Flora & Fauna

Delicate, jointed branching coralline algae with alternating calcified segments and flexible joints — looks like tiny white-pink antlers. Forms low tufts on rockwork. A living indicator of good calcium and alkalinity levels. Grazed by urchins but otherwise grows without intervention in a mature reef.

Delicate branching SPS with thin, pointed branches arranged like a bird's nest. One of the fastest-growing SPS corals — ideal for fragging. Available in pink, purple, green, and yellow morphs.

Striking royal blue fish with a yellow tail. Active swimmer requiring large tanks. Prone to ich, so quarantine is recommended.

Bubble coral is a distinctive LPS coral whose fleshy, bubble-like vesicles inflate during the day to maximise light capture and deflate at night to reveal feeding tentacles. It is a vigorous feeder and responds well to regular target feeding. Its delicate inflated tissue can be punctured by sharp rockwork, so placement must be considered carefully.

Encrusting LPS coral with eye patterns in vivid colour combinations. Moderately aggressive. Grows flat plates over rock. One of the most collectible coral genres.

Spongy, dark green dichotomously branched macroalgae with a velvety, foam-like texture. Attaches to rock and can grow quite large. In temperate reef tanks it is a natural part of the fauna; in tropical tanks it can become invasive. Slugs (nudibranchs) and sea hares may graze it.

Calcified encrusting algae that paints live rock, glass, and equipment in shades of pink, purple, and white — the hallmark of a mature, healthy reef. Requires stable calcium (400–450 ppm) and alkalinity (8–9 dKH). Does not need dedicated lighting but benefits from reef-level light. Spreads naturally from live rock and purchased plugs.

Brilliant scarlet-red, blade-shaped macroalgae — one of the most visually striking species for display refugia. Provides excellent colour contrast and nutrient export. More delicate than Chaeto; requires moderate flow and consistent light. Popular with collectors and stunning under reef lighting.

Favites (war coral / closed brain coral) are encrusting SPS corals with a brain-like maze pattern. They are moderately demanding and aggressive, extending sweeper tentacles at night to sting neighbours. Available in a wide range of vivid colour morphs.

A hydrozoan rather than a true coral — branching, blade-like, or encrusting forms in mustard-yellow. Delivers a potent sting, even to humans. Fast-growing and found on shallow, high-flow reef crests.

Vivid red-orange dwarf angelfish with black vertical bars. One of the most popular dwarf angels. May nip at corals; monitor in reef tanks.

Frogspawn Coral is a popular LPS coral whose branching skeleton terminates in clusters of rounded, grape-like polyp tips that sway mesmerisingly in gentle water movement — resembling a mass of frog eggs. It is one of the three classic Euphyllia corals (alongside Hammer and Torch) and shares their care requirements. It has potent sweeper tentacles that can sting corals placed nearby, so adequate spacing within the reef aquarium is essential.

Fungia plate corals are unusual free-living LPS corals that rest on the sandbed and can slowly move to find better conditions. They have a single large mouth surrounded by numerous short tentacles and come in a range of colours. They are sensitive to being placed on rough substrates.

Galaxea is a large-polyp stony coral with star-shaped polyps that extend long sweeper tentacles at night, capable of stinging corals several centimetres away. It is a fast grower under good conditions but requires significant space between it and neighbours.

Hammer coral is a large polyp stony (LPS) coral with distinctive T-shaped or hammer-shaped tentacles that sweep rhythmically in current. It is photosynthetic via its zooxanthellae but also benefits from target feeding with meaty foods two or three times weekly. It can sting neighbouring corals, so adequate spacing is essential.

Bold orange-and-white banded wrasse with vivid blue teeth. Impressive predator fish for FOWLR tanks. Australian specimens (red-orange) are more vibrant than Indo-Pacific.

Bushy, branching red-to-purple macroalgae with cylindrical, succulent-looking branches. Common in intertidal zones worldwide. Used as a food source by certain nudibranchs and sea hares. Adds colour to refugia and is a moderate nutrient exporter. More compact and ornamental than Gracilaria.

