sera guide - Marine aquariums

4 1. Tropic seas, an extremely diverse habitat The seacoasts near the equator are not only home to thousands of fish species but also to invertebrates whose number is not yet even known. The species diversity and the networks the species form in a tropical coral reef are as unbelievably complex as tropical rainforests and their inhabitants, and they are an inspiration for aquarists again and again. Many of the species living in the shallow wa- ter of coral reefs, seaweed meadows or man- grove zones are excellently suitable for aquariums and can be kept without much ef- fort. Their unbelievable colors and behavior make the animals, as well as the entire aquarium, a real eye-catcher. Cushion star Culcita novaeguineae in a seaweed meadow near New Guinea Ring shaped fringing reef in southeast Indonesia