyfish, Coralfish, Golden Butterflyfish, Golden Masked Butterflyfish, Red-lined Butterflyfish, Red Sea Butterflyfish, Red Sea Golden Butterflyfish, Semilarvatus Butterfly, and Yellow Butterflyfish. Found in the Northwestern Indian Ocean, […]

Read the full story

Wrought Iron Butterflyfish (Chaetodon daedalmahe) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Black Silk Butterflyfish are found in the Northwest Pacific Ocean around central and southern Japan, primarily around the main islands of Japan south of Sagami Bay; notably Ryukyu, Bonin, and the Ogasawara and Izu Islands, where they are endemic. Wrought Iron Butterflyfish are […]

Read the full story

Black Triggerfish (Melichthys niger) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Hawaiian Black Trigger, Black Durgon, Black Finned Triggerfish, or in Hawaiian, Humuhumu’ele’ele are found worldwide in Tropical Atlantic/Caribbean, Tropical Eastern Pacific, and Tropical Indo Pacific waters. Its range extends from Hawaii, up through Polynesia, westward to the East Indies and across the Indian Ocean. […]

Read the full story

Indian Trigger (Melichthys indicus) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Black Finned Triggerfish or Indian Black Triggerfish are found throughout the Indian Ocean.   Its range extends from the Red Sea and East Africa, eastward to western Thailand and Sumatra, Indonesia, and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Indian triggerfish have never been found near […]

Read the full story

Sohal Tang (Acanthurus sohal) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Arabian Tang, Sohal surgeonfish, Zebra Surgeon, Majestic Tang, Majestic Surgeon, Zebra tang, or Red Sea Clown Surgeon is found in the northwestern Indian Ocean where its range extends to the Red Sea, east along the coast of the Arabian Peninsula, to the Persian Gulf. […]

Read the full story

Crosshatch Triggerfish (Xanthichthys mento) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Blue Cheekline Trigger, Redtail Triggerfish, or (erroneusly) the Blue Throat Triggerfish is found throughout tropical and sub-tropical Eastern and Western Pacific Oceans. Its range extends from southern Japan, Hawaiian Islands, Clipperton Island, Revillagigedo Islands, to southern California, Easter Island, and Pitcairn Islands. Crosshatch […]

Read the full story

Rectangle Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus rectangulus) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Reef Triggerfish, Patchy Triggerfish, Rectangular Triggerfish, Wedge Picassofish, Wedge Tailed Trigger, or V-line Humuhumunukunukuapuaa, is found throughout the Indo West and Central Pacafic, and is the state fish of Hawaii. The Humu Rectangle Triggerfish range extends from the Red Sea south to East […]

Read the full story

Blue Throat Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Blue Jaw Triggerfish, Gilded Triggerfish or Blue Chin Triggerfish are found throughout the Indo-Pacific, East Africa to Hawaii. Their range extends in the Indo Pacific from the Mauritius eastward through northern Australia to the Hawaiian and Society islands, north to southern Japan. Blue Throat Triggerfish […]

Read the full story

Pinktail Triggerfish (Melichthys vidua) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Red-Tailed Triggerfish are found throughout Indo Pacific waters. Their range extends from East Africa eastward through the entire length of the Great Barrier Reef in northwestern to central Australia, to the Hawaiian and Tuamotu islands westward through Polynesia, Micronesia, the Philippines, and the East […]

Read the full story

Niger Triggerfish (Odonus niger) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Black Triggerfish, Red Tooth Triggerfish, Blue Triggerfish, Redfang Triggerfish, and Redtoothed Filefish are found throughout Indo-Pacific waters and the Red Sea. Their range extends from the east coast of Africa to the Marquesas and Society islands, as far north as Japan, and as far […]

Read the full story

Sargassum Triggerfish (Xanthichthys ringens) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Red Tail Triggerfish which is also occasionally applied to the Crosshatch Triggerfish (Xanthichthys mento), is found in the Western Atlantic from South Carolina, through the Gulf of Mexico to Lesser Antilles and Brazil. Adult Sargassum Triggerfish are normally found alone or in small […]

Read the full story

Picasso Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Humuhumu Triggerfish (the official state fish of Hawaii), Blackbar Triggerfish, Lagoon Triggerfish, or Picassofish is found throughout the Indo-Pacific and ranges from East Africa eastward through northern Australia to the Hawaiian, Marquesas, and Tuamotu islands, north to southern Japan. Picasso Triggerfish are a shy, […]

Read the full story

Undulate Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Orangelined Triggerfish, Balistapus undulatus, Orangelined – Orangetailed Triggerfish, and Orange-Lined Triggerfish is a demersal species that occurs on coral reefs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-western Pacific. The Undulate Triggerfish‘s range extends from the coast of East Africa, the Red Sea, Japan, […]

Read the full story

The Bursa Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus verrucosus) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Black Patch Triggerfish or Blackbelly Triggerfish occurs on coral reefs throughout the Indo-West Pacific and in Hawaii. Its range extends from the Seychelles and Chagos Islands to south Japan, Vanuatu, and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.   In Australia it is recognized […]

Read the full story

The Tanganyikan Spiny Eel (Mastacembelus ellipsifer) is a nocturnal benthopelagic predator endemic to Lake Tanganyika in Africa.   Also collected in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia Mastacembelus ellipsifer are only one of the fifteen spiny eel species found in the Tanganyikan basin. Tanganyikan Spiny Eels are found in the intermediate zones around […]

Read the full story

Scopas Tang (Zebrasoma scopas) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Brush Tail Tang, Two Tone Tang, or Brown Tang is found throughout the Indo Pacific and ranges from the coasts of East Africa to Japan, the Pitcairn Islands, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, Lord Howe Island and Rapa Iti.   Although several Brown Tangs were […]

Read the full story