Scientific name: Opistognathus aurifronsCommon Name/s: Yellowhead / Pearly JawfishMaximum Adult Size: 10cmNatural Distribution: Western Central Atlantic: southern Florida, USA and Bahamas to Barbados and northern South AmericaDepth Range: usually 3 – 40mSpecies Notes & Captive Care Notes: The Yellowheaded or Pearly Jawfish is probably the most popular among hobbyists. Historically the most commonly imported species, they are resilient to stress,Read More

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

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

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

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

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