Spot Tail Dartfish, Ptereleotris heteroptera, is also known as the Blacktail Dartfish, Indigo Dartfish and Blacktail Goby.

Spot Tail Dartfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
The Spot Tail Dartfish, Ptereleotris heteroptera, is also known as the Blacktail Dartfish, Indigo Dartfish and Blacktail Goby. They are fairly shy fish and are not easy fish to photograph well. As their nam...
Indian mimic goatfish (Mulloidychtys ayliffe)

Indian Mimic Goatfish- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
5
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...
Ridged swimming crab (Charybdis natator) is also known as the wrinkled swimming crab or rock crab

Ridged Swimming Crab – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
3
The Ridged swimming crab (Charybdis natator) is also known as the wrinkled swimming crab or rock crab. Because of the ridges on their back they are relatively easy to identify. There are two subspecies, the...
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
12
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...
The Convex crab (Carpilius convexus)

Convex Reef Crab- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
22
The Convex reef crab (Carpilius convexus) is also known as the Round-back Coral Crab. They are fairly common at night in the waters off Dar es Salaam but are seldom seen out during the day. Large specimens ...
Kenyan chromis (Chromis nigroanalis)

Kenyan Chromis – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
11
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
28
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...
Cuttlefish using its arms as lures

Cuttlefish using its arms as lures

Alan Sutton
18
While on a shore dive across a sandy area on Mafia Island  diving with David from Mafia Island Diving, I spotted some movement on the sea floor on the edge of the visibility.  The visibility was low, around...
Many-banded Pipefish (Dunckerocampus multiannulatus)

Many-banded Pipefish – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
12
The Many-banded Pipefish (Dunckerocampus multiannulatus) is not commonly seen in Tanzanian waters, probably because they are mainly resident in small caves which are deep and they are fairly shy. They were ...
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
17
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
17
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...
Initial phase Bluespotted wrasse (Anampses caeruleopunctatus)

Bluespotted Wrasse- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
13
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 ...
Emperor shrimp (Periclimenes imperator)

Emperor Shrimp-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
73
The Emperor shrimp (Periclimenes imperator) is one of the more vividly colored shrimp around.  They form what are termed commensal relationships with various species of nudibranch and sea cucumbers (holothu...
Hairy Coral Crab (Cymo andreossyi) is also known as the Furry Coral Crab

Hairy Coral Crab- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
44
The Hairy Coral Crab (Cymo andreossyi) is also known as the Furry Coral Crab . Being small and well camouflaged they are difficult to spot and are probably best found at night when their eyes reflect light ...
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 ...
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
71
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
54
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 ...
Bobtail squid also known as Pigmy Squid

Bobtail Squid- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
74
Bobtail squid are also known as Dumpling Squid. They are exceptionally cute looking little cephalopods and are fascinating to watch.  They are in the order Sepiolida and are closely related to cuttlefish al...
Olive Purse Crab, Leucosia pubescens

Olive Purse Crab- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
18
The Olive Purse Crab, Leucosia pubescens does not seem to be common in Tanzanian waters and indeed does not seem to be recorded here. Hopefully the identification is correct. They are decapod crustaceans...
Sundial shell (Architectonica perspectiva)

Sundial Shell-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
214
The Sundial shell (Architectonica perspectiva) is  also known as the Perspective Sundial shell and the Clear Sundial shell.  They are marine snails in the super family Architectonicoidea and were first desc...
Squat Shrimp (Thor amboinensis) is also known as the Sexy Shrimp

The Squat Shrimp-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
129
The Squat Shrimp (Thor amboinensis) is also known as the Sexy Shrimp. They are small colorful shrimp that form a comensual relationship with various species of anemone. They have a habit of holding their ab...
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 ...