Clear Cleaner Shrimp (Urocaridella antonbruunii)

Clear Cleaner Shrimp-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
6
The Clear Cleaner Shrimp (Urocaridella antonbruunii) is also known as the Anton Bruni Cleaner Shrimp, the Red and White Cleaner Shrimp, Transparent Cleaner Shrimp, Floating Cleaner Shrimp and sometimes simp...
Male Triplespot wrasse (Halichoeres trispilus) is also known as the  White wrasse.

Triplespot wrasse- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
3
The Triplespot wrasse (Halichoeres trispilus) is also known as the  White wrasse. They are rarely seen in Tanzania and we have only seen them in one small cave on a wall at some 28 to 32 meters ( tide depen...

Top 10 Saltwater Aquarium Fishes

Seaunseen
40
The Most Recommended Fish for Saltwater Aquariums and Tips for Choosing Your Fish Marine fish are among the top 10 saltwater aquarium fishes, most colorful and beautiful creatures in the hobby, and with hu...
Tricolour parrotfish (Scarus tricolor) is also known as the Three color parrotfish

Tricolor Parrotfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
42
The Tricolour parrotfish (Scarus tricolor) is also known as the Three color parrotfish. Tricolor Parrotfish are relatively common in Tanzanian waters. Within the various species of  Parrotfish which are ...
Feather Star Crab (Tiaramedon spinosum)

Feather Star Crab- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
16
The Feather Star Crab (Tiaramedon spinosum) is not commonly seen in Tanzanian waters and this is likely a function of both their cryptic habits and camouflage making them difficult to spot and their rarity....
Milky (Procalpurnus lacteus) is also known as the Netted Milky Ovulid

Milky Ovulid -Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
11
The Milky Ovulid (Procalpurnus lacteus) is also known as the Netted Milky Ovulid.  Although they resemble cowries, they are not a true cowries , instead they are in the Ovulidae family also known as False C...
Bluemoon parrotfish (Chlorurus atrilunula) also known as the Black Crescent Parrotfish

Bluemoon Parrotfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
24
The Bluemoon parrotfish (Chlorurus atrilunula) is also known as the Black Crescent Parrotfish. They were described in 1984 by Randall and Bruce. Parrotfish obtain their name from their teeth which are fused...
Tomato Grouper (Cephalopholis sonnerati) is also known as the Tomato Rockcod, the Tomato Hind and the Tomato Cod.

Tomato Grouper – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
28
The The Tomato Grouper (Cephalopholis sonnerati) is also known as the Tomato Rockcod, the Tomato Hind, the Red Coral Grouper and the Tomato Cod. All these specimens were photographed on the Tanzanian coast....
Rosy Spindle Cowrie (Phenacovolva rosea)

Rosy Spindle Cowrie -Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
7
The Rosy Spindle Cowrie (Phenacovolva rosea) is also known by other local names as the Many Host Phenacovolva, the Double-snouted Spindle Cowrie, Tokio's Volva and the Gorgonian Spindle Cowry. They are not ...
Threadfin Anthias (Nemanthias carberryi)

Threadfin Anthias – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
24
The Threadfin Anthias (Nemanthias carberryi) is also known as the Threadfin Goldie and Carberryi Anthias. They are not at all common in Tanzanian waters and we have only found them in a few locations on wal...
Spider Decorator Crab (Camposcia retusa) is also known as the Blunt Decorator Crab and the Tarantula Crab

Spider Decorator Crab- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
10
The Spider Decorator Crab (Camposcia retusa) is also known as the Blunt Decorator Crab, the Velcro Crab and the Tarantula Crab. Being well camouflaged they are difficult to spot and are probably easier foun...
Greenbubble dwarfgoby (Eviota prasina) also known as the Greenie, Midget Goby, Pepperfin Pygmy Goby and Rubble Eviota

Spotted Dwarf Goby – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
4
The Spotted Dwarfgoby Eviota guttata is as its name suggests is a small fish. At the time of description they were  described as having the smallest vertebrae known but that honor these days goes either to ...
Pygmy Squid found in Tanzania possibly undescribed

Pygmy Squid- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
24
Pygmy squid are technically not squid although they closely resemble them. Instead they fall in the genus Idiosepius. Very little is known of their habits and these found in Tanzania among and alongside the...
Crynoid shrimp

Crinoid Shrimp-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
9
Cinoid Shrimp are also known as Feather Star Shrimp. They live exclusively on Crinoids or Feather Stars.  Crinoids or Feather Stars are echinoderms that are mainly seen out at night in Tanzania but on occas...
African Wrasse also known as the African Coris and False Clown wrasse (Coris cuvieri)

African Wrasse- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
17
The African wrasse (Coris cuvieri) is also known as the African Coris and False Clown wrasse. They are not a common wrasse on Tanzanian reefs but neither are they uncommon. As with many wrasses the colourat...
Spotted Reef Crab (Carpilius maculatus) is also known as the Seven-eleven crab, the Dark-finger coral crab, and the Large spotted crab

Spotted Reef Crab- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
20
The Spotted Reef Crab (Carpilius maculatus) is also known as the Seven-eleven crab, the Dark-finger coral crab, and the Large spotted crab. They are not commonly seen in Tanzanian waters, probably due to th...
Filefish teeth anchorage

Filefish Teeth Anchoring at night

Alan Sutton
10
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 ...
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
18
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
14
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
31
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
40
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
22
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
50
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
36
The Cuttlefish using its arms as lures 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 visi...
Many-banded Pipefish (Dunckerocampus multiannulatus)

Many-banded Pipefish – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
101
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
33
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 ...