Every reef keeper experiences the moment: you notice something in your tank that wasn't there yesterday. A strange worm emerging from the rocks. An unidentified anemone-like creature. A mysterious coral that hitchhiked on a frag plug. Is it beneficial, harmless, or a threat to your prized corals? Quick, accurate identification is essential.
Comprehensive Identification Library
ReefTrace Live™ has partnered with Melev's Reef to provide access to one of the most extensive critter identification resources in the reef keeping hobby. This library represents decades of experience and thousands of documented organisms that appear in reef aquariums.
The database covers all major categories: corals, marine invertebrates, marine plants and macroalgae, marine fish, and countless hitchhiker organisms. Whether you're trying to identify a beneficial copepod, a pest anemone, a mystery coral, or an unusual worm, chances are you'll find it in our library.
Search by Characteristics
Not sure what you're looking at? Our search interface allows you to filter by observable characteristics: color, size, shape, location in the tank, behavior patterns, and more. This narrows possibilities quickly even when you have no idea what category the organism might fall into.
Describe what you see: "brown, one inch, on glass at night, looks like a slug." The system suggests likely matches with photos and detailed information. Compare your mystery critter against the images to find the closest match.
Detailed Organism Information
Each entry in the critter ID library includes comprehensive information to help you make informed decisions about the organism in your tank:
Identification Guidance
Multiple photographs showing the organism from different angles, in different lighting, and at different life stages when applicable. Distinguishing characteristics that separate it from similar-looking species. Common names and scientific classification.
Reef Safety Assessment
Is this organism beneficial, harmless, or potentially problematic? Detailed information about its behavior, feeding habits, and interactions with other tank inhabitants. Some hitchhikers like copepods and amphipods are tremendously beneficial. Others like Aiptasia anemones or montipora-eating nudibranchs require immediate action.
Care Requirements
For desirable organisms, information about their needs: lighting preferences, feeding requirements, compatibility with other species, and growth patterns. This helps you decide whether to keep and cultivate the organism or remove it.
Control Methods
For pest organisms, proven control and eradication methods. Chemical treatments, manual removal techniques, natural predators, and prevention strategies. Multiple approaches are often provided so you can choose what works best for your specific situation.
Common Hitchhikers
Live rock and coral frags introduce incredible biodiversity into reef aquariums. While some hitchhikers are problematic, many are beneficial or at least harmless. The critter ID library helps you distinguish between them.
Beneficial Critters
Copepods, amphipods, and other microfauna form the foundation of a healthy cleanup crew and provide natural food for fish. Brittle stars scavenge detritus from the rockwork. Many small snail species help control algae. Learning to recognize beneficial organisms prevents unnecessary removal of valuable tank inhabitants.
Neutral Hitchhikers
Numerous organisms neither help nor harm—they simply exist as part of your reef ecosystem. Peanut worms, most sponges, many small crustaceans, and countless other creatures fall into this category. Understanding what they are reduces worry and lets you appreciate the biodiversity developing in your system.
Pest Species
Some hitchhikers definitely require action. Aiptasia anemones multiply rapidly and sting corals. Vermetid snails produce mucus nets that irritate corals. Montipora-eating nudibranchs devastate SPS collections. Flatworms can smother corals. Quick identification enables prompt, effective responses before populations explode.
Expert Backup
If you encounter something truly unusual that isn't in the library, don't worry. Submit a request with photographs and a description. The ReefTrace team, backed by Melev's extensive experience and connections throughout the reef keeping community, will work to identify even the most obscure organisms.
This expert backup ensures you're never stuck wondering about something in your tank. The reef keeping community has immense collective knowledge, and ReefTrace gives you access to it.
Educational Value
Beyond simple identification, the critter ID feature serves as an educational tool that deepens your understanding of reef ecosystems. Each organism you identify is an opportunity to learn about ecological relationships, biodiversity, adaptation strategies, and the incredible complexity of coral reef life.
According to marine biology research, coral reefs are among Earth's most biodiverse ecosystems. Your reef aquarium, even in miniature, reflects this diversity. Learning to recognize and appreciate the numerous organisms that colonize your system fosters a deeper connection to the hobby and greater appreciation for natural reef conservation.
Observation Skills and Visual Acuity
Successful critter identification requires keen observation skills and sharp visual acuity. Spotting tiny organisms hiding in rock crevices, distinguishing between similar-looking species, and noticing subtle differences in coloration or behavior patterns all demand focused attention and clear vision. Many experienced reef keepers report that eye strain from detailed observation work becomes increasingly challenging over years of maintaining reef systems.
The precision required for identification work can be surprising. Differentiating between harmless feather dusters and potentially problematic vermetid snails requires examining minute details. Identifying coral pests like Acropora-eating flatworms means spotting organisms barely visible to the naked eye. Professional aquarists often use magnifying glasses or macro lenses, recognizing that visual clarity directly impacts identification accuracy.
Night observation presents additional challenges. Many organisms only emerge after lights out, requiring reef keepers to work with red flashlights or moonlight LEDs while maintaining visual focus. The strain of repeated low-light observations, combined with the need to remain still and focused for extended periods, can be physically demanding. Maintaining the visual acuity and patience required for effective organism identification is an often-overlooked aspect of successful reef keeping.
Building Your Knowledge
Over time, using the critter ID library builds your expertise. You'll start recognizing common organisms at a glance. You'll understand life cycles—that strange blob is actually a beneficial sponge, those tiny white specks are harmless spirorbid worms, that "pest anemone" is actually a harmless mushroom coral.
This accumulated knowledge makes you a more confident, capable reef keeper. You'll make better decisions about what to keep, what to remove, and how to maintain the delicate balance that characterizes successful reef aquariums.
Whether you're identifying your first mysterious hitchhiker or your hundredth, ReefTrace Live™ critter ID provides the information you need quickly and accurately, helping you maintain a healthy, thriving reef ecosystem.