The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Saltwater Aquariums

Omnivores appreciate a varied diet, including meaty bits of seafood, commercially prepared foods for omnivores, and herbivorous foods (such as nori) and foods commercially formulated for herbivores. The fish below are all omnivores.

Carnivores appreciate a varied diet, including meaty bits of seafood and commercially prepared foods for carnivores (including frozen, flake, pellet, and freeze-dried foods). The fish below are all carnivores.

Anglerfishes & Frogfishes

Antennarius commerson
Antennarius maculatus

Antennarius striatus
Histrio histrio

Basslets, Spiny Basslets & Grammas

Calloplesiops altivelis
Liopropoma rubre
Liopropoma swalesi

Serranus baldwini
Serranus tabacarius

Serranus tigrinus
Serranus tortugarum

Blennies & Blennylike Fishes

Acanthemblemaria spp
Meiacanthus nigrolineatus

Parapercis schauislandii
Pholidichthys leucotaenia

Boxfishes, Puffers & Triggerfishes

Abalistes stellaris
Arothron diadematus
Arothron hispidus
Arothron immaculatus
Arothron manilensis
Arothron mappa
Arothron meleagris
Arothron nigropunctatus (Dogface)
Arothron nigropunctatus (Yellow Belly)
Balistapus undulatus
Balistes punctatus
Balistes vetula

Balistoides conspicillum
Canthigaster bennetti
Canthigaster coronata
Canthigaster epilampra
Canthigaster jactator
Canthigaster valentini
Chilomycterus schoepfii
Diodon holocanthus
Melichthys niger
Melichthys vidua
Odonus niger
Ostracion whitleyi

Pseudobalistes fuscus
Rhinecanthus aculeatus
Rhinecanthus assasi
Rhinecanthus rectangulus
Rhinecanthus verrucosus
Sufflamen albicaudatum
Sufflamen bursa
Sufflamen chrysopterum
Xanthichthys auromarginatus
Xanthichthys caeruleolineatus
Xanthichthys mento
Xanthichthys ringens

Butterflyfishes

Chaetodon auriga
Chaetodon collare
Chaetodon falcula
Chaetodon fasciatus
Chaetodon guttatissimus
Chaetodon melannotus

Chaetodon mertensii
Chaetodon rafflesii
Chaetodon rainfordi
Chaetodon trichrous
Chaetodon vagabundus
Chaetodon xanthurus

Chelmon rostratus
Forcipiger flavissimus
Forcipiger longirostris
Heniochus singularius
Heniochus varius
Prognathodes aculeatus

Cardinalfishes

Apogon cyanosoma
Apogon leptacanthus
Apogon maculatus

Apogon novemfasciatus
Pterapogon kauderni

Sphaeramia nematoptera
Sphaeramia orbicularis

Dartfishes

Gunnelichthys curiosus
Nemateleotris decora

Nemateleotris helfrichi
Nemateleotris magnifica

Parioglossus raoi

Dottybacks & Pseudochromis

Congrogadus subduscens
Cypho purpurascens
Labracinus cyclophthalmus
Pseudochromis aldabraensis
Pseudochromis cyanotaenia
Pseudochromis diadema

Pseudochromis dilectus
Pseudochromis elongatus
Pseudochromis flavivertex
Pseudochromis fuscus
Pseudochromis paccagnellae

Pseudochromis polynemus
Pseudochromis porphyreus
Pseudochromis splendens
Pseudochromis springeri
Pseudochromis veliferus

Dragonets

Dactylopus dactylopus
Synchiropus ocellatus

Synchiropus picturatus
Synchiropus splendidus

Synchiropus stellatus

Eels

Echidna nebulosa
Echidna polyzona
Enchelycore pardalis
Gymnomuraena zebra
Gymnothorax favagineus

Gymnothorax fimbriatus
Gymnothorax funebris
Gymnothorax kidako
Gymnothorax melatremus
Gymnothorax meleagris

Gymnothorax miliaris
Gymnothorax nudivomer
Myrichthys maculosus
Rhinomuraena quaesita
Taenioconger hassi

Filefishes

Oxymonacanthus longirostris

Goatfishes

Parupeneus cyclostomus

Parupeneus barberinoides

Parupeneus multifasciatus

Gobies

Amblyeleotris diagonalis
Amblyeleotris guttata
Amblyeleotris randalli
Amblyeleotris steinitzi
Amblyeleotris wheeleri
Coryphopterus glaucofraenum
Coryphopterus personatus
Cryptocentrus aurora
Cryptocentrus cinctus
Cryptocentrus leptocephalus
Cryptocentrus pavoninoides
Ctenogobiops tangaroai

Discordipinna griessingeri
Elacatinus horsti
Elacatinus multifasciatus
Elacatinus puncticulatus
Gobiodon ceramensis
Gobiodon cetrinus
Gobiodon histrio
Gobiodon okinawae
Gobiosoma evelynae
Gobiosoma oceanops
Lythrypnus dalli
Lythrypnus zebra

Paragobiodon lacunicolus
Priolepsis nocturna
Signigobius biocellatus
Stonogobiops nematodes
Stonogobiops yashia
Trimma cana
Valenciennea helsdingenii
Valenciennea longipinnis
Valenciennea puellaris
Valenciennea sexguttata
Valenciennea strigata
Valenciennea wardii

Grunts & Sweetlips

Anisotremus virginicus
Plectorhinchus albovittatus
Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides

Plectorhinchus diagrammus
Plectorhinchus lineatus

Plectorhinchus orientalis
Plectorhinchus picus

Hawkfishes

Amblycirrhitus pinos
Cirrhitichthys aprinus
Cirrhitichthys falco

Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus
Cyprinocirrhites polyactis
Neocirrhites armatus

