Indo-Pacific
The heart of marine biodiversity — the Coral Triangle, Great Barrier Reef, and surrounding seas hold more reef species than anywhere else on Earth.
1,073 species
Sub-regions
Whitefin Surgeonfish
FishAcanthurus albipectoralis
A reef-edge schooler that hunts open water instead of grazing the bottom.
Whitelined Goby
FishAmblygobius albimaculatus
A sand-sifting goby that pairs for life and engineers its own burrow.
Whitespotted Puffer
FishArothron hispidus
A boldly patterned puffer with a voracious appetite and a personality to match.
Whitetail Bristletooth
FishCtenochaetus flavicauda
A compact reef-grazer with a bright white tail that stands out on the rock face.
Wrinkle Coral
CoralCoscinaraea crassa
A rugged encrusting coral with deeply textured, wrinkled corallites for the patient reef keeper.
Wrinkle Coral
CoralCoscinaraea marshae
An Australian plate coral with elegantly ridged, folded structure.
Wrinkle Coral
CoralCoscinaraea mcneilli
A flat, textured plate coral built for rocky, high-energy reef margins.
Wrinkle Coral
CoralCoscinaraea monile
A low-profile reef builder with finely textured, wrinkled surfaces across its domes.
Wrinkle Coral
CoralPsammocora columna
A subtly textured Indo-Pacific coral with a wide depth range and moderate care needs.
Wrinkle Coral
CoralPsammocora exesa
A tough, textured reef coral with a broad Indo-Pacific range and moderate care needs.
Yasha Goby
FishStonogobiops yasha
A tiny reef goby that shares its burrow with a nearly-blind shrimp partner.
Yellowbanded Pipefish
FishDunckerocampus pessuliferus
A reef cleaner that moonlights as one of the more manageable pipefish for beginners.
Yellow Cardinalfish
FishOstorhinchus luteus
A tiny Pacific cardinalfish that finds shelter among sea urchin spines.
Yellow Coris Wrasse
FishHalichoeres chrysus
A cheerful, all-yellow wrasse that's as easygoing as it looks.
Yellow Devilfish
FishAssessor flavissimus
A tiny reef basslet that casually swims upside down like it's no big deal.
Yellow-faced Angelfish
FishPomacanthus xanthometopon
A reef-grazing giant whose juvenile and adult forms look like different fish entirely.
Yellow-fin Flasher-wrasse
FishParacheilinus flavianalis
A small reef wrasse that puts on dazzling courtship displays in group settings.
Yellowlined Anthias
FishPseudanthias luzonensis
A deep-slope reef dweller that schools beautifully in spacious saltwater tanks.
Yellow Seahorse
FishHippocampus kuda
A wide-ranging Indo-Pacific seahorse that adapts surprisingly well to aquarium life.
Yellow Sea Rod
CoralPinnigorgia flava
A bright yellow branching gorgonian that's surprisingly forgiving for new reef keepers.
Yellowstriped Cardinalfish
FishApogon cyanosoma
A reef-safe schooling cardinalfish that finds safety in numbers and sea urchin spines.
Yellowstriped Fairy Basslet
FishPseudanthias tuka
A reef-slope schooler draped in purple and yellow, surprisingly manageable in a large system.
Yellowtail Damselfish
FishChrysiptera parasema
A bold little reef fish with a vivid golden tail and an attitude to match.
Yellowtail Poison-fang Blenny
FishMeiacanthus atrodorsalis
A venomous-fanged blenny so bold that other fish evolved to copy its look.
Yellow Tang
FishZebrasoma flavescens
Hawaii's iconic reef grazer that earns its keep eating nuisance algae.
Yellow Watchman Goby
FishCryptocentrus cinctus
A pint-sized goby that shares its burrow with a nearly blind shrimp partner.
Yuma Ricordea
CoralRicordea yuma
A jewel-toned mushroom coral that's surprisingly forgiving for new reef keepers.
Zebra Coral
CoralOulastrea crispata
A boldly patterned encrusting coral with a taste for turbid, high-energy water.
Zoanthids
CoralZoanthus sp.
Hardy, colorful colonial polyps that reward beginners and experienced reefers alike.