Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)

Common Name/s: Royal GrammaMaximum Adult Size: 8cmNatural Distribution: Western Central Atlantic: Bermuda, Bahamas, and Central America to northern South AmericaDepth Range: 1 – 60m Species Notes & Captive Care Notes: An inhabitant of fore reefs and drop-offs, the Royal Gramma frequents steep rocky outcrops and reef walls and is often observed in association with caves and ledges up to aroundRead More

Species Spotlight: Scarlet Hawkfish

As one of only a few red coloured fish in the hobby, the Scarlet or Flame hawkfish Neocirrhites armatus is immediately eye-catching. Beyond that, this is also an interesting fish to observe in captivity as it definitely seems to possess an intelligent “awareness”. Over time it will likely become quite tame and will watch youRead More

It’s Christmas! Have Some Worms!

OK so we couldn’t resist sharing this colourful collage of Christmas Tree worms. It’s been done before but these critters never cease to amaze… Spirobranchus giganteus is a tube-building polychaete that has a tubular, segmented body of an approximate length of 3.8cm covered with chaetae, small appendages that aid the worm’s mobility. Because it does not moveRead More

Hark! The Herald’s Angel

It’s that time of year when reef organisms with any kind of festive link feature heavily, and let’s face it, it can get a bit repetitive with the usual suspects cropping up year after year. Centropyge heraldi isn’t one of those normally considered though, despite it’s obvious (if slightly tweaked) link with the English ChristmasRead More

Fish Spotlight: Timor Wrasse

Similar in appearance to a number of other species in the Halichoeres genus, H. timorensis is found at depths of 5 – 15m on shallow coastal reefs in the Indo-West Pacific (from Sri Lanka to Indonesia), mainly over rock substrates with soft coral and algal growth. It occurs in small, loose groups dominated by aRead More

Fish Spotlight: Striped Triggerfish

Hailing from the Indo-West Pacific, the striped or linespot triggerfish is a rare species that inhabits offshore reefs at depths of up to 50m. It is said to favour open water well above the sea floor. A member of the Xanthichthys genus, this species shares traits common to other species in that it is reportedRead More