Sleek Unicornfish -Facts and Photographs
The Sleek unicornfish (Naso hexacanthus) is also known as the Blacktongue unicornfish. In terms of numbers they are probably the most numerous Unicornfish in Tanzanian waters. Fishes within the Acanthuri...
Cigar Wrasse- Facts and Photographs
The Cigar wrasse (Cheilio inermis) is also known as the Sharp-nosed Rainbowfish, Pêche madame, Julia Larguirucha and Kamasubera. They are not a common wrasse on Tanzanian reefs but neither are they uncommon...
Rainbow Runner – Facts and Photographs
The Rainbow Runner (Elagatis bipinnulata), also known as the Prodigal Son, Spanish jack and Hawaiian salmon. It is a member of the horse mackrel or jack family. They are fairly common on the Tanzanian coast...
Unusual Moray Eel
While diving on Octopus Reef off Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I noticed a strange looking Moray Eel with its head protruding from a hole. It seemed unlike any other Moray Eel that I had seen before. A clo...
Palefin Unicornfish -Facts and Photographs
The Palefin Unicornfish (Naso brevirostris) is also known as the Shortnose Unicornfish, and the Spotted Unicornfish. They are the most common Unicornfish in Tanzania. Fishes within the Acanthuridae fami...
Yelloweye Sweeper-Facts and Photographs
The Yelloweye Sweeper (Pempheris flavicycla) has two subspecies. One is Pempheris flavicycla flavicycla which is found across the Indian Ocean from East Africa to Sri Lanka but not in the Red Sea. The oth...
Yellowback Tubelip Wrasse- Facts and Photographs
The Yellowback Tubelip wrasse (Labropsis xanthonota) is also known as the Wedge-tailed wrasse, Blacklobe wrasse and V-tail wrasse. They are fairly rare on Tanzanian Reefs and tend to favor shallower areas o...
Flathead Slipper Lobster- Facts and Photographs
The Flathead Slipper Lobster (Thenus Orientalis) is a very unusual looking clawless lobster even by slipper lobster standards. In Australia they are known as the Morton Bay bug. They are only active at n...
Reticulated Hinge Beak Shrimp- Facts and Photographs
The Reticulated Hinge-beak Shrimp (Cinetorhynchus reticulatus) is also known as the Green-eye Dancing Shrimp. They are fairly rare in Tanzanian waters and are nocturnal feeders found in deeper waters. ...
Shadowfin Soldierfish – Facts and Photographs
The Shadowfin Soldierfish (Myripristis adusta) is also known as the Blackfin Soldierfish, Blue Squirrelfish, Bronze Soldierfish and One-spot Squirrelfish. Soldierfish are in the family Holocentridae and ...
Granite Moray Eel – Facts and Photographs
The Granite Moray Eel (Uropterygius sp.) appears to be an undescribed Moray Eel found on the Tanzanian mainland coast which is probably in the Uropterygius genus. To date no one has been able to identify ...
Eyebar Goby – Facts and Photographs
The Eyebar Goby (Gnatholepis cauerensis) is also known as the Shoulderspot Goby, the Bridled Goby and the Cauer Eye-bar Goby. There is some disagreement as to the validity of this species and how they shoul...
Partridge Tun Shell-Facts and Photographs
The Partridge Tun shell (Tonna perdix) is a large fairly reclusive mollusk rarely encountered on shallow night dives in Tanzanian waters. They are marine snails in the super family Tonnoidea. They are unusu...
Lunar Fusilier- Facts and Photographs
The Lunar Fusilier (Caesio lunaris) is also known as the Blue Fusilier and the Moon Fusilier. They are not as common as the other Fusiliers on the East African coast and we have not seen them swimming with ...
Indian Ocean Blue-Spotted Stingray-Facts and Photographs
The Indian Ocean Blue-spotted Stingray ( Neotrygon indica sp. nov) is also known as the Indian Ocean Bluespotted Maskray. They are common inhabitants of the reefs on the Tanzanian coast but are extremely sk...
Coral Scallop-Facts and Photographs
The Coral Scallop (Pedum spondyloideum) is also known as the Iridescent Clam and the Blue Lipped coral Oyster. They are however scallops. They reside within several species of hard stony corals, but are mo...
Gorgeous Shrimp Goby – Facts and Photographs
The Gorgeous Shrimp Goby (Amblyeleotris wheeleri) is also known as the Gorgeous Prawn-goby, the Barred Shrimp goby, the Burgundy Shrimp goby and Wheeler's Shrimp-goby. They are fairly common on the Tanzania...
Senatorial Scallop-Facts and Photographs
The Senatorial Scallop (Mimachlamys sanguinea) seems to have been named scientifically several times in the past and was previously known as Chlamys senatoria, Chlamys porphyrea and Chlamys australis. They a...
Glossodoris pallida – Nudibranch Facts and Photographs
The Glossodoris pallida is a species of colorful sea slug that is also known by its common name of the Pallid Glossodoris. They are dorid nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusks. They were first described in...
Graceful Lizardfish- Facts and Photographs
The Graceful Lizardfish (Saurida gracilis) also called the Blotchy Lizardfish. Close up they are easily distinguished from other Lizardfish by the shape of the mouth and the protruding teeth as seen in the ...
Tambja olivaria – Nudibranch Facts and Photographs
Tambja olivaria also known as the Olive Tambja, is a dorid nudibranch and was described in 1994 by Nathalie Yonow from a specimen in the Maldives. To date we have only seen two specimens, both in Chole Bay ...
Sand Lizardfish- Facts and Photographs
The Sand lizardfish (Synodus dermatogenys) is also known as the Clearfin Lizzardfish and the Banded Lizzardfish. They are often confused with the Variegated Lizardfish (Synodus variegatus) but are notably d...
Mozambique Ghost Goby – Facts and Photographs
The Mozambique Ghost Goby (Pleurosicya mossambica) is also known as the Common Ghost Goby, the Toothy Goby and the Many-host Goby. As can be seen in the images in the post, they are found on numerous hosts....
One Spot Snapper- Facts and Photographs
The One-spot Snapper (Lutjanus monostigma) is also known as the Black Spot Snapper, One-spot Seaperch and Onespot Perch. They are not that common on the Tanzanian coast but in the protected Marine Parks the...
Yellow-edged Lyretail Grouper- Facts and Photographs
The Yellow-edged Lyretail Grouper (Variola louti) is also known as the the Lyretail Grouper, Common Lyre-tail Cod, Lunar-tail Cod and Lunar-tailed Rock-cod. They are reasonably common on the Tanzanian coast...
Black Damselfish – Facts and Photographs
The Black Damselfish ( Neoglyphidodon melas) is also known as the Bowtie Damselfish, the Bluefin Damselfish and in some areas as the Royal Damselfish. They undergo a fairly dramatic colour change from juv...
Swarthy Parrotfish-Facts and Photographs
The Swarthy Parrotfish (Scarus niger) is also known as the Dusky Parrotfish and the Black Parrotfish. As with all the Parrotfish which are part of the Labridae family there is considerable diverg...