Elegant Reef - Tropical Fish Studio

10/21/2025

🔥 This is the STRIPED PYJAMA SQUID – The Cutest Squid in the Ocean! 😍

Native to the waters of southern Australia, the Striped Pyjama Squid is one of the cutest and most unusual cephalopods in the ocean.

Its black-and-white stripes make it look like it’s wearing tiny pajamas, but don’t be fooled, this little squid can release toxic mucus to defend itself from predators.

✨ Fun Fact: It spends most of the day buried in sand with just its eyes showing, waiting for the perfect nighttime snack to swim by!

📷: Mark Normal

10/20/2025

So tiny and stinking cute it hurts 🥹🤣

10/18/2025

Give your shrimp a fun treat with these shrimp lollies 🍭 it’s a great way to also see how many shrimp you have and hear some great photos of them all!

10/17/2025

Let me just scooch on in here….

10/16/2025

Black worms portions are back in stock!

10/15/2025

The Blue Spot Jawfish (Opistognathus rosenblatti), also known as the Bluespotted Jawfish, is a stunning and relatively rare saltwater fish native to the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California) in Mexico. Burrowers: These fish are sand-dwellers and will dig and maintain a burrow in the substrate.Shy but alert: They tend to stay near their burrows but can become bolder over time.Jumpers: Extremely prone to jumping—a tightly sealed lid is essential.

10/15/2025

10/13/2025

The Sponge Came First

https://reefbuilders.com/2025/10/08/the-sponge-came-first/

When you first set up your reef tank, what was the first living organism you noticed?

Scientists discover that a 541 million years old sponge is the first animal on earth using chemical fossils.

10/12/2025

Mudskippers can "stand" on their pectoral fins!
Unlike most fish, mudskippers use their strong, muscular pectoral fins to prop themselves up and move around on land. These fins act like little legs, allowing them to crawl, climb, and even "stand upright" while out of the water. This unique ability helps them hunt, defend territory, and breathe air on muddy shores and mangrove swamps.

10/10/2025

Lionfish are exceptionally effective hunters compared to many other predatory fish, thanks to their unique combination of stealth, speed, and specialized hunting tactics. Unlike most predators that rely on speed alone, lionfish use slow, deliberate movements to avoid alarming their prey, often cornering them with their large, fan-like pectoral fins. They strike with lightning-fast precision, using a suction-feeding method to engulf prey whole. Their lack of natural predators in non-native waters, like the Atlantic and Caribbean, gives them a major advantage over other predators, allowing them to outcompete native species and disrupt local ecosystems.

10/09/2025

Ladybugs galore! Amphipods shot with the Sony A7R V and the SMC-3. Backscatter’s MF2 strobe with snoot.

Image Kerri Bingham