Sea Grass Wrasse (Novaculoides macrolepidotus) is also known as the Emerald Wrasse

Sea Grass Wrasse- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
6
The Sea Grass Wrasse (Novaculoides macrolepidotus) is also known as the Emerald Wrasse.  They are fairly rare in Tanzanian waters but seem common in some areas. The specimens in the images were photographed...
Eight lined wrasse (Pseudocheilinus octotaenia) is also known as the Eightstripe Wrasse or Eightline Wrasse. 

Eight Lined Wrasse- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
9
The Eight lined wrasse (Pseudocheilinus octotaenia) is also known as the Eightstripe Wrasse or Eightline Wrasse.  They are similar looking to the Six Line Wrasse  (Pseudochelinus hexatania) but they are sli...
Clear Cleaner Shrimp (Urocaridella antonbruunii)

Clear Cleaner Shrimp-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
22
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
22
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...
Saber squirrelfish (Sargocentron spiniferum)is also known as the Giant squirrelfish and Spiny squirrelfish

Saber Squirrelfish – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
18
The Saber squirrelfish (Sargocentron spiniferum) is also known as the Giant squirrelfish and Spiny squirrelfish.  They are named after the large curved spine on the lower gill cover  which can be seen in th...
Tricolour parrotfish (Scarus tricolor) is also known as the Three color parrotfish

Tricolor Parrotfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
113
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
34
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
19
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
33
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
47
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....
Celebes flathead (Thysanophrys celebica)

Celebes Flathead- Facts and Photographs

Seaunseen
20
The Celebes flathead (Thysanophrys celebica) is also known as the Quarterspined Flathead , the Manado Flathead and the Sulawesi Flathead. They were were first described by Bleeker in 1855.  The are fairly c...
Rosy Spindle Cowrie (Phenacovolva rosea)

Rosy Spindle Cowrie -Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
16
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 ...
Longsnout flathead (Thysanophrys chiltonae)

Longsnout Flathead- Facts and Photographs

Seaunseen
26
The Longsnout flathead (Thysanophrys chiltonae) was first described by Schultz in 1966 and they are probably the most common of the smaller flatheads in Tanzanian waters.  The specimens in the images were i...
Red Sea flathead (Thysanophrys springeri)

Red Sea Flathead- Facts and Photographs

Seaunseen
8
The Red Sea Flathead (Thysanophrys springeri) was only described by Knapp in 2013. They were named after Victor G. Springer, who collected the holotype off Massawa, Eritrea. They are fairly common in the sh...
Forktail Rabbitfish (Siganus argenteus) is also known as the Streamlined Spinefoot and Schooling Rabbit-fish

Forktail Rabbitfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
21
The Forktail Rabbitfish (Siganus argenteus) is also known as the Streamlined Spinefoot and Schooling Rabbit-fish. They were originally described by Quoy & Gaimard in 1825.  As their one common name allu...
Threadfin Anthias (Nemanthias carberryi)

Threadfin Anthias – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
37
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
22
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
8
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
41
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
43
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
29
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
57
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 ...