Algae eater

Algae eater, also called an algivore, is a common name for many bottom-dwelling or algae-eating species that feed on algae. Algae eaters are important for the fishkeeping hobby and many are commonly kept by hobbyists. Some of the common and most popular freshwater algae eaters in aquariums include:[1]

Freshwater

Fish
  • Many loricariid catfish of South America, such as genera Otocinclus, Ancistrus, and Plecostomus, constantly graze algae and biofilm, although many species of "plecos", which attain an adult length of over 10 inches, eat much less frequently as they near adulthood.
  • The Siamese algae eater, Crossocheilus oblongus, is a more gregarious and tolerant cyprinid that ranges up to 15 cm. It is one of the only fish that will graze on "black brush algae" (freshwater Rhodophyta, or red algae), but even so will eat anything else in preference.
  • Fishes of the genus Gyrinocheilus, family Gyrinocheilidae. There are three species in this genus with the Chinese algae eater, Gyrinocheilus aymonieri, the most common. Small specimens make good community fish but may become territorial when older.
  • American-flag fish, Jordanella floridae, are also dependable algae-eating fish. They are one of the only fish to graze on black brush algae, as with the siamese algae eater, and will also indiscriminately graze on other algae such as diatoms and hair algae. However, like all pupfish, they can be nippy to fish smaller or slower than them. Males can also be territorial.[2]

Shrimp

Some freshwater shrimp are also excellent algae eaters:

  • Almost all of them belong to the family Atyidae (the only family in the superfamily Atyoidea) including many genera:
  • Some of them belong to the genus Palaemonetes (grass shrimp)

Snails

Most species of freshwater snails, discounting most adult specimens of species belonging to the family Ampullariidae, which primarily subsist on aquatic plants as adults.

Saltwater

Some of the common and most popular marine aquarium algae eaters include:[3]

Fish

Crabs

Sea urchins

Snails

Some snail species such as the Turbo, Astraea, Turban and Nerite snails.[4]

References
  1. "Best Algae Eaters For The Freshwater Aquarium". Oceanlifeaquatics.net. 2020-01-24. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  2. Huntley, W. (1995). Jordanella floridae The American-Flag Fish. SF Bay Area Killifish Association http://www. sfbaka. net/.
  3. "saltwater algae eater". Aquariumslife.com. 2010-02-01. Archived from the original on 2010-12-01. Retrieved 2015-03-27.
  4. "Snails". Aquariumslife.com. Retrieved 2015-03-27.


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