Filefish Teeth Anchoring at night
Some species of Filefish teeth anchorage are known to wedge themselves into corals at night and it is theorized that the corals assist in masking their smell from predators. However as can be seen in the ...
Birdbeak Burrfish – Facts and Photographs
The Birdbeak Burrfish Cyclichthys orbicularis is also known as the Orbicular Burrfish. Burrfish differ from the Porcupine fish in that they have rigid spines instead of movable spines. They have the abilit...
Indian Mimic Goatfish- Facts and Photographs
The Indian mimic goatfish (Mulloidychtys ayliffe) is also known as the Blue striped goatfish. They are not common in Tanzanian coastal waters and are only occasionally seen. This probably as a result of ex...
Tyler’s toby – Facts and Photographs
The Tyler's toby (Canthigaster tyleri) is rarely seen in Tanzanian waters perhaps because it is found deeper than the other toby's.
Fish in the Tetraodontidae family have the smallest genome of any verte...
Blue-spotted Toby – Facts and Photographs
The Blue-spotted Toby (Canthigaster cyanospilota) is also known as the Blue-spotted Pufferfish. They were previously known as Canthigaster Coronata but in a study done by Randall, J. E.; Williams, J. T.; Rocha...
Yelloweye Sweeper-Facts and Photographs
The Yelloweye Sweeper (Pempheris flavicycla) has two subspecies. One is Pempheris flavicycla flavicycla which is found across the Indian Ocean from East Africa to Sri Lanka but not in the Red Sea. The oth...
Longhorn Cowfish- Facts and Photographs
The Longhorn cowfish (Lactoria cornuta) also known as the Horned Boxfish. Their plate-like scales are fused together to form a solid box-like carapace and the fins, tail, eyes and mouth protrude from this. ...
Gilded Triggerfish – Facts and Photographs
The Gilded Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) is also known as the Blue Cheeked Triggerfish, the Blue Jaw Triggerfish and the Blue Throat Triggerfish. Triggerfish obtain their name from the locking m...
Redtoothed Triggerfish – Facts and Photographs
The Redtoothed Triggerfish (Odonus niger) is also known as the Blue Triggerfish, Redfang Triggerfish and Niger Triggerfish. Triggerfish obtain their name from the locking mechanism used to hold the dorsal s...
Yellow Margin Triggerfish – Facts and Photographs
The Yellow Margin Triggerfish (Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus) is also known as the Yellowmargin Trigger,Yellowface Triggerfish and Pineapple Triggerfish. Triggerfish obtain their name from the locking mech...
Titan Triggerfish – Facts and Photographs
The Titan Triggerfish (Balistoides viridescens) is also known as the Giant Triggerfish or Moustache Triggerfish. . Triggerfish obtain their name from the locking mechanism used to hold the dorsal spine in p...
Rippled Triggerfish – Facts and Photographs
The Rippled Triggerfish (Pseudobalistes fuscus) is also known as the Blue Triggerfish, the Blueline Triggerfish and the Yellowspotted Triggerfish.. Triggerfish obtain their name from the locking mechanism u...
Freckled Goatfish- Facts and Photographs
The Freckled Goatfish (Upeneus heemstra) is also known as the Bar-tail goatfish, Blackband goatfish, Blackstriped goatfish, Darkband goatfish and Spotted goatfish. They are common in the shallows on sand ru...
Spectacled Filefish – Facts and Photographs
The Spectacled Filefish (Cantherhines fronticinctus) is also known as the Spectacled Leatherjacket. They are very shy fishes that are difficult to approach closely and hardly ever stray far from shelter.
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Yellowspotted Pufferfish – Facts and Photographs
The Yellowspotted Pufferfish (Torquigener flavimaculosus) is also known as the Studded Pufferfish. As with many other puffers, they have a symbiotic relationship with types of bacteria such as Pseudoalterom...
Bennet’s Sharpnose Pufferfish – Facts and Photographs
The Bennett's Sharpnose Pufferfish (Canthigaster bennetti) is also known as Bennett's Pufferfish, the Whitebelly Pufferfish, Bennett's Toby and the Exquisite Toby. As with many other puffers, they have a s...
Immaculate Pufferfish – Facts and Photographs
The Immaculate Pufferfish (Arothron immaculatus) is also known as the Black edged Puffer and the Yellow-eyed puffer. As with many other puffers, they have a symbiotic relationship with types of bacteria suc...
Dash-and-dot Goatfish- Facts and Photographs
The Dash-and-Dot goatfish (Parupeneus barberinus) is also known as the Dash dot Goatfish. They are one of the more common goatfish on the Tanzanian coast. They superficially resemble the Longbarbel Goatfis...
Interesting fish behaviour – Small fish pretending to be big fish
While swimming across the reef looking for Zanzibar Butterflyfish (Chaetodon zanzibarensis) to photograph ( they are yellow), in the distance some 15 meters away I saw a yellow fish, or so I thought. As I sw...
Orangelined Triggerfish – Facts and Photographs
The Orangelined Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus), also known as the Undulate Triggerfish, Orange-lined Triggerfish, Orangetailed Triggerfish or Orange striped Triggerfish. Triggerfish obtain their name fr...
Blackbar Filefish – Facts and Photographs
The Blackbar Filefish (Pervagor janthinosoma) is also known as the Redtail Filefish and the Ear-spot Filefish. They are very shy fishes that are difficult to approach closely.
Filefish, also known as le...
Sidespot Goatfish- Facts and Photographs
The Sidespot Goatfish (Parupeneus pleurostigma) is also known as the Round-spot Goatfish and the Whitespot Goatfish. They are uncommon on the rubble areas and reefs on the Tanzanian coast and are only occa...
Yellowfin Goatfish- Facts and Photographs
The Yellowfin goatfish (Mulloidychtys vanicolensis) is also known as the Golden banded goatfish and the Goldstripe goatfish. They are not common in Tanzanian coastal waters and are only occasionally seen. ...
Honeycomb Filefish – Facts and Photographs
The Honeycomb Filefish (Cantherhines pardalis) is also known as the Wirenet Filefish and the Honeycomb Leather- jacket. They are unusual looking and are fairly shy fishes that are difficult to approach clos...
Halfmoon Triggerfish – Facts and Photographs
The Halfmoon triggerfish, Sufflamen chrysopterum is also known as the Flagtail Triggerfish , Blue throated Triggerfish and Eye-stripe Triggerfish. Triggerfish obtain their name from the locking mechanism us...
Boomerang Triggerfish – Facts and Photographs
The Boomerang Triggerfish (Sufflamen bursa) is also known as the Bursa Triggerfish and the Scythe Triggerfish. Triggerfish obtain their name from the locking mechanism used to hold the dorsal spine in place...
Blackstripe Sweeper-Facts and Photographs
The Blackstripe Sweeper (Pempheris schwenkii) is also known as Schwenki's Sweeper , Striped Bullseye,Silver Bullseye and Black-edged Sweeper. They are common fish on Tanzanian Reefs and are often found in ...