The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Saltwater Aquariums

Peaceful fish generally have a peaceful disposition and are an excellent inhabitant of a peaceful community tank. Peaceful fish should not be mixed with more aggressive fishes by beginner aquarists.The fish below are all peaceful.

Semi-aggressive fish in the wild occupy the predator niche on the reef and are fully capable of aggressive behavior in a tank. Beginning aquarists should not mix aggressive species with peaceful species. If they are to be mixed, the more aggressive animal should be added later in the stocking order. The fish below are all semi-aggressive.

Angelfishes

Apolemichthys trimaculatus
Apolemichthys xanthopunctatus
Centropyge acanthops
Centropyge argi
Centropyge aurantia
Centropyge aurantonotus
Centropyge bicolor
Centropyge bispinosa
Centropyge colini
Centropyge eibli
Centropyge fisheri
Centropyge heraldi
Centropyge interruptus
Centropyge loricula

Centropyge multicolor
Centropyge multifasciatus
Centropyge multispinis
Centropyge nox
Centropyge tibicen
Centropyge vrolikii
Chaetodontoplus caeruleopunctatus
Chaetodontoplus conspicillatus
Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus
Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis
Holacanthus bermudensis
Holacanthus ciliaris
Holacanthus passer
Holacanthus tricolor

Pomacanthus annularis
Pomacanthus arcuatus
Pomacanthus asfur
Pomacanthus chrysurus
Pomacanthus imperator
Pomacanthus maculosus
Pomacanthus navarchus
Pomacanthus paru
Pomacanthus semicirculatus
Pomacanthus sexstriatus
Pomacanthus xanthometopon
Pomacanthus zonipectus
Pygoplites diacanthus
Pygoplites diacanthus (Red Sea)

Anglerfishes & Frogfishes

Antennarius commerson
Antennarius maculatus

Antennarius striatus
Histrio histrio

Basses (including Anthias, Groupers, & Hamlets)

Nemanthias carberryi
Paranthias furcifer
Pseudanthias bicolor
Pseudanthias cooperi

Pseudanthias huchtii
Pseudanthias lori
Pseudanthias pictilis
Pseudanthias pleurotaenia

Pseudanthias rubrizonatus
Pseudanthias squamipinnis
Pseudanthias truncatus

Basslets, Spiny Basslets & Grammas

Calloplesiops altivelis

Gramma brasiliensis

Serranus baldwini

Blennies & Blennylike Fishes

Exallias brevis
Meiacanthus atrodorsalis
Meiacanthus grammistes

Meiacanthus oualenensis
Meiacanthus smithi
Meiacanthus tongaensis

Parablennius marmoreus
Parapercis schauislandii

Butterflyfishes

Chaetodon ephippium
Chaetodon falcula

Chaetodon melannotus
Chaetodon mitratus

Chaetodon nippon
Chaetodon vagabundus

Cardinalfishes

Apogon maculatus

Apogon novemfasciatus

Damselfishes (including Clownfishes)

Abudefduf saxatilis
Amblyglyphidodon aureus
Amphiprion allardi
Amphiprion chrysopterus
Amphiprion clarkii
Amphiprion melanopus
Amphiprion perideraion
Amphiprion polymnus
Amphiprion polymnus (black)
Amphiprion polymnus (brown)
Amphiprion sandaracinos
Amphiprion sebae

Amphiprion tricinctus
Chrysiptera cyanea
Chrysiptera galba
Chrysiptera hemicyanea
Chrysiptera parasema
Chrysiptera rollandi
Chrysiptera springeri
Chrysiptera starcki
Chrysiptera talboti
Dascyllus aruanus
Dascyllus marginatus
Dascyllus melanurus

Dascyllus reticulatus
Dascyllus trimaculatus
Dascyllus trimaculatus (Gold)
Neoglyphidodon nigroris/a>
Pomacentrus alleni
Pomacentrus auriventris
Pomacentrus bankanensis
Pomacentrus moluccensis
Pomacentrus smithi

Dottybacks & Pseudochromis

Cypho purpurascens
Labracinus cyclophthalmus
Pseudochromis aldabraensis
Pseudochromis cyanotaenia
Pseudochromis dilectus

Pseudochromis elongatus
Pseudochromis flavivertex
Pseudochromis fuscus
Pseudochromis paccagnellae
Pseudochromis polynemus

Pseudochromis porphyreus
Pseudochromis splendens
Pseudochromis springeri
Pseudochromis veliferus

Eels

Echidna nebulosa
Echidna polyzona
Gymnomuraena zebra
Gymnothorax kidako

Gymnothorax melatremus
Gymnothorax meleagris
Gymnothorax miliaris
Gymnothorax miliaris (Gold)

Gymnothorax nudivomer (Gold)
Myrichthys maculosus (Gold)
Rhinomuraena quaesita

Gobies

Amblyeleotris randalli

Amblygobius semicinctus

Cryptocentrus leptocephalus

Grunts & Sweetlips

Plectorhinchus albovittatus
Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides

Plectorhinchus diagrammus
Plectorhinchus lineatus

Plectorhinchus orientalis
Plectorhinchus picus

Hawkfishes

Amblycirrhitus pinos
Cirrhitichthys aprinus

Cyprinocirrhites polyactis
Neocirrhites armatus

Oxycirrhites typus

Lionfishes

Dendrochirus biocellatus
Dendrochirus brachypterus

Dendrochirus zebra
Pterois antennata

Pterois radiata
Pterois volitans

Tangs & Surgeonfishes

Acanthurus achilles
Acanthurus bariene
Acanthurus blochii
Acanthurus chirurgus
Acanthurus guttatus
Acanthurus maculiceps

Acanthurus mata
Acanthurus nigricans
Acanthurus nigrofuscus
Acanthurus nigroris
Acanthurus pyroferus
Acanthurus tristis

Ctenochaetus binotatus
Zebrasoma desjardinii
Zebrasoma flavescens
Zebrasoma gemmatum
Zebrasoma rostratum
Zebrasoma veliferum

Wrasses, Hogfishes & Tuskfishes

Anampses twistii
Bodianus anthioides
Bodianus axillaris
Bodianus bilunulatus
Bodianus masudai
Bodianus opercularis
Bodianus pulchellus

Bodianus rufus
Choerodon fasciatus
Choerodon jordani
Cirrhilabrus jordani
Clepticus parrae
Halichoeres bivittatus

Halichoeres radiatus
Novaculichthys macrolepidotus
Thalassoma bifasciatum
Thalassoma hebraicum
Thalassoma jansenii
Thalassoma rueppellii

Aggressive fish are fishes that, by nature, prey on other animals in the aquarium by nipping or eating their prey whole. The fish below are all aggressive.