White Tip Clarks Clowfish
Amphiprion clarkii   Amphiprion frenatus     
Amphiprion ocellaris (Ocellaris/False Percula or Nemo)

Most aquarium hobbyists have always dreamt of having a successful aquarium with clownfish and host anemones. Did you know there are 28 species of clownfish?  But really only a few  clownfish species the hobbyist is likely to encounter around here.

Amphiprion ocellaris (Ocellaris/False Percula or Nemo) is the most common clownfish in the hobby.  It is found from Northwest Australia to the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan. 
Most of the imports come from Indonesia and the Philippines. 


Amphiprion clarkii (Clark's) is one of the most common clownfish in the hobby.  It is found from Micronesia to the Persian Gulf and from Northern Australia to Southern Japan.  The color of this clownfish is variable, but normally is has three white stripes, one behind the eye, one mid body, and one at the base of the tail.  The body color can be mostly yellow, orange, or black.

While clownfish can be kept successfully in the aquarium without a host anemone, they do seem to enjoy life in an aquarium a lot more when they have a host.  Remember though that if you want to keep a host anemone you will need to set up the aquarium with the proper lighting and filtration. 
Host anemones are one of the more difficult animals to keep in a reef aquarium,
but paired with clownfish they can also be one of the most entertaining.




Flame Hawkfish  aka Brilliant Hawkfish  / Neocirrhitus armatus

This fish's body is a brilliant flaming red color, has a contrasting black band on its back, black bands around the eyes, and grows to about 4 inches. They are more of a bottom-dweller  and likes to  live in areas where coral heads and stones are present to perch upon and hide in.

This fish's vibrant red color, personable nature, and small size makes it a highly sought after specimen by aquarists. However, like most Hawkfishes, it is predatory bottom-dweller. It likes to sit on top of rocks or corals to keep watch, ready to pounce on any unsuspecting prey that swims too close. They are a very personable fish, and are great for reef aquariums as long as there are no small shrimp maintained in the aquarium. It requires a 30 gallon or larger aquarium with plenty of live rock for structure and hiding




Chain Link Moray Eel

The chain-link Moray eel has a long slender body. It has white coloring with a slightly yellow tint. It has round, black or gray chain markings across it’s whole body. That is where they get the name Chain-link Moray eel. In an aquarium, this eel can grow to two and a half feet long. It is pretty easy to care for, it doesn't doesn’t need that big of a tank. But at least 125 gallons.

The chain-link eel likes to make shelter in holes between rocks and coral in an aquarium. It spends a lot of its time hiding during the day. It does most of its hunting at nighttime under the cover of darkness. If you put large rocks or large pieces of coral in the bottom of your aquarium, make sure they are fastened to the bottom of the tank. Like most other eels, they may knock over the rocks and hurt themselves.

Moray eels come in many shapes and sizes. There is one eel, though, that dwarfs all other moray eels. Strophidon sathlete, or what is known by more common names as the gangetic moray or the slender giant moray. The slender giant moray is found in the Indo-west pacific ocean. It likes living in muddy environments in areas like inner bays and rivers. Some slender giant eels have been measured at over 400 cm long!
How cool is that?!

Visit Our Chicago Aquarium Store Today and Decide If Our Newest Arrivals of Freshwater Tropical and Saltwater Exotic Fish Are Just What You're Looking For!

Chicago Aquarium      5040 N. Clark Street  773-878-8474
Chicago's Best Resource For Freshwater and Saltwater Tropical Aquarium Fish and Supplies