Seahorse on a Frogfish
At the very end of an amazing night dive on Mafia Island in Tanzania arranged by David of Mafia Island Diving. My dive buddy Anna Madrugo found a Frogfish and called me over. After taking a few images of t...
Spectacled Filefish – Facts and Photographs
The Spectacled Filefish (Cantherhines fronticinctus) is also known as the Spectacled Leatherjacket. They are very shy fishes that are difficult to approach closely and hardly ever stray far from shelter.
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Bluestreak Goby – Facts and Photographs
The Bluestreak Goby (Valenciennea strigata) is also known as the Pennant Glider, Blueband Goby, Blueband Glider Goby and the Golden-head sleeper goby. They lack the sucker type pelvic fins common to many o...
Blue and Gold Fusilier- Facts and Photographs
The Blue and Gold Fusilier (Caesio caerulaurea) is also known as the Gold-striped Fusilier and the Scissor Tailed Fusilier. They are fairly common on the East African coast and are often seen swimming with ...
Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish-Facts and Photographs
The Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish (Dendrochirus brachypterus) is also called the Shortfin Lionfish, the shortfin turkeyfish and the Dwarf Lionfish. As the name dwarf implies, they are one of the smaller Lionfish. Th...
Eyestripe Surgeonfish-Facts and Photographs
The Eyestripe Surgeonfish (Acanthurus dussumieri) is also known as the Pencilled Surgeonfish, Dussumier's Surgeonfish, the Hawaiian Surgeonfish and the Ornate Surgeonfish. Members of the Acanthuridae family...
Red Sea Walkman-Facts and Photographs
The Red Sea Walkman (Inimicus Filamentosus) is also known as the Filamented devilfish, Two-stick Stingfish, Sea Goblin and Demon Stinger.
They are in the same family, Synanceiidae as the Stonefish and ...
Marbled Leopard Grouper – Facts and Photographs
The Marbled Leopard Grouper (Plectropomus punctatus) is also known as the Marbled Coral Grouper and the Marbled Leopard Rockcod. They are rarely seen on the Tanzanian coast. Being quite colorful they are on...
Twinstripe Fusilier- Facts and Photographs
The Twinstripe Fusilier (Pterocaesio marri) is also known as Marr's Fusilier, the Big-tail Fusilier, and the Black-tipped Fusilier. They are fairly common on the East African coast and are often seen swimmi...
Ruddy Fusilier- Facts and Photographs
The Ruddy Fusilier (Pterocaesio pisang) is also known as the Bleeker's Fusilier and the Banana Fusilier. They are fairly common on the East African coast and often swim with other species of Fusiliers.
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Gold Sash Fusilier- Facts and Photographs
The Gold Sash Fusilier (Caesio xanthalytos) is also known as the Yellow Sash Fusilier. The species was only described in 2013. They are fairly common on the East African coast and often swim with other spec...
Yellowback Anthias – Facts and Photographs
The the Yellowback Anthias (Pseudanthias evansi) is also known as the Goldback Anthias, Goldback Basslet and the Purple Wreckfish. They are abundant on the East African coast in some areas and scarce in oth...
Red-breasted Wrasse- Facts and Photographs
The Red-breasted Wrasse (Cheilinus fasciatus) is also known as the Banded maori wrasse, the Red-banded wrasse and the Scarlet-breasted wrasse.
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Unlike most wrasses there is no major variation b...
Redcheek Wrasse- Facts and Photographs
The Redcheek Wrasse (Thalassoma genivittatum) is also known as the Dolphin wrasse from the juveniles resemblance to a Dolphin. This can be seen in the image below. They tend to favor the tops of semi prote...
Black Pyramid Butterflyfish – Facts and Photographs
The The Black Pyramid Butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys zoster) is also known as the Pyramid Butterflyfish, the Brown-and-White Butterflyfish, the Zoster Butterflyfish and the Brushtooth Butterflyfish.
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Yellowspotted Pufferfish – Facts and Photographs
The Yellowspotted Pufferfish (Torquigener flavimaculosus) is also known as the Studded Pufferfish. As with many other puffers, they have a symbiotic relationship with types of bacteria such as Pseudoalterom...
Pastel Ring Wrasse- Facts and Photographs
The Pastel Ring Wrasse (Hologymnosus doliatus) is also known as the Candy cane wrasse, Longface wrasse, Narrow-banded wrasse, Ringed rainbowfish and simply the Ringed wrasse. They are not a common wrasse on...
Blackbar Damselfish – Facts and Photographs
The Blackbar Damselfish, Plectroglyphidodon dickii is also known as the Narrowbar Damselfish, the Blackbar Devil and Dicks Devil. Despite their small size and lack of bright coloration they have a lot of ch...
Bennet’s Sharpnose Pufferfish – Facts and Photographs
The Bennett's Sharpnose Pufferfish (Canthigaster bennetti) is also known as Bennett's Pufferfish, the Whitebelly Pufferfish, Bennett's Toby and the Exquisite Toby. As with many other puffers, they have a s...
Barred Rubberlip – Facts and Photographs
The Barred rubberlip (Plectorhinchus plagiodesmus) is also known as the Yellow Mouth Sweetlips. They are a species of grunt, closely related to the snappers. They have thick fleshy lips hence the name rubbe...
Somali Butterflyfish – Facts and Photographs
The Somali Butterflyfish ( Chaetodon leucopleura) is not a common fish on the Tanzanian coast. They are reportedly more common on the Kenyan and Somali coasts.
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Somali Butterflyfish have a white...
Archer Butterflyfish – Facts and Photographs
The Archer Butterflyfish ( Chaetodon bennetti) is also known as Bennetts Butterflyfish, the Bluelashed Butterflyfish and the Eclipse Butterflyfish. They are not a commonly seen species and are fairly rare ...
Masked Bannerfish – Facts and Photographs
The Masked Bannerfish (Heniochus monoceros) , is also known as the Masked coachman or Unicorn Pennant Coralfish. They are not a commonly seen species and are fairly rare in Tanzanian waters. Bannerfish are ...
Yellowhead Butterflyfish – Facts and Photographs
The Yellowhead Butterflyfish (Chaetodon xanthocephalus) is also known as the Goldheaded Butterflyfish and Goldring Butterflyfish. They are widely distributed but are not common in any part of their range.
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Bluelined Shrimp Goby – Facts and Photographs
The Bluelined Shrimp goby (Cryptocentrus bulbiceps) may be conspecific to Cryptocentrus fasciatus as the two resemble each other. Possibly only DNA testing may confirm this. They are common in some areas of...
Indian Ocean Humbug Damselfish – Facts and Photographs
The Indian Ocean Humbug Damselfish, Dascyllus abudafur is also known as the Zebra Humbug. Despite their small size and lack of bright coloration they have a lot of character. Previously they were classified...
Lined Butterflyfish – Facts and Photographs
The Lined Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lineolatus) is also known as the Line Butterflyfish, Lined Butterfly and New-moon Coralfish . They are the largest of the Butterflyfish and are widely distributed but are...