If you’ve never before heard of the Prismatic Eyebar Goby (Gnatholepis ophthalmotaenia), it’s likely because this is a name that I’ve literally just coined for a species that was until now referred to by an outdated and decidedly lackluster term. I’ve always been of the opinion that a [...]
Of the dozens of Canthigaster species that occur throughout the tropics, few are quite so confounding as the Natal Toby. Though described nearly a century and a half ago, there are still differing opinions regarding whether it’s even a distinct species or, instead, just a synonym for one of the [...]
Plesionika is a highly diverse and poorly known group of delicate shrimps that constitutes a considerable crustacean component of mesophotic reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific. Several species have been known to sporadically show up in aquarium exports (most often in Japan), and, for a more thorough [...]
Deepwater fishes hold an undeniable fascination in the hearts and minds of many an aquarist, but, alas, these bizarre denizens of the deep are impossible to acquire for the home hobbyist. However, what is often not appreciated is that there are several groups of mesopelagic fish which regularly [...]
The miniature Caribbean basses of the genus Serranus are a frequent and popular offering in the aquarium trade, but few are familiar with their close relatives in the Eastern Pacific. Like their Atlantic siblings, these fishes are attractively patterned and, were it not for their relative [...]
Hawkfishes (Family Cirrhitidae) are one of the most characteristic groups associated with tropical coral reefs. The 33 species currently recognized are typically to be found perching out in the open atop rock and corals in the uppermost portions of the reef, posturing in a manner that might lead [...]
Tropical sand flats are a great place to find strange species of fish not normally encountered in aquarium exports. Fishes from this ecological niche are often highly specialized for living in this relatively featureless and unprotected habitat, showing adaptations to their coloration, morphology [...]
I’d like to call your attention to one of the more unusual groups of shrimp to be found around coral reefs, an animal of peculiar morphological novelty and considerable evolutionary isolation. These obscure creatures are seldom discussed outside the scientific literature, absent even from most [...]