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

Sea Grass Wrasse- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
41
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
36
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...
Male Triplespot wrasse (Halichoeres trispilus) is also known as the  White wrasse.

Triplespot wrasse- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
78
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
57
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
568
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 ...
Bluemoon parrotfish (Chlorurus atrilunula) also known as the Black Crescent Parrotfish

Bluemoon Parrotfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
60
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
84
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....
Forktail Rabbitfish (Siganus argenteus) is also known as the Streamlined Spinefoot and Schooling Rabbit-fish

Forktail Rabbitfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
51
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
84
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...
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
46
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 ...
African Wrasse also known as the African Coris and False Clown wrasse (Coris cuvieri)

African Wrasse- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
45
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...
Filefish teeth anchorage

Filefish Teeth Anchoring at night

Alan Sutton
14
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 ...
Birdbeak Burrfish Cyclichthys orbicularis is also known as the Orbicular Burrfish

Birdbeak Burrfish – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
109
The Birdbeak Burrfish Cyclichthys orbicularis is also known as the Orbicular Burrfish. Burrfish differ from the Porcupine fish in that they have rigid spines instead of movable spines.  They have the abilit...
Sea Urchin cardinalfish ( Siphamia mossambica)

Sea Urchin Cardinalfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
40
The Sea Urchin Cardinalfish ( Siphamia mossambica) is not an easy fish to spot as they spend most of their time hiding within the spines of an urchin. They are even more difficult to photograph. The images ...
Spot Tail Dartfish, Ptereleotris heteroptera, is also known as the Blacktail Dartfish, Indigo Dartfish and Blacktail Goby.

Spot Tail Dartfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
The Spot Tail Dartfish, Ptereleotris heteroptera, is also known as the Blacktail Dartfish, Indigo Dartfish and Blacktail Goby. They are fairly shy fish and are not easy fish to photograph well. As their nam...
Whitemargin moray or the white-edged moray, Gymnothorax albimarginatus

Whitemargin Moray Eel-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
30
The Whitemargin moray eel (Gymnothorax phasmatodes) is also known as the Ghost Moray Eel, they are similar in looks to G. albimarginatus which is found further east in the West Indo-Pacific area. They are n...
Indian mimic goatfish (Mulloidychtys ayliffe)

Indian Mimic Goatfish- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
29
The Indian mimic goatfish (Mulloidychtys ayliffe) is also known as the Blue striped goatfish. They are not common in Tanzanian coastal waters  and are only occasionally seen. This probably as a result of ex...
Enigmatic moray eel (Gymnothorax enigmaticus) is also known as the Banded Moray Eel

Enigmatic Moray Eel-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
22
The Enigmatic moray eel (Gymnothorax enigmaticus) is also known as the Banded Moray Eel. They are not common in Tanzanian waters and one occasionally sees them out at night hunting for prey on the shallow o...
Male Three-ribbon wrasse,(Stethojulis strigiventer) is also known as the Silverstreak wrasse, Silverbelly wrasse, Lined rainbowfish and Silver-streaked rainbowfish

Three-Ribbon Wrasse- Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
128
The Three-ribbon wrasse (Stethojulis strigiventer) is also known as the Silverstreak wrasse, Silverbelly wrasse, Lined rainbowfish and Silver-streaked rainbowfish. They are fairly common inhabitants of t...
Kenyan chromis (Chromis nigroanalis)

Kenyan Chromis – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
32
The Kenyan chromis (Chromis nigroanalis) was described by Allen in 1998. They are not common on the Tanzanian coast but in certain areas there are fair numbers of them. APPEARANCE The body has an oval dis...
Terminal Phase male Steephead parrotfish (Chlorurus strongylocephalus) also known as the Roundhead Parrotfish

Steephead Parrotfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
129
The Steephead parrotfish (Chlorurus strongylocephalus) is also known as the Roundhead Parrotfish. Parrotfish obtain their name from their teeth which are fused into a beak. This species is part of a complex...
Many-banded Pipefish (Dunckerocampus multiannulatus)

Many-banded Pipefish – Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
266
The Many-banded Pipefish (Dunckerocampus multiannulatus) is not commonly seen in Tanzanian waters, probably because they are mainly resident in small caves which are deep and they are fairly shy. They were ...
Fully mature Initial Phase Ember Parrotfish (Scarus rubroviolaceus)  is also known as the Redlip Parrotfish and Bicolor Parrotfish

Ember Parrotfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
102
The Ember Parrotfish (Scarus rubroviolaceus)  is also known as the Redlip Parrotfish and Bicolor Parrotfish. Parrotfish obtain their name from their teeth which are fused into a beak. Within the various ...
Blue-barred Parrotfish (Scarus ghobban) is also known as the Blue trim Parrotfish, Globe-headed Parrotfish, Green blotched Parrotfish and Bluechin parrotfish

Blue-barred Parrotfish-Facts and Photographs

Alan Sutton
103
The Blue-barred Parrotfish (Scarus ghobban) is also known as the Blue trim Parrotfish, Globe-headed Parrotfish, Green blotched Parrotfish and Bluechin parrotfish. Parrotfish obtain their name from their tee...