Pineapple Fish (Cleidopus gloriamaris)

The Pineapple Fish or Cleidopus gloriamaris is one of the strangest looking aquarium fish in the world. Also known as the Pinecone Fish, Coat Of Mail Fish or the Knight Fish their bodies are covered with a spines and as you can see they resemble a pinecone or a pineapple.

The Pineapple Fish has a bioluminescent bacteria around their mouths that give make it seem as if they have a glowing smile! This glow is often green, but as the fish gets older it can become more reddish in color.In the wild these fish are often found in schools at depths of 10–200 meters. They are nocturnal fish that are found in underwater caves, rocky areas and sometimes even around coral reefs. At night they use their bioluminescent mouths to attract its prey. Commons places to see the Pinecone fish is off Queensland, New South Wales, and Western Australia. Check out the Pineapple Fish in action in the video below...






These saltwater fish are very easy to care for. An aquarium of about 60 gallons should work well with 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, sg 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4 water conditions. Pinecone Fish need caves and hiding spaces to get away for bright lights. If you keep them with other peaceful fish they should get along quite well. These fish will grow to about 8" in maximum length.

This fish eats feeder shrimp and small fish and should never be exposed to copper sulfate which is used to treat many common fish infections.

Moorish Idol (Zanclus canescens)

The Moorish Idol or Zanclus canescens is often kept as an aquatic pet, but it is not considered to be easy to care for. In Hawaii, where it is quite commonly found, the Moorish Idol is known as Kihikihi while in other places of the world they are called Crowned Scythe. These saltwater fish are found in the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Red Sea.

This striking fish has striking contrasting bands of white, black and yellow and an elongated dorsal fin which is called a philomantis extension. This beautiful appearance makes them a tempting buy for any aquarium enthusiast.
In a saltwater aquarium setting these fish will only grow to about 4" in length while in the wild they can grow as long as 7". Like with a lot of fish though, the bigger the aquarium, the bigger these fish will grow. An aquarium of at least 140 gallons is recommended. Water conditions of dKH 8-12, 78-80° F, sg 1.021-1.023, pH 8.1-8.4 are acceptable.

Moorish Idol are considered to be quite tame, they will not bother the other tankmates and will often form schools if kept in groups. The biggest problem with the Moorish Idol or Kihikihi is that they are very picky eaters. To start with you should make sure you have a large supply of live rock with sponges and algae. Eventually they will begin to take mysis shrimp, Spirulina, and other meat foods. Avocado and Banana pieces are also said to work for this picky eater.

What is your experience with the Moorish Idol? Do you have any tips or trick to keep this fish happy and healthy? If so leave them in the comments below...

Giant Stingray (Himantura chaophraya)

The Giant Stingray or Himantura chaophraya is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. Also known as the Whip Ray, this massive stingray can grow to 16.5 ft (5m) and weigh in at an amazing 1,320 lbs (600 kg)! They are gray or brown in color and shaped like most other stingrays with a flat body and a long tail with a stinger on it. This stinger can reach lengths of 15 inches (38 centimeters) and can easily pierce through human skin and bone. If that didn't freak you out yet consider the fact that their stingers are also often venomous!

Giant Stingrays were only things of legend until 20 years ago when the first one was documented. For this reason, little is known about these monsters including their population size and habitats. Stories of these fish capsizing boats have even been reported. To see a Giant Stingray in action check out this video...



The few places that Giant stingrays have been spotted include Thailand, Borneo, New Guinea, and northern Australia. These creatures will often camouflage themselves by bury themselves in sandy river bottoms. Giant Stingrays have the ability to detect their prey by sensing their electrical fields! Quite an impressive trait!If you have more information about Giant Stingrays that you would like to add please do so in the comments below...

Chilean Sea Bass (Dissostichus eleginoides)

The Chilean Sea Bass or Dissostichus eleginoides has many names including the Patagonian Toothfish, Merluza Negra and Mero in Japan. This type of fish is commercial caught in many different countries across the globe and exploded in popularity in the 1990 here in the states. Chilean Sea Bass are found in the frigid waters of the Southern Atlantic & Pacific oceans along with the Indian ocean at depths of up to 3850 meters.

This type of salt water fish is quite large, growing to 7-1/2' (2.3m) and can weigh up to 440lbs (200kg). Although the Chilean Sea Bass is believed to be able to live up to 50 years, they rarely reach this age due to overfishing. This combined with the fact that these fish don't reach sexual maturity until almost 10 years old makes the survival of this species in question. This large saltwater fish will feed on squid, prawns, and other small salt water fish.While certainly not the prettiest fish to look at, the Chilean Sea Bass are considered to be rather tasty with a light white fleshy meat they can be be prepared several different ways. If you have a recipe for Chilean Sea Bass please leave it below in the comments. Of course, always enjoy in moderation...

Dracula Fish (Danionella dracula)

The Dracula Fish or Danionella dracula was recently discovered by researchers at London's Natural History Museum. As you can see in the pictures above and below, this odd looking freshwater fish gets its name from the sharp fangs that protrude out of their mouth. As if that weren't weird enough, the Dracula Fish has a transparent body much like the babies or frys of other fish species! Don't worry though the Dracula Fish is quite small growing only to about 1" in length.
Discovered in stream in Burma or Myanmar their sharp fangs are thought to be used for fighting other male Dracula Fish and not for feeding purposes. The fangs in the female Dracula Fish are much smaller than those of their male counterparts. Dracula fish feed on very small invertebrates and crustaceans and even are said to accept flake food in an aquarium setting.

