Blunt Slipper Lobster (Scyllarides squammosus)

Blunt Slipper Lobster- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
The Blunt Slipper Lobster (Scyllarides squammosus)  is an unusual looking clawless lobster.  They are usually only active at night and during the day they are almost never seen, being adept at hiding themse...
Smooth Box Crab (Calappa calappa) is also known as the Giant Box Crab

Smooth Box Crab- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
1
The Smooth Box Crab (Calappa calappa) is also known as the Giant Box Crab. Because of their variable colouration they are sometimes also called the Red Spotted Box Crab. They are not often seen due to th...
Immaculate Puffer (Arothron immaculatus) is also known as the Black edged Puffer and the Yellow-eyed puffer

Immaculate Pufferfish – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
1
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...
Redspotted sandperch (Parapercis schauinslandii) also known as the Rosy Sandperch

Redspotted Sandperch – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
1
The Redspotted Sandperch (Parapercis schauinslandii) is also known as the Rosy Sandperch.  They are among the more attractive looking sand perches and are sometimes seen swimming above the bottom. They are ...
Tubelip wrasse (Labrichthys unilineatus) also known as the Tube-mouth Wrasse and the One-lined Wrasse

Tubelip Wrasse- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
2
The Tubelip wrasse (Labrichthys unilineatus) is also known as the Tube-mouth Wrasse and the One-lined Wrasse. They are not a common wrasse on Tanzanian reefs but neither are they that rare. They tend to ...
Smalltail Wrasse (Pseudojuloides cerasinus) is also known as the Smalltail Pencil Wrasse

Smalltail Wrasse- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
2
The Smalltail Wrasse (Pseudojuloides cerasinus) is also known as the Smalltail Pencil Wrasse. While not a common wrasse on Tanzanian main reefs, neither are they that rare. They tend to favor mixed rubble a...
The Aurora Goby (Amblyeleotris aurora) is also known as the Aurora Shrimp Goby and the Pinkbar Goby

Aurora Goby – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
5
The Aurora Goby (Amblyeleotris aurora) is also known as the Aurora Shrimp Goby and the Pinkbar Goby. As their name implies they have a symbiotic relationship with a species of alpheid shrimp, Alpheus randal...
Tiger Reef Eel (Scuticaria tigrina) is also known as the Tiger Snake Moray Eel

Tiger Reef Eel – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
2
The Tiger Reef Eel (Scuticaria tigrina) is also known as the Tiger Snake Moray Eel and the Tiger Moray Eel . They are reclusive eels and are not commonly seen out in the open during the day. Usually one onl...
Thumbprint Emperor (Lethrinus harak) is also known as the Blackspot emperor

Thumbprint Emperor – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
2
The Thumbprint Emperor (Lethrinus harak) is also known as the Blackspot emperor . They are fairly common inhabitants of rubble areas and reef sides in Tanzania. APPEARANCE Thumbprint Emperor have a typica...
Scaly chromis (Chromis lepidolepis) is also known as the Brown Chromis

Scaly Chromis – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
2
The Scaly chromis (Chromis lepidolepis) is also known as the Brown Chromis. They are extremely common fishes on the Tanzanian coast. APPEARANCE The body has an elongated oval shape with a pointed nose. Th...
Weber's Chromis ( Chromis weberi) also known as the Dark Bar Chromis

Weber’s Chromis – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
1
Weber's Chromis ( Chromis weberi) is also known as the Dark Bar Chromis, they are extremely common on the Tanzanian coast. APPEARANCE The body has an elongated oval shape with a pointed nose. The body is ...
chiseltooth wrasse, Pseudodax moluccanus

Chiseltooth Wrasse- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
5
The Chiseltooth wrasse, Pseudodax moluccanus is not a common wrasse on Tanzanian reefs but neither are they that rare. They tend to favor specific areas of the reef and if one dives in these areas one will ...
Double Bar Chromis ( Chromis opercularis) is also known as the Double Bar Lightning Chromis

Double Bar Chromis – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
5
The Double Bar Chromis ( Chromis opercularis) is also known as the Double Bar Lightning Chromis , the latter name refering to its juvenile stage when it is brightly colored. APPEARANCE The body has an elo...
Oriental wrasse Oxycheilinus orientalis is also known as the Oriental Maori wrasse

Oriental Wrasse- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
5
The Oriental wrasse Oxycheilinus orientalis is also known as the Oriental Maori wrasse. They are relatively common inhabitants on the deeper reefs in Tanzania. APPEARANCE The Oriental wrasse has a similar...
Longnose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus)

Longnose Hawkfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
7
The Longnose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus) is not a common fish in Tanzanian waters. They tend to be found quite deep and as a result are not often seen by recreational divers.  The specimens in the post we...
Twotone Wrasse (Thalassoma amblycephalum) also known as the Bluntheaded wrasse and the Blueheaded wrasse.

Bluntheaded Wrasse- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
2
The Bluntheaded Wrasse (Thalassoma amblycephalum) is also known as the Blueheaded wrasse.  They tend to favor the tops of semi protected shallow coral rich reefs.  They are extremely active fish and cruise ...
Christmas Worm ( Spirobranchus giganteus)

Christmas Worms-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
5
Christmas Worms ( Spirobranchus giganteus)  are common inhabitants of the reefs in Tanzania. Because of their small size they are not always immediately noticeable. However because of the large diversity in...
Dash-and-Dot goatfish (Parupeneus barberinus) is also known as the Dash dot Goatfish

Dash-and-dot Goatfish- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
4
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...
Tiger Damselfish (Chrysiptera annulata) also known as the Footballer demoiselle

Tiger Damselfish – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
7
The Tiger Damselfish (Chrysiptera annulata) is also known as the Footballer demoiselle.  They are common fish in the shallows a on Tanzanian reefs particularly on the shallow reefs with closely associated b...
Ehrenberg's Snapper (Lutjanus ehrenbergii) is also known as the Blackspot Snapper and Ehrenberg's Seaperch.

Ehrenberg’s Snapper – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
23
The Ehrenberg's Snapper (Lutjanus ehrenbergii) is also known as the Blackspot Snapper and Ehrenberg's Seaperch. They are common inhabitants of rubble areas and reef tops in Tanzania. APPEARANCE Ehrenberg'...
The Yellowbreasted wrasse, Anampses twistii is also known as the Twister Wrasse

Yellowbreasted Wrasse- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
22
The Yellowbreasted wrasse (Anampses twistii) is also known as the Twister Wrasse or Twist's Wrasse. They are fairly common inhabitants of the reef tops in Tanzania. APPEARANCE Unusually for the Anamps...
male Blue-Lined Wrasse ( Stethojulis albovittata ) is also known as the Rainbowfish

Blue-Lined Wrasse- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
16
The Blue-Lined Wrasse ( Stethojulis albovittata ) is also known as the Rainbowfish. They are fairly common inhabitants of the reef tops in Tanzania and closely resemble the Red Shoulder Wrasse Stethojulis b...
Indo-Pacific Sergeant (Abudefduf vaigiensis) is also known as the Five-banded Sergeant-major

Indo-Pacific Sergeant – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
8
The Indo-Pacific Sergeant (Abudefduf vaigiensis) is also known as the Five-banded Sergeant-major and in some areas simply as the Sergeant Major.  They are a common fish on Tanzanian reefs particularly on th...