
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
Russell’s Lionfish
Red Sea bannerfish
White-streaked Grouper
Dwarf Lionfish
Teardrop Butterflyfish
Spotband Butterflyfish
Valentini Puffer
White-Spotted Pufferfish
Brown Tang
Mombasa Lionfish
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...
Pennant Bannerfish
Humpback Grouper
Golden Butterflyfish
Eightband Butterflyfish
Oval Butterflyfish
Saddleback Butterflyfish
Bennett’s Butterflyfish
Coral Grouper
Coral Beauty Angelfish
Black-Spotted Pufferfish
Narrow-Lined Pufferfish
Mimic Tang
Powder Brown Surgeonfish
Yellow Tang
Antennata Lionfish
Schooling Bannerfish
Speckled Blue Grouper
Fu Manchu Lionfish
Tinker’s Butterflyfish
Raccoon Butterflyfish
Caribbean Sharpnose Puffer
Sohal Tang
Indian Ocean Sailfin Tang
Blue Tang
Horned Bannerfish
Longfin Bannerfish
Copperband Butterflyfish
Latticed Butterflyfish
Meyer’s Butterflyfish
Lined Butterflyfish
Collare Butterflyfish
Eastern Triangle Butterflyfish
Peacock Grouper
Crowned Toby
Guineafowl Pufferfish
Masked Pufferfish
Orange Shoulder Tang
Atlantic Blue Tang
Tobacco Basslet
Shortnose Unicornfish
Pyramid Butterflyfish
Long-Spined Pufferfish
Pearlscale Butterflyfish
Mirror Butterflyfish
Saddleback Butterflyfish
Hawaiian Whitespotted Toby
Whitecheek Tang
Lyretail Grouper
Longnose Filefish
Phantom Bannerfish
Big Longnose Butterflyfish
Pacific Double-Saddle Butterflyfish
Fourspot Butterflyfish
Merten’s Butterflyfish
Orangeface Butterflyfish
Four-Eyed Butterflyfish
Blacktail Butterflyfish
Half Black Angelfish
Compressed Toby
Map Pufferfish
Indian Ocean Mimic Tang
Lined Surgeonfish
Achilles Tang
Red Lionfish
Singular Bannerfish
Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish
Zebra Lionfish
Vagabond Butterflyfish
Rainford’s Butterflyfish
Threadfin Butterflyfish
Starry Pufferfish
Purple Tang
Radiata Lionfish
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....