The results are in! Here are numbers 10-6 based on recent sales' statistics for one of the leading online retailers of marine livestock.
Number 10 - Copperband Butterfly (Chelmon rostratus)
Vital Stats:
- Grows to 8 inches
- Needs 50-gallon+ aquarium
- Comes from the Indo-Pacific and Australia
You thought Peppermint Shrimp were the best Aiptaisia-eaters (Aiptaisia is a pest anemone that can easily take over the tank)? Well think again. Say hello to the Copperband Butterfly, or as Mark Martin, Director of Marine Ornamental Research at Blue Zoo Aquatics puts it, “a miracle worker on helping rid Aiptaisia from aquaria.” This (largely) reef-safe butterfly fish is a beauty to behold, but is a finicky eater in captivity. As a result, the Copperband Butterfly is generally not considered a hardy species and is not an appropriate beginner fish. Plan to spend between $20 and $90 depending on size.
Number 9 - Six Line Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia)
Vital Stats:
- Grows to 4 inches
- Needs a 30-gallon+ aquarium
- Comes from Indo-Pacific, Red Sea and Australia
Like the Copperband Butterfly, the Six Line Wrasse also serves a very utilitarian purpose in the marine aquarium insofar as it is a virtual pyramidillid snail and red flatworm hunter. A highly attractive fish, the Six Line Wrasse may grow up to be a bit of a bully. This is a hardy fish appropriate for the beginning aquarist and can be obtained for around $15.
Number 8 - Neon Goby (Gobiosoma oceanops)
Vital Stats:
- Grows to 2 inches
- Needs a 10-gallon+ aquarium
- Comes from Western Atlantic
Yet another fish that earns its keep, the Neon Goby is a cleaner fish that will remove parasites from your other fish. Reef safe and hardy, it’s hard to think of why you would not want a neon goby in your tank. A pair will spawn in captivity, so you may only spend $50 ever for this personable fish. The neon goby is generally obtainable for around $25 each.
Number 7 - Lawnmower Blenny (Salarias fasciatus)
Vital Stats:
- Grows to 5 ½ inches
- Needs a 24-gallon+ aquarium
- Comes from Indo-Pacific
Got filamentous algae? Get a Lawnmower Blenny. As the name suggests, this fish will mow through fields of algae and then personably perch on the rock work looking fat, dumb and happy. This fish needs its algae and may require supplemental feedings in a tank that is not mature enough or has insufficient quantities of filamentous algae. The Lawnmower Blenny can become a bit of a bruiser toward sessile invertebrates when it grows up. Get yours for between $10 and $25 depending on size.
Number 6 – True Percula Clownfish (Amphriprion percula)
Vital Stats:
- Grows to 4 ½ inches
- Needs a 24-gallon+ aquarium
- Comes from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands
You knew a clownfish would show up somewhere on the top ten, right? Well it’s the True Percula Clownfish that comes in at number six. This is one of the most recognizable and hardiest marine fishes commonly available to the hobbyist. This is NOT (although commonly mistaken as such) an Ocellaris Clownfish, which has less distinct black bands around its white barring. This fish, famous for hosting in anemones, does not need an anemone, but, according to Martin, "best hosts in Heteractis magnifica, Stichodactyla gigantea, and S. mertensii in the wild." In captivity, the True Percula Clownfish will also readily host in Entacmaea quadricolor. This fish will cost you between $10 and $30 depending on size (more if you are purchasing a matched pair).
Statistics for this article were gathered from Blue Zoo Aquatics, a leading online retailer of marine livestock. An article on the top five fish is posted here.
