Keeping fish straight: Are there fish that you have confused with another type of fish?

[Peace River]

Keeping fish straight: Are there fish that you have confused with another type of fish?

Maybe it is a fish that you can never remember the name or always get the name wrong. Maybe there is a fish that seems to have another species that is a true look-alike such as a Flame Hawkfish and a Tomato Clownfish or a French and Grey Angelfish. There may be fish that you get confused, get the name wrong, or just generally mix up. There are seemingly thousands of different species of fish in the aquarium trade so it can be easy to do. Realizing that you may be speaking on behalf of a friend, what fish could be confused with another type of fish?

Photo by LiveAquaria; Flame Hawkfish (Neocirrhites armatus)

Hat tip to @Townes_Van_Camp for the idea behind this question. For more of that thread, check out the following link to: What's the wackiest reef question you've ever been asked, outside of forums or "HALP my tomato clown is acting weird!


This QOTD is sponsored by: www.tidalgardens.com

“The goal of Tidal Gardens is to offer the highest quality corals to those seeking a piece of that world without destroying it. We hope to instill a deep appreciation for the natural reefs and help develop a self sustaining hobby that no longer requires the collection of fish and corals.”

 

[Pyrogens]

Heniochus and Moorish Idols always end up getting me mixed up.

 

[Dburr1014]

Springeri are sold but they are not the real ones. The real ones are more blue than the checker board ones.
Thanks Jake, RIP.

Will the real Springeri damselfish please swim up? | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

Chrysiptera springeri is an amazing species of damselfish which we’ve long admired. Over the last couple of years we’ve seen at least two color forms of damselfish being offered up as C. springeri…

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[sc50964]

Junior Fowleri and Bariene tangs

 

[vetteguy53081]

I havent but have seen:
Flame hawk and Maroon clown
Coral beauty and rusty angel
Koran angel and Emperor angel Juveniles
Atlantic Blue angel and queen angel
Spiney box and Porcupine puffer
Starry and lawnmower blenny
Clownfish always

 

[i cant think]

I rarely confuse fish but when I do it’s generally the fish you don’t see often in captivity such as juvenile Acanthurus bahianus and juvenile Acanthurus nigricauda.

 

[reeftivo]

pics of jawfish, blennies and gobies can throw me off. To me they are very similar facially

i loved my Midas Blenny. sadly he went tile surfing one night after slipping through the 1/4 gap on my mesh cover at the back

 

[vabben]

Yellow Corris Wrasse and Silver Belly Wrasse. I thought I bought a yellow corris wrasse from my LFS, then noticed the difference once in my QT. Oh well.

 

[design.maddie]

Box Fish and a Cow Fish.

 

[Slocke]

Yellow Corris Wrasse and Silver Belly Wrasse. I thought I bought a yellow corris wrasse from my LFS, then noticed the difference once in my QT. Oh well.

The way to tell the difference is the yellow coris is not a coris and the silver belly doesn't have a silver belly.....

Oh whoops. I think I just made it even more confusing. Its hard to ID fish when the common name is nonsense. Next you're going to tell me a foxface actually has a badgers face not a foxes.

 

[McPuff]

I used to know someone that said gars looked like dolphins. Neither are reef fish but this was just too weird not to share.

 

[sc50964]

I used to know someone that said gars looked like dolphins. Neither are reef fish but this was just too weird not to share.

Maybe that same person was equally confused between Naoko (Shark fin) wrasse with Sharks. Lol

 

[afrokobe]

Springeri are sold but they are not the real ones. The real ones are more blue than the checker board ones.
Thanks Jake, RIP.

Will the real Springeri damselfish please swim up? | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

Chrysiptera springeri is an amazing species of damselfish which we’ve long admired. Over the last couple of years we’ve seen at least two color forms of damselfish being offered up as C. springeri…

reefbuilders.com

pretty sure i have one

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Royal gramma.

Brazilian gramma.

The difference is in the jaw. The Brazilian's goes further back on the head, and it has a more prominent maxilla. It also has smaller eyes and a thicker build. When the two are in front of you together, it seems easy to tell. But I can guarantee you that if I saw the Brazilian in a fish store, I'd think it was a royal.

 

[Dburr1014]

pretty sure i have one

I picked up a trio last Monday myself at a LFS. The kid was trying to tell me they are the fake ones even after I showed him the web site Jake Adams wrote.
They had 2 more small ones for sale but I just went with the 3. So far doing well in QT.

 

[Dburr1014]

Royal gramma.

Brazilian gramma.

The difference is in the jaw. The Brazilian's goes further back on the head, and it has a more prominent maxilla. It also has smaller eyes and a thicker build. When the two are in front of you together, it seems easy to tell. But I can guarantee you that if I saw the Brazilian in a fish store, I'd think it was a royal.

I see the Brazilian doesn't have stripes thru the eye either.

 

[Shon]

We have a few varieties of bathygobius in our local waters. As juveniles, I cannot tell much difference as they don't let you get too close, the tannins make the water tea colored and shifting silver, greys and black markings make it really confusing.