nutramar

There is some pirate lore about the black spot, and its usually bad news. So, it's funny that the really, truly gorgeous Black Spot Tang, should be so named for a tiny little dot that barely registers in how beautiful it is. The juvenile fish don't even have the spot, and they are somewhat...

Stonogobiops dracula is not a vampire, or a bloodsucker of any kind really. More commonly called Dracula Gobies, or Dracula Shrimp Gobies, these little fish get their name more from their coloration than anything else. In old films, Count Dracula often wore a tuxedo, and these colors are matched...

The Dalmatian Pufferfish is famous for its white or gray body covered with black spots—resembling a dalmatian dog. Intelligent, personable, and charismatic, these puffers are popular in the marine aquarium hobby but require large tanks and specialized care. The Dalmatian Pufferfish is a...

The Flying Gurnard is one of the ocean’s most fascinating showstoppers! With its armored body and spectacular wing-like fins, it spreads its “wings” like a living underwater dragon. They are a bottom-dwelling beauty full of personality. They thrive on being fed a variety of meaty foods from...

Everyone wants a Tang, Doctorfish, Surgeonfish or whatever you want to call them. We get it. They're gorgeous, lots of them are very hardy and appropriate for aquariums AAAND nearly all of them eat one kind of algae or another. That being said, for most aquariums, there's another choice, and...

The male Yellow Bellus Angelfish is a rarely seen, deepwater reef angelfish from the genus Genicanthus. Unlike many angelfish, Genicanthus species are planktivores and considered reef-safe, making them excellent additions to peaceful reef aquariums. Males are especially striking, with bold...

The Line-Spot Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus lineopunctatus) is a stunning and relatively uncommon wrasse in the marine aquarium hobby. Like other flasher wrasses, it is prized for its striking coloration, peaceful nature, and fascinating courtship "flashing" displays. They are a great choice for...

The Pot Belly Seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis) was so named for the distinctively large belly on the male of the species. This feature has earned them another personal insult of a common name, the Big Belly Seahorse. Hippocampus is word that has a Greek origin and means something like “curved...

The Cryptic Anglerfish is a bizarre, fascinating predator known for its camouflage and unique hunting technique using a “lure” to ambush prey. These ambush predators are relatively small but demand special care due to their feeding habits and sedentary lifestyle. They are typically housed in...

Petrolisthes is a genus of crabs that is found in all the world's oceans save the Arctic and Antarctic. They are small, easy to care for, and can be beautifully colored. The ones that we all call Porcelain Crabs are generally a pale gray to ivory, often with brilliant pink or red spots and short...

The Yellowtail Pink Babi Wrasse is a stunning and relatively rare fairy wrasse species known for its vibrant pink body, orange-red dorsal highlights, and striking yellow tail. It’s a peaceful and active swimmer that thrives in reef aquariums, adding constant motion and color to your display. For...

Panda Puffers (Arothron diadematus) come from the Western Indian Ocean and Red Sea, generally in shallowish water (less than 50 feet or so) around coral reefs. Like all fish from this region of the world, they are rarer in north America than many of the other puffers you'll see. Pandas are...

The Pink-Banded Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rosefascia) is a stunning and rare fairy wrasse species known for its vibrant pink, red, and magenta hues. Native to the deep reefs of the Western Pacific, this deepwater wrasse is sought after by collectors and experienced aquarists for its unique...

The Pacific Sailfin Anthias is a strikingly beautiful saltwater fish admired for its vivid colors and graceful swimming behavior. Though highly attractive, this species is considered challenging to keep in aquariums and is best suited for advanced marine aquarists. They are a gem for...

The Pink Bar Goby is often actually kind of a pastel orange barred goby, though it can be vertically striped in soft pink as well. The binomial nomenclature (scientific name) for the Pink Bar Goby is Amblyeleotris aurora, which leads to another, much less common, common name: Aurora Goby. It...

Lennard’s Wrasse is a rare, radiant beauty from the Eastern Indian Ocean that adds shimmering electric blues and bold yellows to any reef display. With its peaceful nature and captivating swim style, this wrasse is a dream addition for advanced reef keepers. Provide deep sand bed (2–3 inches)...

Here at Quality Marine, we see more fish than most people, and it would be easy get a bit “hard to impress” if we weren't all raging aquarium nerds. Almost everything that comes in the door here gorgeous, but there's a few fish that just seem to be more, and no matter how many times you see...

Bali Aquarich hybridized two of the world's most popular species, the always stunning Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) native to the waters of Hawaii and the uber-desirable Purple Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum) native to the portions of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Unlike many wild hybrids...

Ahh Chrysiptera; a group (genus) of fish that is both incredibly maligned, and also intensely beautiful, hardy and useful. There are few fish available to the home hobbyist that are as pretty, size appropriate, reef safe and known pest control (as most will consume the dreaded Red Planaria, a...

One of the lesser known of these is the Orange Stripe Bristletooth Tang (Ctenochaetus cf striatus). They also get called Striated Tangs, Orange Dotted Bristletooth Tangs and Lined Bristletooth Tangs (or Surgonfish). These gorgeous fish start out a shimmering blue with orange spots around their...

This Aberrant Purple Pascalus Anthias is truly one of a kind! The Purple Pascalus Anthias is a stunning and rare deepwater anthias species. Its vibrant purple-pink coloration and graceful schooling behavior make it an eye-catching addition to large, well-maintained reef aquariums. The white...

Neopercularis Candycane Hogfish (Bodianus neopercularis) are robust, hardy, have so much personality and not to mention stunning. They are found in the waters of the Indo-West Pacific, particularly around the Marshall Islands. They are vibrant red-and-white beauty that brings both color and...

Parupeneus crassilabris is a very cool fish with a lot of common names. Once upon a time, it was most commonly called the Two Banded Goatfish and nowadays it's more commonly called the Triple Bar Goatfish. Apparently, everyone's math got better, and we realized that it actually has three dark...

Chaetodon burgessi is one of the hobby's best Butterflyfish. Usually, we just call it the Burgess Butterfly, for its namesake. The fish geekiest among us will recognize that name because they've seen it on their bookcase; Dr. Warren Burgess co-wrote the famous book “Dr Burgess’s Atlas of Marine...

The Scribbled Mappa Pufferfish is a large and fascinating marine species that can be kept in aquariums but requires an experienced aquarist due to its size, diet, and temperament. They require a varied diet of Gamma Frozen Foods to maintain their health and strong teeth. Hard-shelled foods...