If you have any more information you would like to share about the Dracula Fish please leave a comment below...

Purple Dottyback (Pseudochromis porphyreus)

The Purple Dottyback or Pseudochromis porphyreus is a striking saltwater fish that is often used as an accent fish in a saltwater aquarium. Also known as the Magenta Dottyback, and the Strawberry Purple Pseudochromis this fish is considered to be quite easy to care for. Like most Pseudochromis fish, they are very hardy as well.

If you are thinking of purchasing a Purple Dottyback take into account that it can be aggressive towards other Pseudochromis fish or even other similarly shaped fish. An aquarium of at least 40 gallons should be provided with many hiding places to keep this fish happy and healthy. This fish will normally grow to no more than 3" in length and is safe to keep in a reef tank. Purple Dottybacks are carnivores that should be fed a variety of meaty foods including brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and other frozen meaty foods. Make sure to feed these fish properly or they will lose some of their beautiful coloration. Water conditions for this type of Dottyback fish should be temperatures of 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, sg 1.020-1.025, and a pH of 8.1-8.4.

Opaline Gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus)

The Opaline Gourami or Trichogaster trichopterus is a popular aquarium fish that has a silver coloration with dark blue markings. Also known as the Marbled Gourami, Three Spot Gourami, Blue gourami, Cosby gourami, Gold gourami, Golden gourami this type of Gourami is small, growing to only about 6" and is considered to be quite peaceful. From what I understand the Opaline Gourami is one of the most interesting fish to watch grow up. Have a look at this video to see the baby fry in action...

Like a few other species of fish the Opaline Gourami breathes real air. This defines them as a Labyrinth Fish and means that you need to allow access to the surface of your tank in order for this fish to survive.

These fish require a tank of at least 30 gallons and are considered to be quite compatible with a lot of different tank mates of similar size and aggressiveness. As with most fish providing a lot of hiding spaces is crucial to keeping your fish happy.
The Male Opaline Gourami will build a bubble nest and then has a bizarre mating ritual in which the fish will dance in front of the female, flaring its fins and raising up its tail. This means that mating is imminent and if you want to encourage the process even more you should reduce your water level. After spawning the male can become aggressive toward the female Opaline Gourami so watch out. Sometimes separating them is the best idea. Make sure to change the water often after the fry have hatched.

The fry of this species can be fed infusoria and nauplii while the adult versions should be fed flake food and meaty food including bloodworms and brine shrimp. Water conditions for this freshwater aquarium fish should be 72-82° F with a PH Level of 6.0-8.0.

Mosquitofish (Gambusia Affinis)

The Mosquitofish or Gambusia affinis can eat its body weight in mosquito larve in a single day! For this reason they are one of the most important fish in the world. Also known as Gambusia this fish's ability to keep mosquito populations in check helps prevent nasty diseases like the West Nile Virus, Yellow Fever and Malaria. Mosquitofish are often used in small ponds to keep Mosquitos and other insect larvae at bay and with the recently rise in foreclosures places have even been using these fish in abandoned pools.

As you can tell Mosquitofish are extremely hard to kill. They can withstand low oxygen levels, salt levels and high temperatures! This amazing adaptability makes the Mosquitofish one of the most far reaching fish in the world. To learn more about the Mosquitofish check out this video...

There are two types of Mosquitofish, the Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) and the Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). They are both quite small the females reaching only 2-1/2" and the males 1-/2". These fish are grey with a mouth that is permanently pointed upwards to feed off the water's surface. Mosquitofish can reproduce quickly with a female reaching sexual maturity in under 9 weeks. They can produce almost 100 young at a time! Even though they only live to about 4 years maximum, they manage to multiply and take over places that they are introduced to. The numbers suggest that they can expand from 7,000 to 120,000 in just five months! As you can imagine these species can easily become an invasive species, but their uncanny ability to eliminate Mosquitos still makes them a popular fish! They are even often kept in an aquarium setting!

Little Spinefoot (Siganus spinus)

The Little Spinefoot or Siganus spinus is most often found in small schools in and along reefs in the Pacific Ocean. This fish has a tanish coloration and lighter squiggles throughout its body that help it blend into the reefs.

The Little Spinefoot is often kept as pet. This type of saltwater Rabbitfish is normally quite peaceful, just be sure to keep them away from other different species of Rabbitfish. The most important thing to consider though if considering the purchase of a Little Spinefoot is that the dorsal spines of this fish are venomous. Be extremely careful if you ever handle this fish as these dorsal spines will raise up if the Little Spinefoot fish is aggravated. While it will hurt quite a bit this venom is not considered deadly.Also known as Black Spinefoot or Scribbled Rabbitfish, these fish should be kept in a salt water aquarium of at least 80 gallons with a temperature range of 72-78° F, sg 1.020-1.025 and a PH level of 8.1-8.4. They should be fed a good variety of vegetables and algae. They are often known to chomp on coral polyps as well.