One of the most colourful reef fish — females orange-pink, males dazzling magenta-purple with elongated tail filaments. Best kept in a harem (one male, multiple females) with strong flow and frequent feeding.

Vivid blue-green turf-like tufts of very fine filaments — a common sight on Indo-Pacific reefs. In captivity it can spread across rockwork quickly. Produces terpene compounds that deter most grazers. Interesting as a biotope element but can become a nuisance if left unchecked.

Elegant fan-shaped calcified macroalgae on a slender white stalk. Grows in sandy areas near reefs and seagrass beds. A beautiful decorative species for low-flow areas of the display tank. Like Penicillus, it anchors in deep sand and has a natural lifespan of several months.

One of the most extraordinary organisms in biology — a single giant cell shaped like a wine glass on a slender stalk. Each 'plant' is a single cell that can grow to 10 cm. Famous in cell biology research. In aquariums it anchors in sand and is a remarkable conversation piece. Prefers cooler, calcium-rich water.

Rare and stunning — white with bold yellow-outlined spots and red-tipped fins. A cryptic wrasse that stays hidden in the rockwork. Highly sought-after collector fish that commands a premium.

Elegant tang with a characteristic orange-tipped rostrum, blue-trimmed fins, and long tail streamers in mature males. A graceful, active swimmer that needs a large tank. Excellent algae control.

Tiny, elegant calcified algae with a barrel-shaped body ringed with white calcium bands at the tip. Short-lived (weeks to months) but reproduces readily in stable reef tanks. An interesting hitchhiker and occasional deliberate addition. Fish tend to leave it alone due to calcification.

Fan-shaped brown-grey macroalgae with distinctive concentric rings and a lightly calcified surface. Grows on rock in moderate flow zones. Not commonly traded but attractive in display refugia. Tolerates a wide range of temperatures — found from Mediterranean rock pools to tropical reefs.

Unique soft coral with a rigid, blood-red calcium carbonate skeleton and vivid green polyps. The skeleton resembles organ pipes — stunning when visible at the base. More demanding than most soft corals but worth the effort.

Pocillopora is a branching SPS coral with densely packed round polyp heads giving it a cauliflower-like appearance. It is one of the more forgiving SPS corals for beginners to reef keeping, growing quickly under stable conditions. Available in green, pink, and purple morphs.

Endearing and personable puffer with large eyes and a round body covered in spines. Will eat inverts — FOWLR only. Develops a real personality and recognises its keeper.

Massively important reef-builder — slow-growing mounds and columns covered in tiny polyps. Host to Christmas Tree Worms and boring clams. Hardy for SPS; tolerates a wider range of conditions than Acropora.

The iconic purple fan-shaped gorgonian found throughout the Caribbean. Non-photosynthetic — requires regular target feeding with coral foods or phytoplankton. Grows in the plane perpendicular to current flow. A dramatic display piece.

Deep violet-purple with a bright yellow tail — one of the most desired tang species. A Red Sea endemic, now tank-raised. Aggressive toward other tangs so introduce with care.

Rare and coveted — clusters of translucent, deep-red spherical bladders like bunches of miniature grapes. A showpiece macroalgae that attaches to live rock. Slow-growing and sensitive; requires stable, high-quality water. Highly sought after for display refugia and naturally deters herbivorous fish.

The iconic free-floating brown macroalgae of the open ocean — forms dense golden-brown mats in the Sargasso Sea. In aquariums it anchors to rock or tumbles freely. Hosts an entire ecosystem of cryptic animals (pipefish, frogfish, shrimp) in the wild. Challenging to keep long-term but impressive in large displays.

Beautifully mottled green and brown with long hairy appendages. Males develop an impressive brush of setae on their larger claw. Nocturnal and cryptic — hides by day but emerges at night. Can eat small invertebrates.

Solitary LPS coral with a single large fleshy polyp in extraordinary colour patterns. Slow-growing but stunning. Target-feed meaty foods for best growth and coloration.

Unmistakable calcified macroalgae resembling an old-fashioned shaving brush — white stalk topped with a tuft of fine green filaments. Anchors in sandbed. Relatively short-lived (months to a year); when it dies it releases calcium into the water. An endearing curiosity for Caribbean reef displays.