Oxycirrhites typus
Paracirrhites arcatus
Paracirrhites forsteri

Jawfishes

Opistognathus aurifrons

Opistognathus rosenblatti

Lionfishes

Dendrochirus biocellatus
Dendrochirus brachypterus

Dendrochirus zebra
Pterois antennata

Pterois radiata
Pterois volitans

Seahorses & Pipefishes

Aeoliscus strigatus
Corythoichthys haematopterus
Doryrhamphus dactyliophorus

Doryrhamphus excisus
Doryrhamphus multiannulatus

Hippocampus abdominalis

Snappers & Fusiliers

Lutjanus sebae

Macolor niger

Symphorichthys spilurus

Squirrelfishes, Soldierfishes, Bigeyes & Catalufas

Heteropriacanthus cruentatu
Myripristis vittata

Myripristis jacobus
Sargocentron tiere

Sargocentron xantherythrum

Tilefishes

Hoplolatilus chlupatyi
Hoplolatilus marcosi

Hoplolatilus purpureus
Hoplolatilus starcki

Wrasses, Hogfishes & Tuskfish

Anampses chrysocephalus
Anampses meleagrides
Anampses twistii
Bodianus anthioides
Bodianus axillaris
Bodianus bilunulatus
Bodianus bimaculatus
Bodianus diana
Bodianus loxozonus
Bodianus masudai
Bodianus mesothorax
Bodianus opercularis
Bodianus pulchellus
Bodianus rufus
Cheilinus lunulatus
Choerodon fasciatus
Choerodon jordani
Cirrhilabrus aurantidorsali
Cirrhilabrus balteatus
Cirrhilabrus bathyphilus
Cirrhilabrus condei
Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura
Cirrhilabrus exquisitus
Cirrhilabrus filamentosus
Cirrhilabrus flavidorsalis
Cirrhilabrus jordani
Cirrhilabrus laboutei

Cirrhilabrus linneatus
Cirrhilabrus lubbocki
Cirrhilabrus luteovittatus
Cirrhilabrus punctatus
Cirrhilabrus pylei
Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis
Cirrhilabrus rubrimarginatus
Cirrhilabrus rubripinnis
Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis
Cirrhilabrus rubriventralis
Cirrhilabrus scottorum
Cirrhilabrus solorensis
Cirrhilabrus temminckii
Cirrhilabrus tonozukai
Clepticus parrae
Coris formosa
Coris gaimard
Gomphosus varius
Halichoeres bivittatus
Halichoeres chloropterus
Halichoeres chrysus
Halichoeres garnoti
Halichoeres hortulanus
Halichoeres iridis
Halichoeres melanurus
Halichoeres ornatissimus

Halichoeres radiatus
Halichoeres trispilus
Hemigymnus melapterus
Labroides dimidiatus
Labroides phthirophagus
Macropharyngodon bipartitus
Macropharyngodon choati
Macropharyngodon geoffroy
Macropharyngodon meleagris
Macropharyngodon negrosensi
Novaculichthys macrolepidotus
Novaculichthys taeniourus
Paracheilinus carpenteri
Paracheilinus filamentosus
Paracheilinus mccoskeri
Thalassoma bifasciatum
Thalassoma hardwicke
Thalassoma hebraicum
Thalassoma jansenii
Thalassoma lucasanum
Thalassoma lunare
Thalassoma lutescens
Thalassoma purpureum
Thalassoma quinquevittatum
Thalassoma rueppellii
Wetmorella nigropinnata

Herbivores appreciate a varied diet, including herbivorous foods (such as nori) and foods commercially formulated for herbivores (including flake and frozen foods). The fish below are all herbivores.

Blennies & Blennylike Fishes

Crossosalarias macrospilus
Ecsenius bicolor
Ecsenius bimaculatus
Ecsenius gravieri
Ecsenius lineatus

Ecsenius melarchus
Ecsenius namiyei
Ecsenius stigmatura
Istiblennius chrysospilos
Ophioblennius atlanticus

Parablennius marmoreus
Salarias fasciatus
Salarias ramosus
Salarias segmentatus

Rabbitfish

Siganus corallinus
Siganus doliatus
Siganus guttatus
Siganus magnificus

Siganus puellus
Siganus punctatus
Siganus spinus
Siganus unimaculatus

Siganus uspi
Siganus virgatus
Siganus vulpinus

Tangs & Surgeonfishes

Acanthurus achilles
Acanthurus bariene
Acanthurus blochii
Acanthurus coeruleus
Acanthurus dussumieri
Acanthurus fowleri
Acanthurus guttatus
Acanthurus japonicus
Acanthurus leucocheilus
Acanthurus leucosternon
Acanthurus lineatus
Acanthurus maculiceps

Acanthurus nigricans
Acanthurus nigrofuscus
Acanthurus nigroris
Acanthurus olivaceous
Acanthurus pyroferus
Acanthurus sohal
Acanthurus tennentii
Acanthurus thompsoni
Acanthurus triostegus
Acanthurus tristis
Ctenochaetus binotatus
Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis

Ctenochaetus strigosus
Ctenochaetus tominiensis
Ctenochaetus truncatus
Naso elegans
Naso literatus
Naso vlamingii
Zebrasoma desjardinii
Zebrasoma flavescens
Zebrasoma gemmatum
Zebrasoma rostratum
Zebrasoma scopas
Zebrasoma veliferum
Zebrasoma xanthururm

Planktivores feed primarily on plankton and appreciate a varied diet, including live planktonic food (such as rotifers and commercially prepared liquid and freeze-dried foods [e.g., phytoplankton, zooplankton] especially made for planktivores and filter feeders). The fish below are all planktivores.