
Popular Saltwater Fish Species for your Aquarium
Here are some of the most popular saltwater fish species that are commonly kept in aquariums, each with unique characteristics and care requirements.
A common rule of thumb for how many marine fish you can keep in an aquarium is to allow 1 inch of fish per gallon of water; however, this can vary depending on the specific fish species and their size, with reef tanks generally requiring even more space per fish due to their larger waste output and need for swimming room.
Sailfin Tang
Queen Angelfish
Pyramid Butterflyfish
Vagabond Butterflyfish
Rainford’s Butterflyfish
Threadfin Butterflyfish
Brown Tang
Blue Tang
Stark’s Tilefish
Swallowtail Angelfish
Pacific Double-Saddle Butterflyfish
Blackback Butterflyfish
Collare Butterflyfish
Peacock Grouper
Herald’s Angelfish
Bicolor Angelfish
Indian Yellowtail Angelfish
Orange Shoulder Tang
Tobacco Basslet
Singular Bannerfish
Watanabe’s Angelfish
Teardrop Butterflyfish
Spotband Butterflyfish
Whitetail Pygmy Angelfish
Indian Ocean Sailfin Tang
Helfrich’s Firefish
King Angelfish
Lamarck’s Angelfish
Latticed Butterflyfish
Lined Butterflyfish
Four-Eyed Butterflyfish
Half Black Angelfish
Lemonpeel Angelfish
Golden Angelfish
Indian Ocean Mimic Tang
Lined Surgeonfish
Shortnose Unicornfish
Red Sea bannerfish
Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish
Tinker’s Butterflyfish
Raccoon Butterflyfish
Rusty Angelfish
Koran Angelfish
Overview Native to the Indo-Pacific region, commonly found around coral reefs and lagoon environments. Known for its vibrant blue-green body with distinctive semicircular patterns and intricate blue markings on the fins. Juveniles have bold blue, black, and white...
Bluespine Unicorn Tang
Overview Found in the Indo-Pacific region. Known for their distinctive long horn-like protrusion on their forehead, which develops with age. They have a laterally compressed body and a lunate tail. Unicorn tangs are active swimmers and often seen grazing on algae....
Horned Bannerfish
Big Longnose Butterflyfish
Fourspot Butterflyfish
Klein’s Butterflyfish
Burgess’ Butterflyfish
Keyhole Angelfish
Eibli Angelfish
Cherub Angelfish
Convict Tang
Atlantic Blue Tang
Rock Beauty
Schooling Bannerfish
Pearlscale Butterflyfish
Mirror Butterflyfish
Saddleback Butterflyfish
Purple Tang
Gray Angelfish
Overview Native to the Western Atlantic, commonly found near coral reefs and rocky outcroppings in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Large angelfish with a dark gray body covered in lighter scale markings and a broad, crescent-shaped tail fin. Juveniles feature a...
Naso Tang
Overview Found in the Indo-Pacific region. Known for their distinctive appearance, including a prominent nose horn (more developed in males) and vibrant coloration. They have a laterally compressed body and a lunate tail. Naso tangs are active swimmers and often seen...