Algae eater - Wikipedia Algae eater This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2015 ) Algae eater, also called an algivore, is a common name for many bottom - dwelling fish 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 : 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. The Siamese algae eater, Crossocheilus siamensis, is a more gregarious and tolerant cyprinid that ranges up to 15 cm. It is the only fish that will graze on `` black brush algae '' ( freshwater Rhodophyta, or red algae ), but even so will eat anything else in preference. American - flag fish, Jordanella floridae, are also dependable algae - eating 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. Some freshwater shrimp are also excellent algae eaters. One shrimp well known for its ability to clean an aquarium is the Amano Shrimp. Most species of freshwater snails, discounting most adult specimens of species belonging to the family Ampullariidae, which primarily subsist on aquatic plants as adults. Some of the common and most popular saltwater aquarium algae eaters include : Surgeon fish or tangs are also known for their appetite for algae. Rabbitfish which eat most algae, including cyanobacteria, diatoms, and hair algae. Fishes in the suborder blennioidei are blennies. Crabs of the genera Mithraculus and Mithrax. Sea urchins. Some snail species such as the Turbo, Astraea, Turban and Nerite snails. References Jump up ^ `` Best Algae Eaters For The Freshwater Aquarium ''. Aquariumslife.com. 2009 - 05 - 27. Retrieved 2015 - 03 - 27. Jump up ^ `` saltwater algae eater ''. Aquariumslife.com. 2010 - 02 - 01. Retrieved 2015 - 03 - 27. Jump up ^ `` Snails ''. Aquariumslife.com. Retrieved 2015 - 03 - 27. Aquariums and fishkeeping Aquarium types Freshwater Marine Reef Brackish - water Community Biotope Aquarium décor and equipment Airstone Algae scrubber Berlin Method Bog - wood / Driftwood Calcium reactor Deep sand bed Filter Fishcam Fish feeder Heater Lighting Live rock / Live sand Powerhead Protein skimmer Refugium Substrate Sump Fish terms / types Algae eater Bottom feeder Coldwater Dither Hardy Painted Tropical Fish food Brine shrimp Daphnia Feeder fish Infusoria Shrimp mix Tubifex tubifex Other concepts Aquarium fishery Aquascaping Artificial seawater Bath treatment Clean - up crew Disease in ornamental fish Macquarium Project Piaba Reef safe Spawning trigger People Takashi Amano Herbert R. Axelrod Leonhard Baldner Pierre Carbonnier Edward Edwards Philip Henry Gosse Sven O. Kullander William Alford Lloyd Paul Matte Julian Sprung Anna Thynne Charles Haskins Townsend Jeanne Villepreux - Power Robert Warington Magazines Aquarium Fish International Koi Practical Fishkeeping Tropical Fish Hobbyist Companies Drs. Foster & Smith Eheim Hagen Sera Tetra Lists Aquarium diseases Aquarium fish by scientific name Freshwater aquarium fish / amphibians / invertebrates / plants Marine aquarium fish / invertebrates / plants Brackish aquarium fish / invertebrates / plants Portal This fishkeeping - related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Algae_eater&oldid=865317271 '' Categories : Fishkeeping Fish common names Fishkeeping stubs Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from March 2015 All articles needing additional references All stub articles Talk About Wikipedia Dansk Deutsch עברית Polski Русский Edit links This page was last edited on 23 October 2018, at 04 : 22 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what is the name of the fish that eats algae
Answer: Algae eater