GALAPOGOS ISLAND BIOTOPE TANK:

With so many fish available now days to saltwater aquarists, we need to do more work in creating Biotope tanks. They allow us to watch interactions that would not occur in the typical aquarium, and they let us create a "true picture" of the coral reefs much better. Studies show that fish feel more comfortable when surrounded by other fish they recognize, and aggression is less of a problem it is speculated. These are just some of the many fish from the Galapagos Islands, that would create a very unique biotope tank. We do not wish to imply that all these fish can be kept together, or that all of them are reef-safe, as that is not so. However, we wish to give you a well-rounded list of the more common fish from that area that can be found in the aquarium trade. A Biotope tank is truly special, and truly a work of art.

Charles Darwin was very interested in the reefs of the Galapagos, and he spent alot time studying coral reefs and how they are formed, and the corals themselves. Here are some fish you may want to include in the Biotope:

Tangs:
Acanthurus triostegus--Convict Tangs
The White-Cheek Tang (A. nigricans, looks similar to Powder Brown, common)
Acanthurus xanthopterus
The Saw-Tooth Tang (Prionurus laticlavius)

Cardinalfish:
Apogon dovii
A. pacificus
A. astradorsatus

Dragonets:
Synchiropus atrilabiatus

Butterflyfish:
Klein's Butterflyfish
Threadfin Butterflyfish(Chaetodon auriga)
Raccoon Butteflyfish (Chaetodon lunula)
Long-Nose Butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus)
Three others are:
Johnrandallia nigrirostris
Prognathodes falcifer
Chaetodon humeralis

Hawkfish:
Coral Hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus) (can be aggressive! 3.5in)
The Chino Mera/Giant Hawkfish (Cirrhitus rivulatus) (20 inches, nocturnal)
The Long-Nose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus) (has been been for over 10yrs)

Porcupine Fish:
The two common ones in the hobby from this area are the Diodon hystrix, which attains up to 3 feet in length, and is called the Common Porcupine or Porcupine Puffer, and Diodon holacanthus, which is called the Long Spined Porcupine fish, and grows up to 20 inches, but a bit smaller in captivity. Both of these fish are wide spread throughout the world.

Gobies:
The Catalina / Blue-Band Goby (Bathygobius lineatus)
Chriolepis tagus
Coryphopterus urospilus
Elacatinus nesiotes
Lythrypnus dalli
Lythrypnus gilberti
Lythrypnus rhizophora

Squirrelfish:
Not overly common--
Myripristis berndti
Myripristis leiognathos
Sargocentron suborbitalis

Wrasses
Bodianus diplotaenia
Bodianus eclancheri
Halichoeres dispilus
Halichoeres nicholsi
Halichoeres notospilus
Novaculichthys taeniourus
Semicossyphus darwini
Stethojulis bandanensis
Thalassoma grammaticum
Thalassoma lucasanum
Xyrichtys pavo
Xyrichtys victori

Moray Eels
Gymnomuraena zebra--Zebra Moray, very docile crab-eater
Gymnothorax buroensis--Lattice-Tail Moray, 13 inches
Gymnothorax flavimarginatus--Yellow Margin Moray
Gymnothorax meleagris--White Mouth Moray
Gymnothorax panamensis--(Panamanic Moray)
Gymnothorax rueppelliae--Yellowhead Moray
Muraena argus--Argus Moray
Muraena clepsydra--Hourglass Moray
Muraena lentiginosa--Jewel Moray
Siderea picta--Peppered Moray
Other Moray Eels:
Anarchias galapagensis
Echidna nocturna
Enchelycore lichenosa
Enchelycore octaviana
Gymnothorax castaneus
Gymnothorax dovii
Uropterygius macrocephalus--Large Head Snake Moray (rare)
Uropterygius polystictus
Uropterygius versutus

Jawfish:
Opistognathus scops
Opistognathus galapagensis

Boxfish:
Lactoria diaphana
The Pacific White-Spotted Boxfish (Ostracion meleagris)

Angelfish
The King Angelfish (Holacanthus passer)
Pomacanthus zonipectus

Damselfish:
Abudefduf concolor
Abudefduf troschelii
Azurina eupalama
Chromis alta
Chromis atrilobata
Microspathodon bairdi
Microspathodon dorsalis
Nexilosus latifrons
Stegastes acapulcoensis
Stegastes arcifrons
Stegastes flavilatus
Stegastes beebei

Sea Basses:
Alphestes immaculatus
Cephalopholis panamensis
Cratinus agassizii
Dermatolepis dermatolepis
Diplectrum eumelum
Diplectrum euryplectrum
Diplectrum macropoma
Diplectrum rostrum
Epinephelus analogus
Epinephelus cifuentesi
Epinephelus labriformis
Epinephelus niphobles
Hemanthias peruanus
Liopropoma fasciatum
Mycteroperca olfax
Paralabrax albomaculatus
Paranthias colonus
Pronotogrammus multifasciatus
Pseudogramma thaumasium
Rypticus bicolor
Rypticus nigripinnis
Serranus psittacinus
Serranus stilbostigma

Puffers:
Arothron hispidus
Arothron meleagris
Canthigaster amboinensis
Canthigaster janthinoptera
Canthigaster punctatissima
Canthigaster valentini
Lagocephalus lagocephalus
Sphoeroides angusticeps
Sphoeroides annulatus
Sphoeroides lobatus

Blennies:
Dialommus fuscus
Labrisomus dendriticus
Labrisomus jenkinsi
Labrisomus multiporosus
Malacoctenus tetranemus
Malacoctenus zonogaster
Starksia galapagensis
Hypsoblennius brevipinnis
Ophioblennius steindachneri
Plagiotremus azaleus


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