Stenorhynchus seticornis, or the yellowline arrow crab, is a crustacean with a triangular body, a long, pointed rostrum (snout), and long, spindly legs. Its color is variable, often golden-brown or yellow, with lines on the carapace and reddish or yellow legs. The claws are frequently blue or violet-tipped.
Physical characteristics
Body: Triangular shape, resembling an arrowhead.
Rostrum: An extremely elongated, pointed snout, often with serrated edges.
Legs: Long and thin, sometimes spanning up to 10 cm (3.9 in).
Claws: The first pair of legs are transformed into claws, which are often blue or violet at the tips.
Size: Carapace length is typically 3 to 6 cm (1.2 to 2.4 in).
Coloration
Body: Can be golden, yellow, or cream.
Markings: Often features fine dark, brown, or iridescent blue lines on the carapace.
Legs: Can be reddish or yellow.
Habitat and behavior
Habitat: Found in the western Atlantic, from North Carolina to Brazil, and is common on coral reefs in the Caribbean.
Behavior: It is a nocturnal scavenger that feeds on small invertebrates, detritus, and parasites off of fish.
Association: Often lives in groups near sea anemones.
The Strombus dentatus, or toothed conch, is a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Strombidae, known for its distinctive shell. It's a relatively small conch, with a shell length ranging from about 22 to 52mm. The shell has a flaring outer lip with a notch near the anterior end, and is characterized by three pointed projections near the opening. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region, typically at low tide marks.
Here's a more detailed description:
Shell Shape and Size: The shell is relatively small, with a maximum size of 6 cm (male/unsexed). It is elongate and moderately large.
Outer Lip: The outer lip is flared and features a stromboid notch, a key characteristic of the Strombidae family. It also has three pointed projections near the anterior end.
Color: The shell can be cream, orange, or salmon-pink.
Surface: It has a relatively smooth surface, though it can have spines on the body whorl.
Spire: The spire is short and pointed.
Habitat: Strombus dentatus is typically found in shallow, sandy waters, sometimes buried in sand or rubble, on seaward reefs at depths of 5 to 25m.
Distribution: They are found in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean
Stylophora pistillata, commonly called smooth cauliflower coral or hood coral, is a species of stony coral in the Indo-Pacific region. It has a branching growth form, with blunt-ended branches that thicken and become more massive as the colony matures. Corallites (the individual polyps' stony cups) are conical or hooded and partially submerged in the coenosteum (the stony framework of the colony). These corallites have a prominent, solid columella (the central column) and may have six primary and sometimes six secondary septa (stony plates forming the corallite wall). The coenosteum is covered in fine spinules. Colonies can be cream, pink, bluish, or green.
Key features of Stylophora pistillata:
Growth Form: Branching, with branches becoming thick and submassive.
Corallites: Conical or hooded, with a prominent columella and septa.
Colony Size: Up to 50 cm in diameter.
Color: Cream, pink, bluish, or green.
Habitat: Shallow water reef environments exposed to strong wave action.
Distribution: Indo-Pacific region
Symphyllia is a genus of large polyp stony (LPS) corals, characterized by their massive, dome-shaped or flat colonies with meandroid (brain-like) corallites. These corals are known for their diverse colors and patterns, often with contrasting colors between valley floors and walls. While the genus name Symphyllia is no longer taxonomically valid, with most species now classified under Lobophyllia, it's still used for CITES purposes.
Key characteristics of Symphyllia:
Colony Shape: Typically massive, dome-shaped, or flat, with meandroid valleys.
Corallites: Flabello-meandroid (brain-like), with ridges separating valleys, often with contrasting colors.
Polyps: Each corallite houses multiple polyps, indicated by the many mouth openings.
Color: Wide range of colors, often mottled, with contrasting colors between valley floors and walls.
Tentacles: They have long sweeper tentacles that can extend to sting other corals.
Habitat: Found on reef slopes and in protected areas of reefs.
Taxonomy: While the genus Symphyllia is no longer valid, it's still used for CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) purposes, and many species have been reassigned to Lobophyllia.
Examples of Symphyllia species:
Symphyllia valenciennesi (now often classified under Lobophyllia), Symphyllia wilsoni (now often classified under Australophyllia), Symphyllia radians, Symphyllia agaricia, and Symphyllia recta.
Distinguishing Symphyllia from Lobophyllia:
Corallite Size and Structure:
Symphyllia species generally have larger, more branched corallites with more mouth openings compared to Lobophyllia.
Valley Ridges:
Symphyllia corallites often exhibit ridges dividing the interior surface (like a brain coral), while Lobophyllia corallites are often more separated.
