Lithophyllon is a genus of stony corals belonging to the family Fungiidae, also known as mushroom corals. They are encrusting corals that can grow as colonies, though they are now more commonly found as solitary polyps. Lithophyllon are typically found in shallow reef environments and are considered uncommon.
Key Characteristics:
Colony Formation: Lithophyllon can form colonies, with some species having a central corallite distinguishable in smaller colonies.
Appearance: They are often tan in color and can resemble other corals like Cantharellus jebbi.
Habitat: They inhabit shallow reef environments.
Tentacles: Their tentacles are usually extended only at night.
Species:
Lithophyllon repanda (Oval mushroom coral), Lithophyllon undulatum (Stone leaf coral), Lithophyllon ranjithi, and Lithophyllon lobata.
Acanthurus pyroferus, also known as the chocolate surgeonfish or mimic surgeonfish, is a species of surgeonfish. Adults are typically dark brown or purplish-black with a yellowish tan anterior. They have a distinct orange patch at the gill opening and a prominent yellow band on the posterior margin of their caudal fin. Juveniles exhibit different color patterns that mimic other fish species like lemonpeel angelfish.
Key features of Acanthurus pyroferus:
Size: They can grow up to 29 cm (11 inches) in length.
Coloration: Adults are usually dark brown to purplish-black, sometimes with a yellowish tan anterior. They have an orange patch at the gill opening and a yellow band on their tail.
Fins: The dorsal fin has 8 spines and 27-30 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 24-28 soft rays. The tail fin edge is lunate in adults and round in juveniles.
Tail Spine: A single, depressible spine on the side of the tail base, which is part of their defense mechanism.
Diet: They are herbivores and primarily graze on algae.
Habitat: Found in reef environments, including the Indo-Pacific region, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean
Cycloseris tenuis, a coral species, is characterized by its circular, thin, and flat polyps with a small central dome. The septa are in markedly different orders, but each septum is uniform throughout its length. The undersurface of the polyp exhibits thick, irregularly arranged costae. Its color is typically pale brown or yellow. This species is found in soft inter-reef substrates and is considered rare. It can be confused with Cycloseris costulata, which has thinner, more regular costae
Homophyllia bowerbanki orange is a coral known for its encrusting growth form, often with a central, prominent corallite. Red Bowerbanki, a variety of Homophyllia bowerbanki, typically displays shades of pale gray, brown, or rust, often with a marbled or mottled appearance. It's not fleshy and has irregularly shaped, cerioid corallites. While typically smaller, they can grow to over 1.5 meters in diameter.
Homophyllia bowerbanki is a coral known for its encrusting growth form, often with a central, prominent corallite. Red Bowerbanki, a variety of Homophyllia bowerbanki, typically displays shades of pale gray, brown, or rust, often with a marbled or mottled appearance. It's not fleshy and has irregularly shaped, cerioid corallites. While typically smaller, they can grow to over 1.5 meters in diameter.
Archaster typicus, commonly known as the sand sifting starfish or common sea star, is a marine invertebrate with a flat, gray or brownish body. They have five long, slightly tapering arms, though variations with three, four, or even six arms can occur. These starfish are adapted to life on sandy seabeds, where they bury themselves during high tide and move on the surface during low tide.
Key Characteristics:
Shape and Size: Five-limbed star with long, slightly tapering arms. Adults reach 12-15 cm in diameter.
Coloration: Grey or brownish, often with darker and lighter patches, sometimes forming a chevron pattern. Underside is pale.
Habitat: Sandy seabed, where they burrow and move over the surface.
Feeding: They are detritivores, feeding on organic matter in the sand.
Behavior: Active in the top layers of the sand, stirring it to prevent sediment buildup and promote oxygenation.
In Marine Aquariums:
Beneficial: They are popular in reef aquariums for cleaning and aerating the sand bed.
Peaceful and Reef-Safe: They are peaceful and won't harm fish, corals, or other invertebrates.
Maintenance: Require a thick sandy bottom and proper water conditions (temperature, pH).
Deep Cleaning: They stir the top layers of sand (up to 3 cm deep) but don't clean deeply below that.
Conomurex luhuanus, commonly known as the Strawberry Conch or Tiger Conch, is a medium-sized sea snail. It's a marine gastropod mollusk belonging to the family Strombidae, which includes true conchs. These snails are known for their vibrant shell interiors, typically colored orange, red, or pink, with a black or chocolate-brown inner lip border.
Here's a more detailed description:
Appearance:
The shell exterior can have a mottled, striped, or banded pattern, often with pink and white colors reminiscent of strawberries. The interior of the shell is the most striking feature, showcasing bright shades of orange, red, or pink.
Size:
Conomurex luhuanus can grow up to 8 cm (approximately 3 inches) in length.
Diet:
These snails are herbivores, feeding on algae, detritus, and organic matter. They also consume bristleworms and cyanobacteria.
Habitat:
They are found in the Indo-Pacific region, inhabiting sandy bottoms of coral reefs, seagrass beds, and coral rubble. They can also be found in coastal lagoons and other protected areas with clear bottom.
Behavior:
Conomurex luhuanus are known for their high visual acuity, with some studies suggesting they can resolve objects with high spatial resolution.
Ecological Role:
They play a vital role in marine ecosystems by consuming algae, detritus, and other organic matter, contributing to the overall health of the environment.
Social Behavior:
They can be found in colonies, both with juvenile and mixed age-class individuals.
