Indo-pacific fish
Fish that live in the coral reefs of the region between the Indian and Pacific oceans. They present a wide variety of colors and formats for fish and coral formations.
Most fish that depend on reefs for food and shelter move little and thus tend to live in restricted geographic areas. Because of this, Indo-Pacific coral reef fish are rarely found in Atlantic waters. In this tank we can see species that live in the great barrier reef in Australia. These fish are extremely important for the environment in which they live, because when they feed, they open spaces in the reefs for new organisms to settle. Because they have a wide range of colors and shapes, the commercialization of these fish for aquarism has grown rapidly in recent decades to meet the needs of thousands of aquarists around the world.
Tank species
Silver moony fish
It is a species found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, from the Red Sea to southern Australia. It lives in a marine, freshwater environment and in estuaries. It is found in bays, mangroves, tidal streams, lower areas of freshwater streams and occasionally on coastal reefs, with a depth range of 0 to 12 meters. It feeds on plankton and debris. Individuals can reach up to 27 cm in length. Adults form schools, while juveniles live solitary or in small groups. It is commercialized in the aquarium market, being little commercial for other purposes.
Comet
Calloplesiops altivelis
They live in the Indo-Pacific, in coral reefs and in caves at intervals of 3 to 45 meters deep. It reaches 20 cm in length and the maximum age ever recorded was 9 years. On its tail there is an ocellus (round spot) that resembles an eye, helping it to protect itself from predators, because when it feels threatened, it hides its head, leaving only its tail out, making it look like a moray eel. In reproduction there is a difference, as the males take care of the eggs for a period of time.
Yellow pyramid butterflyfish
Hemitaurichthys polylepis
It is a species found in the Pacific Ocean, from Iceland to New Caledonia. It lives in a marine environment associated with coral reefs, at depths ranging from 3 to 60 m. It feeds on plankton. Individuals occur in large schools, form pairs during reproduction and can reach up to 18 cm in length. It is a commercial species in the aquarium market.
Pallete surgeonfish
Paracanthurus hepatus
It is a medium-sized fish measuring up to 31 centimeters, colorful and living in reefs. It belongs to the Acanthuridae family, being the only member of the genus Paracanthurus. It is popular among aquarium fish, but became better known after appearing in Disney's Finding Nemo and Finding Dory as the character Dory. It has tough skin, made up of small scales that are royal blue on the back and yellow on the tail. It has one or more pairs of sharp blades at the base of the caudal fin, which are used in defense and attack situations. It lives in transparent waters, in current zones, adjacent to the coral reef. They are found throughout the Indo-Pacific. The organization Rising Tide Conservation, announced in 2016 the first reproduction of the patellar (Paracanthurus hepatus) in captivity. A great advance for marine ornamental fish, as even today these fish are collected from nature, mainly in Indonesia and the Philippines.
Brown tang
Zebrasoma scopas
It is a very common species in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, living in clear waters close to coral reefs at depths of up to 60 m. It can reach a maximum size of 40 cm. Adults are generally found in small shoals of up to 20 individuals, while juveniles are more solitary and live near the corals. It feeds basically on algae. It is a oviparous species and have a monogamous behavior. It is a very present fish in aquariums around the world since it feeds on algae that may grow inside the tanks.
Emperor angelfish
Pomacanthus imperator
It is a common species in the Indo-Pacific sea, often found in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, at a depth of 1 to 100 meters. Juveniles can be seen in more protected areas, such as holes in reefs, they feed on sponges, corals and other organisms that settle in this region. They are very popular in aquarism for their coloration that draws attention, juveniles are black with light blue and white curves and when they become adults there is a color change, with yellow and blue horizontal lines. Their maximum size can be 40 cm when adults.
Ringtail surgeonfish
Acanthurus blochii
It is a species found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, from east Africa to the south of Lord Howe Island. It lives in a marine environment associated with coral reefs, at depths between 2 and 15 m. It feeds on algae. Individuals of this species can measure up to 45 cm in length, live in small groups or in shoals. They can live up to 35 years. It is a commercial species for the aquarium market and for other purposes.
Azure demoiselle
Chrysiptera hemicyanea
It is a characteristic species of tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific Ocean, from the eastern Indian Ocean to Indonesia. It feeds on plankton. The individuals are diurnal, form pairs during reproduction, can measure up to 7 cm in length and the males stand guard to protect the eggs after fertilization. It is a commercial species in the aquarium market.
Goldtail demoiselle
Chrysiptera parasema
It is a characteristic species of tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean, from the Solomon Islands to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It lives in a marine environment associated with coral reefs, at depths between 1 and 16 m. It feeds on microalgae and small crustaceans. Individuals are diurnal, can measure up to 7 cm in length, live in small groups and males stand guard to protect eggs after fertilization.
Pajama-cardinalfish
Sphaeramia nematoptera
Especie que se encuentra en el océano Indo-Pacífico, vive a profundidades de hasta 14m, en ambientes cuya temperatura puede variar entre 22° y 27° grados. Se alimenta de zooplancton y pequeños crustáceos. Son ovíparos, cuyo tamaño máximo es de 8,5 cm. És una especie popular en el mundo de la pesca.
Rabbitfish foxface
Siganus vulpinus
They are common Pacific fish, which can be found in coral reefs up to 30 meters deep. They are found singly or in pairs, their maximum recorded size was 25 cm. Its diet is based on algae.
Batfish
Platax orbicularis
Platax is a genus of fish from the Indo-Pacific Ocean and is commonly found associated with reefs. The species of this genus have a very similar and very characteristic body shape. Adults have a rounded disc-shaped body, flattened laterally, with very large dorsal and anal fins. This species reaches up to 30 m deep, being found solitary or in small schools. It feeds on invertebrates, algae and small fish. It reaches a maximum of 60 cm in length.
Dogfaced pufferfish
Arothron nigropunctatus
Found in the Indo-Pacific, along coral reefs, in a range of 3 to 25 m deep. They feed on corals, crustaceans, molluscs, sponges and algae and can reach 30 cm in length.
Green chromis
Chromis viridis
They are distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific, living in groups above Acropora corals. The maximum size of this species is 8 cm and they feed on phytoplankton (very small algae) and zooplankton (very small animals). In the breeding season, males prepare the nests and protect and ventilate the eggs after the females lay them.