The Malidives consist of over 1000 islands in the Indian Ocean, that lay Southest of India. From the Huge schools of Batfish, to the Large Groupers, to the Maldive Clownfish, they are an incredible place fish-wise, and the invertabres are just stunning. The large Gorgonians and Crinoids are indescribable.

A Biotope tank lets us witness interactions that would not take place in the regular aquarium, let us have a challenge in fish selection, and create a true picture of the coral reefs. Not all these fish are compatible, nor reef safe, however, it is a list of just some of the more common aquarium species found in the troubled Maldive islands. Some species may grow too large for the average aquarium. More info on keeping these fish, and which ones are delicate, can be found in the fish articles section of our website.

A sample Biotope, say for a 135 gallon fish only tank, would be a Threadfin Butterflyfish, 4 Yellow Tangs or 4 Convict Tangs, a Maldive Clownfish, BirdNose Wrasse, and 6 Green Chromis. Add a bottom dweller and you've got it! There are many choices though:

Tangs:
Yellow Tangs (Zebrasoma Flavescens) school throughout
Zebrasoma Scopas Sailfin Tang
Zebrasoma Veliferum Brown Sailfin
Convict tangs from the Acanthurus genus school
The Yellow Eye / Kole Tang
The Powder Blue Tang
The Standard Naso/Lipstick Tang
Clown / Pajama Tang (acanathurus lineatus, lives 45 yrs in wild)
Naso breveirostris (long horn on head, rare in hobby though)
Naso vlamingii (neat Tang, not really seen in hobby though)
Moorish Idols

Hawkfish:
Foster’s Hawkfish (Paracirrhites forsteri )

Damselfish:
Green Chromis
Maldive’s Clownfish
Clarki Clownfish
Amphiprion nigripes Clownfish
BlackFoot Clownfish
Sergeant Major
Half and Half Damsel (Not green Chromis one)
Three Spot / Domino Damsel (very aggressive)
Three Stripe Humbug Damsel / Rhino Damsel
Four Striped Damsel (similar to above)

Gobies:
Yellow Coral Goby (Gobiodon citrinus)

Wrasses:
Birdnose
Humphead Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus)
Cleaner Wrasse: Labroides dimidiatus
Coris Formosa Queen Wrasse
Lunar Wrasse / Green Parrot Wrasse

Squirrelfish:
Saber

Anthias:
sp.?

Triggerfish:
Undulated
Rhinecanthus rectangulus--Black Picasso triggerfish
R. aculeatus—Picasso Triggerfish
Niger Triggerfish
Melichthys indicus--Black finned triggerfish
Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus—Green Triggerfish
Clown Triggerfish
Titan Triggerfish (Balistoides viridscens)
Halfmoon Triggerfish
Boomerang Triggerfish

Porcupine Fish:
Diodon hysterix, Common Porcupine

Boxfish:
Ostracion cubicus

Snappers:
Blue-striped Snappers
Humpback Red Snapper

Soldierfish:
Blotch eye Soldierfish
Black Tipped
Ribbon Stripe

Groupers:
These can grow LARGE
Miniatus Grouper
Variola louti--Lunar tail Grouper
Greasy Grouper
Red Mouth Grouper
Peacock Grouper

Sweetlips:
Oriental
Spotted (Not the best choices)

Lionfish:
Volitans
Radiata

Eels:
Honeycomb Moray Eel, common.
Giant Moray Eel (Gymnothorax javanicus)

Angelfish:
Royal / Regal Angelfish (Extremly hard to maintain)
Blue Mask/ Blue Face Angelfish (Cyanide collection a problem)
Emperor Angelfish (Gets HLLE if not fed varied diet, large)

Butterflyfish:
Heniochus pleurotaenia Bannerfish
Heniochus acuminatus Bannerfish
Heniochus disphreutes Bannerfish
Yellowhead Butterflyfish (Touchy)
Vagabond Butterfly (Good choice)
Threadfin Butterfly (good choice)
Double Saddle Back, a standard
Long-nosed Butterflyfish, another standard
Raccoon Butterflyfish (good choice)
Teardrop Butterfly
Rarer in Hobby:
Black Pyramid
Blue-Stripe Butterfly
Goldhead
Blue-Blotched Butterfly
Triangle Butterflyfish (Chaetodon triangulus)
Meyer’s Butterflyfish
White-Collar Butterflyfish
The Pictus false Vagabond Butterfly
Black-Backed Butterfly
3-stripe Butterfly
Lined Butteflyfish