The Marbled Dragonet (Synchiropus marmoratus) is a small, reef-dwelling fish known for its marbled, reddish-brown coloration and distinctive, elongated dorsal fins, especially in males. They are generally found at the substrate level, moving between rocks and coral debris in search of small prey.
Here's a more detailed description:
Physical Characteristics:
Body Shape:
Cylindrical body with a large head and a tubular muzzle.
Coloration:
White with mottled red, grey, and brown markings, with red extending from the head to the caudal fin.
Fins:
Very developed fins, including pectoral fins used for swimming with a characteristic wave motion and ventral fins used like small paws.
Dorsal Fin:
Vibrantly colored with arabesques ranging from red to orange, brown, and black.
Males:
Have longer dorsal fin spines and a more colorful dorsal fin fan than females.
Behavior and Ecology:
Habitat:
Primarily found in the reef environment, living among rocks and coral debris.
Feeding:
They are slow eaters that feed on small, benthic organisms like microfauna.
Protection:
They lack scales and secrete a toxic mucus when stressed, plus have a defensive spine at the gill covers.
Other Notable Features:
Males: Can be identified by their elongated backfins.
Females: Rarely caught and mostly unavailable in the trade
The Spotted Mandarin Dragonet, Synchiropus picturatus, is a popular aquarium fish known for its vibrant colors and peaceful nature. It's best kept as a pair, with a single male and female, though they can also live alone or in small, loose groups. They are often solitary, spending much of their time near the substrate or rocks in their natural habitat.
Key aspects of keeping a Synchiropus picturatus pair:
Pairing: A male and female pair is ideal, as they can live peacefully together.
Size: They can grow up to 8cm in length.
Tank Size: A minimum of 100 liters is recommended for a single specimen, with larger tanks needed for pairs or groups.
Diet: They are carnivorous and primarily feed on live microfauna like amphipods and copepods, which need to be present in sufficient numbers in the tank.
Tank Mates: Peaceful fish, seahorses, pipefish, and other small fish are good tank mates. They are not compatible with highly aggressive or competitive fish.
Aquarium Setup: They require a well-established aquarium with plenty of live rock for grazing and hiding, and a sandy bottom.
Temperament: They are generally peaceful and do not harm corals or invertebrates.
The picturesque dragonet (Synchiropus picturatus) is a brightly colored member of the dragonet family native to the Indo-West Pacific: Philippines, eastern Indonesia and northwest Australia. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade, where it is commonly known as the spotted mandarin, psychedelic mandarin or target mandarin.
Description
The picturesque dragonet may grow to a size of 7 cm in length. They have thick slime on their skin that inhibits many types of parasitic infection and minimizes the risk of disease following stress or physical trauma. This seems to help protect them from some other more aggressive fish.
Synchiropus picturatus is one of only two vertebrates known to have blue colouring because of cellular pigment, the other being the closely related Synchiropus splendidus. The name "cyanophore" was proposed for the blue chromatophores, or pigment-containing and light-reflecting cells. In all other known cases, the colour blue comes from thin-film interference from piles of flat, thin and reflecting purine crystals.
This species is quite harmless to humans and is quite peaceful with other species. The Picturesque dragonet is a marine animal that naturally lives at a temperature between 24-28 C.
Synchiropus splendidus, the mandarinfish or mandarin dragonet, is a small, brightly colored member of the dragonet family, which is popular in the saltwater aquarium trade. The mandarinfish is native to the Pacific, ranging approximately from the Ryukyu Islands south to Australia. It can usually be found in some of the warmer waters.
Taxonomy and etymology
The mandarinfish was first described as Callionymus splendidus in 1927 by Albert William Herre, an American ichthyologist working in the Philippines.It was later placed in genus Synchiropus. The generic name Synchiropus is from Ancient Greek syn-, meaning "together", and -chiropus meaning "hand-foot". The specific epithet splendidus is from the Latin for 'bright' or 'glittering.'The common name of the mandarinfish comes from its extremely vivid colouration, evoking the robes of an Imperial Chinese mandarin.Other common names include mandarin goby, green mandarin, striped mandarinfish, striped dragonet, green dragonet and sometimes psychedelic mandarinfish.The similarly named mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi), properly known as the Chinese perch, is distantly related.
The mandarinfish belongs to the perciform family Callionymidae, the dragonets, which counts 10 genera and more than 182 species. Genus Synchiropus counts 51 species, divided into 10 subgenera. The mandarinfish is in subgenus Synchiropus (Pterosynchiropus) along with the S. occidentalis and S. picturatus.
