quality marine

The Dalmatian Dogface Pufferfish is a hardy, personable marine species that thrives in large, well-maintained aquariums with stable water quality and plenty of swimming space. A minimum tank size of 120 gallons is recommended, as these puffers grow large and produce a heavy bioload. They are...

The Chinese Zebra Bar Goby is a graceful, fast-swimming dartfish known for its slender body, iridescent sheen, and fine vertical striping. Peaceful, social, and highly active in the water column, it makes an excellent addition to reef and community marine aquariums when kept in stable groups and...

The Blue Face Koi Tang is a rare, naturally occurring color-morph of the Koi Scopas Tang (Zebrasoma scopas), known for its patchy white, orange, blue, and black patterning—with the blue facial mask being the defining feature. Care needs are the same as a standard Scopas Tang, but because of...

Thalassoma Wrasses are huge favorites around here for their intense colors and high activity levels; Newton's Wrasse has all this and more. They're large, but not huge, generally reef safe (with a caveat) and because they come from the east Atlantic Ocean along the African coast, where...

The Sailfin / Algae Blenny is an energetic, algae-eating marine fish perfect for reef tanks due to its natural grazing behavior. Typically reaching 4–6 inches, it requires a 50+ gallon aquarium with plenty of rocks and open swimming space, as it spends most of its time browsing for algae. This...

The Pinstriped Tail-spot Wrasse is a vibrant and active reef fish admired for its stunning coloration and pest-controlling habits. Hardy, intelligent, and full of personality, it’s one of the most popular wrasses among marine aquarists — especially in reef setups. In house we give them the...

Cirrhilabrus marjorie was so named to honor Marjorie Awai. Marjorie penned the book “A Guide to Hawaiian Marine Life”, at one time was the Curator of the Florida Aquarium and also worked in the ichthyology department at the Bishop Museum in Hawaii. She is married to Dr. Bruce Carlson, who was...

Today we're going to introduce you to the crab you've never heard of but should have. So, without further ado, let us present to you, Pitho mirabilis. We'd rename it the Miracle Crab, but alas, everyone already calls it Pitho Crab. They stay relatively small, are super peaceful, are decorators...

It’s Jellyfish Day! 🪼 A reminder of the fragile beauty drifting in our oceans. Protect the waters, protect the wonders. QM Labs is proud to aquaculture the Moon Jellyfish and rear them on Nutramar Live Foods!

All that glitters is not always gold. Sometimes, it's a Hawkfish, and this is one of those times. More specifically, the Golden Hawkfish, sometimes also called the Blue Line Yellow Hawkfish, and less still, the Banana Hawkfish. Scientifically, we know it as Paracirrhites xanthus. Xanthus for the...

The Medusa Worm is a fascinating marine invertebrate prized for its unique, flowing feeding tentacles and role as a natural sand cleaner. It thrives in a well-established saltwater aquarium with deep, fine substrate and stable water conditions. The tank should be free of overly aggressive...

What makes an Angel False? Not wanting to wade unprepared into a theological discussion, let's instead discuss the False Personifer Angel, known to scientists as Chaetodontoplus meredithii. To start with, there is really nothing false about it. They are in the same Genus and generally exhibit...

Aquacultured Potbelly Seahorses are enchanting marine creatures that require specialized care, especially when kept as a pair. They thrive in a well-established, calm, and mature saltwater aquarium of at least 30 gallons, with stable temperatures and gentle water flow to prevent stress...

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...