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Eastern Phoebe, or simply Phoebe, is just one of three known species of the genus Phoebe, also known as the “sea spider”. They’re closely related, and many of us think of them as similar species. But they’re actually two separate subspecies of the phylum Phaeophycea. The scientific name for Phoebe is Araneus polypodium.
So, what’s so special about Phoebe? In the aquarium, she’s an omnivore. While mostly vegetarian, she will eat both meat and vegetables. When browsing the algae on the walls of your tank, it’s not uncommon to see Phoebe consume lots of algae too! That’s because Phoebe has webbed feet which it uses to grasp and climb onto the algae. It’s that grasping ability that lets her consume more algae than other reef dwellers.
While her size doesn’t vary much between subspecies, their coloration does. Some phoebe species are transparent, others are creamy-white. If you’re keeping a species which is transparent, then you can rest assured that the Phoebe will be quite tiny, maybe about 5mm long. This is a great specimen which you can easily house in a larger tank alongside your other reef inhabitants.
Phoebe loves the sun. Although she needs access to water temperature for survival, she spends most of her days basking in the sunlight. If she were isolated species, she might spend all day basking in the dark — however, Phoebe is social by nature. If other fish are around, she’ll seek out their company. And when it’s time to swim, she’ll go with them.However, one thing you don’t want to do if you’re keeping Phoebe is to make sure she has a suitable tank setup. This is because of the way Phoebe moves when she’s not eating. Her tentacles to hold her in place and she moves along the top of the gravel. If the gravel is soft, then she’ll simply swim along underneath it.
So what does Phoebe prefer? Her favorites include driftwood, sponges and corals. If you have these available, then by all means stock them. Otherwise, stick to rocks, coral and driftwood. And of course, don’t forget to stock the glass jars with corals!When Phoebe is active, she can spend hours propping herself up on driftwood or rockers. Then she’ll move on to the corals as soon as her energy allows her. Once you give her a few things to play with, then you won’t have to spend as much time taking care of her. But don’t worry, even when you think you’ve done everything right, there will still be times when Phoebe still doesn’t want to eat and won’t eat on its own.
Phoebe’s eating habits are a little unusual. While other goldfish eat sand worms or tadpoles, Phoebe will only consume cuttlebones or herrings if given them by a human being. That’s the only food that she’ll accept into her tank. To keep her from being a pest, you may also want to put a filter on the tank so the sand you give her doesn’t wash down the bottom of the tank.
Phoebe is a very active fish. If she isn’t active, then she’ll be sitting around all day. And in the winter months, she’ll get cold and stay that way. That’s why it’s important to bring her into the warmth of your home when you’re heating it up. Phoebe is just too energetic to handle the cold when you bring her in directly.
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