Description
S. splendidus is one of only two vertebrate species known to have blue colouring because of cellular pigment, the other being the closely related psychedelic mandarin (S. picturatus). The name "cyanophore" was proposed for the blue chromatophores, or pigment-containing and light-reflecting cells. In all other known cases, the colour blue is structural, as it comes from thin-film interference from piles of flat, thin and reflecting purine crystals. The mandarinfish has a body shape similar to a goby, though this is the only resemblance between the two. The vivid coloration sports a bright blue background, with swirly orange stripes and a blue-greenish face with bold blue stripes. The large pelvic fins are used for 'walking' on the seafloor and are often mistakenly seen as the pectoral fins. The real pectorals are located almost at the center and are nearly transparent, with a tinge of fin, the anal fins and on part of the tail, the rest of which is striped in vibrant orange and blue. The dorsal fin, which is exceptionally tall in males, has a striking orange-and blue design as well. The eyes are usually red with black pupils. Different varieties sport different markings and colors. The green mandarin is the fish that has been described. The red mandarin is the same species, but its pelvic fins and what would be orange is red. In some rare cases, the entire dragonet is red with black stripes. The spotted mandarin is light gray-green with black, pink and blue spots.
Mandarinfish are reef dwellers, preferring sheltered lagoons and inshore reefs. While they are slow-moving and fairly common within their range, they are not easily seen due to their bottom-feeding habit and their small size (reaching only about 6 cm). They feed primarily on small crustaceans and other invertebrates.
Diet
Based on the gut analyses of seven wild fish Sadovy et al. (2001) determined that the mandarinfish has a mixed diet that consists of harpacticoid copepods, polychaete worms, small gastropods, gammaridean amphipods, fish eggs and ostracods. In the wild, feeding is continuous during daytime; the fish peck selectively at small prey trapped on coral substrate in a home range of many square meters.
Relationship to humans
Despite their popularity in the aquarium trade, mandarinfish are considered difficult to keep, as their feeding habits are very specific. Some fish never adapt to aquarium life, refusing to eat anything but live amphipods and copepods (as in the wild); though individuals that do acclimatize to aquarium food are considered to be quite hardy and highly resistant to diseases, such as marine ich. They are less likely to contract marine ich because they do not have the typical skin type that is affected by this disease. Mandarinfish also have a layer of debatably smelly and bitter slime instead of scales, which blocks out disease and probably also discourages predators, implying their bright coloration is aposematic.
The mandarinfish appeared on a 39-kip postage stamp from Laos issued in 1987, and a 40-cent postage stamp of the Federated States of Micronesia issued on 26 August 1993.
A pair of Synchiropus splendidus, also known as the Splendid Mandarin, are characterized by their vibrant, multicolored appearance and unique body shape. They are small, scaleless fish with a broad head and elongated body, reaching about 3 inches in length. Their bodies are primarily blue, adorned with intricate patterns of orange, red, and yellow lines. Males have a more pointed, elongated first dorsal fin compared to females.
Key features of a pair of Synchiropus splendidus:
Coloration: Vivid blue, orange, red, and yellow patterns create a striking visual display.
Body Shape: Broad head and elongated body, with no scales.
Sexual Dimorphism: Males have a more elongated and pointed first dorsal fin.
Fin Structure: They possess two short dorsal fins, two large pectoral fins, and a large anal fin.
Habitat: Primarily bottom-dwelling reef fish, found in sheltered lagoons and inshore reefs.
Behavior: Slow-moving, peaceful, and slightly territorial, they typically live in pairs or small groups.
Diet: Primarily carnivores, feeding on small crustaceans and invertebrates.
Synchiropus sycorax, also known as the Ruby red dragonet, is a small, brightly colored fish with a distinct appearance. It features a bright red body and head, yellow belly and pelvic fins, and is adorned with white spots. The first dorsal fin of mature males is large and sail-like. These fish are known for their vibrant colors, unique behavior, and reef-safe nature.
Detailed Description:
Coloration: The head and body are bright red with prominent white spots. The belly and pelvic fins are yellow, and the pelvic-pectoral membrane of males may have a bluish or greenish-grey to black band.
Body Shape: It has a large head, top-mounted eyes, and a small, pointed mouth.
Fin Structure: The first dorsal fin of mature males is large and sail-like. The dorsal fin has well-defined stripes and short filaments.
Spot Pattern: The body has three rows of white spots: one along the lateral line, another above the anal fin, and a middle row extending from above the pectoral fin.
Size: Synchiropus sycorax is a relatively small fish.
Additional Information:
Synchiropus sycorax is a popular aquarium fish due to its vibrant colors, interesting behavior, and reef-safe nature.
