Unicorn Shrimp- Facts and Photographs
The Unicorn Shrimp (Genus Plesionika) are also known as the Narwhal Shrimp. They obtain their name from the proportionally very long rostrum spine extending out quite far from the carapace. The rostrum ha...
Yellow Porcelain Anemone Crab- Facts and Photographs
The Yellow Porcelain Anemone Crab, Neopetrolisthes alobatus is not common in Tanzanian waters. In several years of searching we have only found five specimens.
They are decapod crustaceans in the Porcell...
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.
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Goniobranchus gleniei – Nudibranch Facts and Photographs
Goniobranchus gleniei is not very common in the waters around Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. They were initially described in Sri Lanka in 1858 by E.F Kelaart the Staff Surgeon for the British Army garrison in Tr...
Nembrotha kubaryana – Nudibranch Facts and Photographs
The Nembrotha kubaryana, also known as the Variable Neon Nudibranch or the Dusky Nembrotha, is not that common in the waters around Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. They are dorid nudibranchs, marine gastropod mo...
Decorator Crab- Facts and Photographs
Decorator crabs belong to the superfamily Majoidea and are also commonly known as Spider Crabs. They obtain their name from their habit of decorating their bodies with various plants and animals. This can ...
Marine Flatworms-Facts-Photographs and Video
Marine Platyhelminthes or Marine Flatworms as they are commonly known are often extremely colorful creatures. The brightly colored species are easy to spot while diving and if one is lucky, one can see them...
Stinging Sea Creatures-Textile Cone Shell
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The Textile cone shell Conus textile is also known as the cloth of gold cone shell. As with all the cone shells, they are carnivorous and predatory, preying on other mollusks. In order to quickly disable ...
Porcelain Anemone Crab- Facts and Photographs
The Porcelain Anemone Crab, Neopetrolisthes maculatus is also known as the Spotted porcelain crab. They are decapod crustaceans in the Porcellanidae family. Although they resemble true crabs they are actual...
Stinging Sea Creatures-Flower Urchin
The Flower urchin, Toxopneustes pileolus may look pretty but it is not something to be touched. When scuba divers are given their dive briefing and warned to only leave bubbles and not to touch o...
Durban Dancing Shrimp- Facts and Photographs
The Durban Dancing Shrimp (Rhynchocinetes durbanensis) is also known as the camel shrimp, camelback shrimp, candy shrimp and the hingebeak prawn. They obtain the dancing part of their name from the sidewa...
Bigfin Reef Squid- Facts Photographs and Video
The Bigfin reef squid, (Sepioteuthis lessoniana) is also known as the Oval squid. They obtain their name from the fin which almost completely circles their body. This gives them a superficial resemblance t...
Long Spined Porcupinefish – Facts and Photographs
The Long spined porcupinefish Diodon holocanthus, is also known as the Spiny Ballonfish. They can be easily confused with the Short spine porcupinefish, (Diodon liturosus) which is similar in looks but has ...
Giant Spotted Hermit Crab- Facts and Photographs
The Giant spotted hermit crab Dardanus megistos is also known as the White-spotted Hermit crab. They are one of the more colourful hermit crabs, that spend their lives in empty gastropod shells. In terms of...
Honeycomb Moray Eel-Facts and Photographs
The Honeycomb moray (Gymnothorax favagineus) also known as the leopard or laced moray is one of the larger more attractive morays.
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The Honeycomb moray eel is a light whitish brown to yellow...
Zebra Moray Eel- Facts and Photographs
The zebra moray, Gymnomuraena zebra as its name implies is a dark colored moray with white stripes. They are one of the more reclusive moray eels. As they are nocturnal they are not commonly seen.
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Tiger Angelfish – Facts and Photographs
The tiger angelfish Aploemichthys kingi is one of the lesser known angelfish. As their name implies they are quite striking fish and are highly sought after by specialist marine aquarists.
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On t...
White Spotted Pufferfish – Facts and Photographs
The white spotted pufferfish or blowfish, Arothron hispidus are a common sight on the reefs in East Africa and are frequently seen swimming around the reef edges. They are also known as the stars and strip...
Giant Moray Eel-Facts and Photographs
The Giant moray (Gymnothorax javanicus) is the largest moray eel in terms of mass. An adult has a formidable set of rear facing teeth to go with its proportionally large mouth. As can be seen in the images,...
The Tiger Cowrie – Facts and Photographs
The tiger cowrie (Cypraea tigris) is one of the larger species of cowrie. They are marine snails in the family Cypraeidae. They are an extremely attractive sight as they move across the reef. They are noctu...
Stinging Sea Creatures-Fireweed
It may look like a plant, but Aglaophenia cupressina is actually a stinging hydroid. Commonly known as feather fireweed, fire hydroid, stinging seaweed or simply fireweed. Brush against it and you might not...
Jellyfish or Sea Jellies which is correct ?
Despite the name, Jellyfish are not fish and the term is not scientifically appropriate. Many scientists are beginning to refer to them as jellies or sea jellies in a similar fashion to the name change occurr...
Bluebottles – Stings and All You Need to Know
The Bluebottle, (Indo-Pacific) Portuguese man of war, bloublasie and sometimes mistakenly called the bluebottle jellyfish, gets its names from its float. The float resembles a bottle or an old Portuguese ma...
Mole Crabs – Facts and Photographs
Mole crabs of the genus Emerita, also known as sea lice, sand fleas or sand crabs, are small crabs that are seldom seen, except perhaps when their shells are washed up on a beach. They spend the majority of t...
Diving on Mafia Island, Tanzania
Whale shark off Mafia Island
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALAN SUTTON
Mafia Island is situated 25 km from mainland Tanzania and is approximately 130 kilometers south east of Dar es Salaam. The island is 48 kilometers ...
Blue Blubber Jellyfish- Facts and Photo’s
An unusually colored blue blubber jellyfish (Catostylus mosaicus), spotted off the east coast of Mafia Island in Tanzania. These jellyfish vary in color...
Spanish Dancer Nudibranch- Facts Photographs and Video
The Spanish Dancer Hexabranchus sanguineus is a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk. They obtain their common name from their resemblance when swimming, to the skirts of a Spanish Flamenco Dancer. ...