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Fish

Enigmatic moray eel (Gymnothorax enigmaticus) is also known as the Banded Moray Eel

Enigmatic Moray Eel-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
2
The Enigmatic moray eel (Gymnothorax enigmaticus) is also known as the Banded Moray Eel. They are not common in Tanzanian waters and one occasionally sees them out at night hunting for prey on the shallow o...
Male Three-ribbon wrasse,(Stethojulis strigiventer) is also known as the Silverstreak wrasse, Silverbelly wrasse, Lined rainbowfish and Silver-streaked rainbowfish

Three-Ribbon Wrasse- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
8
The Three-ribbon wrasse (Stethojulis strigiventer) is also known as the Silverstreak wrasse, Silverbelly wrasse, Lined rainbowfish and Silver-streaked rainbowfish. They are fairly common inhabitants of t...
Kenyan chromis (Chromis nigroanalis)

Kenyan Chromis – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
9
The Kenyan chromis (Chromis nigroanalis) was described by Allen in 1998. They are not common on the Tanzanian coast but in certain areas there are fair numbers of them. APPEARANCE The body has an oval dis...
Terminal Phase male Steephead parrotfish (Chlorurus strongylocephalus) also known as the Roundhead Parrotfish

Steephead Parrotfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
21
The Steephead parrotfish (Chlorurus strongylocephalus) is also known as the Roundhead Parrotfish. Parrotfish obtain their name from their teeth which are fused into a beak. This species is part of a complex...
Many-banded Pipefish (Dunckerocampus multiannulatus)

Many-banded Pipefish – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
10
The Many-banded Pipefish (Dunckerocampus multiannulatus) is not commonly seen in Tanzanian waters, probably because they are mainly resident in small caves and are fairly shy. They were first described by R...
Fully mature Initial Phase Ember Parrotfish (Scarus rubroviolaceus)  is also known as the Redlip Parrotfish and Bicolor Parrotfish

Ember Parrotfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
14
The Ember Parrotfish (Scarus rubroviolaceus)  is also known as the Redlip Parrotfish and Bicolor Parrotfish. Parrotfish obtain their name from their teeth which are fused into a beak. Within the various ...
Blue-barred Parrotfish (Scarus ghobban) is also known as the Blue trim Parrotfish, Globe-headed Parrotfish, Green blotched Parrotfish and Bluechin parrotfish

Blue-barred Parrotfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
13
The Blue-barred Parrotfish (Scarus ghobban) is also known as the Blue trim Parrotfish, Globe-headed Parrotfish, Green blotched Parrotfish and Bluechin parrotfish. Parrotfish obtain their name from their tee...
Dusky Rabbitfish (Siganus luridus)is also known as the Squaretail Rabbitfish and the Dusky Spinefoot

Dusky Rabbitfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
14
The Dusky Rabbitfish (Siganus luridus)is also known as the Squaretail Rabbitfish and the Dusky Spinefoot . They were originally described by Rüppell in 1829.  The Siganus genus has had somewhat of a history...
Honeycomb Rabbitfish (Siganus stellatus) is also known as the Brown-spotted spinefoot

Honeycomb Rabbitfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
8
The Honeycomb Rabbitfish (Siganus stellatus) is also known as the Brown-spotted spinefoot. They were originally described by Peter Forsskål in 1775.  The genus has had somewhat of a history but the classifi...
Midas blenny (Ecsenius midas) is also known as the Golden Blenny, the Lyretail blenny and the Persian blenny

Midas Blenny – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
35
The Midas blenny (Ecsenius midas) is also known as the Golden Blenny, the Lyretail blenny and the Persian blenny. They are combtooth blennies that feed on plankton and are often seen swimming above the reef...
Initial phase Bluespotted wrasse (Anampses caeruleopunctatus)

Bluespotted Wrasse- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
11
The Bluespotted wrasse (Anampses caeruleopunctatus) is also known as the Bluespotted Tamarin, the Diamond Wrasse and the Bluefreckled Wrasse. The juveniles are known as leaf wrasse in many areas from their ...
Banded snake eel (Myrichthys colubrinus) is also known as the Ringed snake eel or Harlequin snake eel .

Banded Snake Eel – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
18
The Banded snake eel (Myrichthys colubrinus) is also known as the Ringed snake eel or Harlequin snake eel . They are not common in Tanzania and we have only seen one specimen in several years of diving. AP...
Tyler's toby (Canthigaster tyleri)

Tyler’s toby – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
14
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...
Comet (Calloplesiops altivelis) is also known as the Marine Betta

Comet ( Fish) – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
40
The Comet (Calloplesiops altivelis) is also known as the Marine Betta because of their similarity to the Siamese Fighter. They are stunning looking fishes that are rarely seen in the open during the day in ...
Red Snapper (Lutjanus bohar) is also known as the Twinspot Snapper, the Two-spot Red snapper and the Bohar Snapper

Red Snapper- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
31
The Red Snapper  (Lutjanus bohar) is also known as the Twinspot Snapper, the Two-spot Red snapper, the Red Bass and the Bohar Snapper. They are common inhabitants of rubble areas and reef tops in Tanzania b...
Snubnose Grouper (Epinephelus macrospilos) is also known as the Large-spotted Rockcod, Bigspot Rockcod and Longfin Grouper

Snubnose Grouper – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
19
The Snubnose Grouper (Epinephelus macrospilos) is also known as the Large-spotted Rockcod, Bigspot Rockcod and Longfin Grouper.. They are one of the eight species of reticulated groupers that live on coral ...
Honeycomb grouper Epinephelus merra

Honeycomb Grouper – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
65
The Honeycomb grouper Epinephelus merra is also known as the Dwarf-spotted Grouper, the Honeycomb Rock Cod and the Wire-netted Rock Cod. They are one of the eight species of reticulated groupers that live o...
Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)

Regal Blue Tang-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
45
The Regal Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) is also known as the  Blue Tang, the Palette Surgeonfish, the Hepatus Tang  and of course more famously as Dory from the Pixar movies "Finding Nemo" and "Finding ...
Dragon Moray Eel, Enchelycore pardalis is also known as the Dragon Moray Eel

Dragon Moray Eel-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
296
The Dragon Moray Eel, Enchelycore pardalis is also known as the Dragon Eel and the Leopard Moray Eel.  The reference to Leopard comes from their scientific name, with paradalis meaning leopard in Greek. The...
Gelatinous cardinalfish (Pseudamia gelatinosa)

Gelatinous cardinalfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
18
The Gelatinous cardinalfish (Pseudamia gelatinosa) is rare in Tanzanian waters and is remarkably cryptic, hiding at the first sign of light. In several years of diving we have seen very few specimens and have m...
Blue-spotted Toby (Canthigaster cyanospilota)

Blue-spotted Toby – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
22
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...
Barred Cardinalfish Fowleria marmorata

Barred Cardinalfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
14
The Barred Cardinalfish (Fowleria marmorata) is not common in Tanzanian waters and in several years of diving we have seen very few specimens. APPEARANCE The body shape is similar to other Cardinalfish, w...
Pemba chromis (Chromis pembae)

Pemba Chromis – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
13
The Pemba chromis (Chromis pembae) is not a common fish on the Tanzanian coast and we have only seen them in three areas. They were only described by Allen in 2010, perhaps because they are generally found ...