When ascribed to the various species of the genus Tubastraea, the common name “sun coral” is both fitting and ironic. It’s fitting when you consider that the spectacular polyps of many Tubastraea species can quite justifiably be described as sun-like…
4 Crabby Caveats to Keeping Clibanarius tricolor
Clibanarius tricolor, the blue-legged hermit crab, is very commonly introduced to marine aquaria, either in conspecific groups or as part of a multi-species “reef janitor” package or “cleanup crew” (aka “CUC” for those who just can’t get enough of those…
Tridacna derasa：一个很好的借口！
Of all the Tridacna spp. clams available to hobbyists, perhaps the hardiest and easiest to maintain of them all is Tridacna derasa, the so-called smooth giant clam. This species is so smooth, in fact, that amorous, gold-chain-wearing male specimens have…
The Green Brittle Star: Little Fishy, Beware!
“贪婪的捕食者”并不是一个通常与脆性星星相关的术语，也就是说，除非有问题的脆弱之星恰好是Ophiarachna cormassata或绿色脆性星（又称“绿色死亡”）。这个大胆的物种有一个…
Sea Apples: Hazardous Holothurians Best Left to Advanced Hobbyists
In several posts here at Saltwater Smarts, I’ve mentioned that certain marine organisms routinely offered in the aquarium trade should come with a warning label—especially for novice hobbyists. In these cases, I’m usually referring to animals that are really gorgeous…
Anemone Lookalike: The Long-Tentacled Plate Coral
Heliofungia actiniformis乍一看很容易被误认为是海葵的，这是一种大型型石质（LPS）珊瑚，对于具有适度尺寸系统的reefkeepers来说，这是一个绝佳的选择。即使是相对的新移民，对这种物种的贡献也可以成功……
Live Rock Hitchhikers: Tunicates (Sea Squirts)
Among the more fascinating creatures that commonly make their way into marine aquariums as stowaways on good-quality live rock are tunicates, or sea squirts. In terms of visual interest, these animals can be quite dazzling, with some exhibiting spectacular coloration…
Don’t Get Burned by Flame Scallops!
Mention beautiful bivalves for the marine aquarium, and the various tridacnid clams (the so-called giant clams) will probably come to mind. Likely, the flame scallops of the genus Ctenoides will too. However, while the tridacnids have a fairly decent survival…
Sand-sifting Starfish: A Job (too) Well Done!
If you’ve ever shopped for a marine aquarium cleanup crew, you’ve probably noticed that these packages often include so-called sand-sifting starfish—rather bland-colored, burrowing stars of the genus Astropecten that can reach about a foot in diameter. As their common name…
Stenopus hispidus: A Look at a Popular Boxer Shrimp
Among the various ornamental crustaceans available in the marine aquarium trade, one of the most popular and easiest to obtain is Stenopus hispidus, the banded coral shrimp, also known by the common names coral banded shrimp, banded boxer shrimp, barber…