Rochia nilotica, commonly called the commercial top shell, is a marine gastropod mollusk. It's a sizable, heavy, and conical sea snail, with a shell length ranging from 50mm to 165mm and a diameter of 100mm to 120mm . The shell is thick, has an off-white color with irregular axial reddish stripes, and is found in marine environments like tropical reefs.
Here's a more detailed description:
Shape: The shell is conical and subperforate, meaning it has a circular opening at the apex.
Size: It can reach lengths of 50mm to 165mm and diameters of 100mm to 120mm.
Color: The shell is off-white with large, irregular reddish stripes.
Surface: The body whorl is smooth, with concave sides above a protruding, acutely rounded, and thickened periphery .
Other features: The base of the shell is flat and marked with shallow spiral ridges. The aperture (opening) is square-shaped.
Habitat: It is found in marine environments, particularly tropical reefs.
Rochia nilotica is considered a commercially important species, both as a food source and a source of mother-of-pearl for jewelry and buttons. It is also known as a trochus shell or topshell
Ricordea yuma is a vibrant, soft coral species known for its distinctive, often bright colors and irregular, bubble-like tentacles. They are a popular choice for reef aquariums due to their relatively easy care and beautiful appearance. Ricordea yuma are native to the Pacific Ocean and are known for their ability to thrive in a variety of lighting conditions. They can reproduce both sexually and asexually through budding.
Key Characteristics:
Shape: Ricordea yuma typically have a rounded or lobed shape, with a large mouth disk.
Color: They come in a wide range of colors, including neon greens, oranges, and blues.
Tentacles: Their surface is covered with an irregular mat of short, bubble-like tentacles.
Care: They generally prefer moderate to high lighting and moderate water flow.
Growth: They can spread by budding, allowing them to colonize areas quickly.
Hardiness: They are relatively hardy and suitable for both beginner and experienced reef keepers.
Distinguishing Features from Ricordea Florida:
Ricordea yuma tend to have a higher concentration of tentacles around the mouth, while Ricordea florida have a more random distribution of tentacles.
Ricordea yuma also tend to have alternating rows of large and small tentacles radiating outwards from the mouth.
The yellow prawn-goby, or Cryptocentrus cinctus, is a small, bottom-dwelling goby native to the Western Pacific. They are known for their symbiotic relationship with alpheid shrimps, sharing burrows and benefiting each other. The fish can range in color from bright yellow to gray or brown, and can grow up to 10 centimeters long.
Here's a more detailed look at the yellow prawn-goby:
Appearance:
They can have a brilliant yellow color.
They can also have gray or brown coloration.
They may have a combination of these colors.
They often have 4-5 dusky bars and fine blue or white spotting on their head and body.
They can reach a length of up to 10 cm (3.9 in).
Habitat and Behavior:
They are found in coastal bays and lagoons.
They inhabit depths of 1 to 25 meters (3.3 to 82.0 ft).
They are symbiotic with alpheid shrimps.
They share burrows with shrimps, with the shrimp digging and maintaining the tunnel while the goby acts as a watchman.
Other Notable Features:
They can change color based on their environment and comfort level.
In good conditions, they are a bright yellow.
Under stress, they can become gray or brown.
They are popular in saltwater aquariums.
They are often kept in aquariums as small as 20 gallons (75 L).
The Dispar Anthias, Pseudanthias dispar, is a small, colorful reef fish known for its vibrant colors and peaceful temperament. It's a popular choice for home aquariums, particularly for those with reef tanks.
Key Features:
Coloration: Males have a bright red dorsal fin and a distinctive purple-edged orange stripe. Females display a yellowish-orange top and pale lavender to white underside.
Size: They grow to a maximum of 10 cm (4 inches).
Temperament: They are generally peaceful and reef-safe, making them suitable for community tanks.
Habitat: They are found in shallow waters on coral reefs and outer reef slopes.
Aquarium Care:
Water Parameters: They prefer a temperature of 23-28°C, a pH between 8 and 8.5, and good water quality with low nitrates.
Tank Size: A minimum of 200 liters (50 gallons) is recommended for a small group.
Social Structure: They are social and thrive in groups of one male and 3-4 females.
Diet: They are active planktivores and prefer a diet of frozen mysis shrimp, enriched brine shrimp, and high-quality flake food.
Reef Compatibility: They are reef-safe and can be kept with other peaceful reef inhabitants.
Distinctive Features:
Hermaphroditic: Anthias are known for being hermaphroditic, meaning they can change sex if a dominant male dies.
Schooling Behavior: They naturally live in schools, so keeping them in groups is recommended.
Pseudanthias squamipinnis, commonly known as the Sea Goldie or Lyretail Anthias, is a vibrant, colorful fish with a distinctive appearance. Males are purplish-pink with a pink to orange stripe and a red patch on their pectoral fins, while females are golden-orange with a violet streak. They have elongated dorsal and caudal fins, particularly in males.
Here's a more detailed description:
Males: Purplish-pink with a pink to orange stripe from the eye to the pectoral fin base. They also have a red patch on the pectoral fin, pale spots on a blue anal fin, and elongated dorsal and caudal fins.
Females: Golden-orange with a violet streak below the eye.
Body Shape: Oval, laterally flattened body.
Scales: Scales may have a red edge.
Fins: Usually reddish or pink, occasionally with blue or purple edges.
Size: Can reach a maximum total length of about 15 centimeters.
Other Notable Features: Some populations exhibit variations in coloration, but generally feature gold and red tones with an orange/blue cheek stripe.
Behavior: Known for their attractive colors and are often shy, hiding under overhangs during the day.
Protogynous Hermaphrodite: A male can retain a harem of females, and the largest and most dominant female can transition to a male role when necessary.