They are known to be slow-moving, deliberate feeders and should not have to compete for food.
Their diet includes bloodworms, glassworms, and small invertebrates.
Tectus snails, often called turban snails or pyrmaid snails, are marine gastropods known for their distinctive, conical shells. They are found in various parts of the Indo-Pacific Ocean and are a common sight in saltwater aquariums.
Here's a more detailed description:
Shell:
Shape: Conical, sometimes with a pyramidal or turreted appearance.
Color: Typically whitish, grayish, or yellowish, often mottled or marbled with green or brown.
Surface: May have fine oblique wrinkles, spiral rows of beads, or radiating tubercles (rounded protuberances).
Base: Flat and often lirate (marked with concentric ridges).
Aperture: Transverse and rhomboidal (diamond-shaped).
Whorls: Can have 9-14 whorls, which are the spirals of the shell.
Size: Varies between 17 mm and 50 mm,
Other features:
Columella:
A short, vertical structure with a spiral fold, which is a thickening of the shell on the inner wall.
Habitat:
Live in the intertidal zone and shallower waters, often found in holes and crevices of reefs.
Diet:
Herbivorous, feeding on algae and biofilms on rocks and coral reefs.
In aquariums:
Useful for algae control, especially for cleaning live rock and aquarium glass.
Variations:
Different species of Tectus snails exhibit variations in shell color, surface texture, and other features
Trachyphyllia, commonly known as the open brain coral, is a free-living coral species in the Merulinidae family. They are large polyp stony corals (LPS) characterized by a flabello-meandroid growth form, meaning they have distinct valley regions separated by walls, resembling an inverted brain. These corals are often brightly colored and found in inter-reef environments and on soft substrates around continental islands.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Appearance and Features:
Shape: Trachyphyllia are free-living, meaning they can move around and are not anchored to rocks. They have a flabello-meandroid growth pattern, with distinct valleys separated by walls.
Size: They are relatively small corals, typically not exceeding 20 cm in diameter.
Color: Trachyphyllia come in a wide variety of colors, including yellow, brown, blue, green, and red.
Tentacles: They have short tentacles that are often extended during feeding.
Mouth: They have one to three separate mouths within their valleys.
Habitat and Distribution:
Location: Trachyphyllia are found in inter-reef environments and on soft substrates around continental islands.
Substrate: They prefer to rest on soft substrates like sandbeds.
Water Conditions: They thrive in moderate to strong lighting and moderate water currents.
Care and Maintenance:
Lighting:
They generally prefer moderate lighting (100-150 PAR), but can tolerate lower light conditions.
Water Flow:
They do not like strong currents and should have moderate, indirect water flow.
Feeding:
They are voracious feeders and can be supplemented with various foods like brine shrimp and mysis, according to Tidal Gardens.
Placement:
They should be placed on the sand or substrate bed, allowing for proper movement and feeding.
Aggression:
Trachyphyllia can be a bit aggressive and should be placed with ample space from other corals
Trachyphyllia, commonly known as the open brain coral, is a free-living coral species in the Merulinidae family. They are large polyp stony corals (LPS) characterized by a flabello-meandroid growth form, meaning they have distinct valley regions separated by walls, resembling an inverted brain. These corals are often brightly colored and found in inter-reef environments and on soft substrates around continental islands.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Appearance and Features:
Shape: Trachyphyllia are free-living, meaning they can move around and are not anchored to rocks. They have a flabello-meandroid growth pattern, with distinct valleys separated by walls.
Size: They are relatively small corals, typically not exceeding 20 cm in diameter.
Color: Trachyphyllia come in a wide variety of colors, including yellow, brown, blue, green, and red.
Tentacles: They have short tentacles that are often extended during feeding.
Mouth: They have one to three separate mouths within their valleys.
Habitat and Distribution:
Location: Trachyphyllia are found in inter-reef environments and on soft substrates around continental islands.
Substrate: They prefer to rest on soft substrates like sandbeds.
Water Conditions: They thrive in moderate to strong lighting and moderate water currents.
Care and Maintenance:
Lighting:
They generally prefer moderate lighting (100-150 PAR), but can tolerate lower light conditions.
Water Flow:
They do not like strong currents and should have moderate, indirect water flow.
Feeding:
They are voracious feeders and can be supplemented with various foods like brine shrimp and mysis, according to Tidal Gardens.
Placement:
They should be placed on the sand or substrate bed, allowing for proper movement and feeding.
Aggression:
Trachyphyllia can be a bit aggressive and should be placed with ample space from other corals
