Fire Dartfish [Nemateleotris magnifica]

The Fire Goby, Fire Fish, Fire Dartfish, or Red Fire Goby is a marine dartfish. This fish is most commonly found near the substrate of the upper reef in tropical marine waters. These waters include the Indo-Pacific, Central Pacific, east African waters, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, New Caledonia, and Pitcairn Islands.[1] They swim as deep below the surface as 70 meters, and usually hover directly above the ocean floor, facing the current to catch their prey.[1] They eat mostly copepods, zooplankton, and crustacean larvae. They usually have a bright yellow head, merging into a white body, gradually shading into a red-orange tail. Their dorsal fins are very long, and the fish flicks it back and forth. This is used as a signal to conspecifics. As a full grown adult, it reaches a maximum length of 9 centimeters (3 in). Adults occupy sandy burrows alone or in pairs, while the juveniles live in small groups. These fish are monogamous. They will retreat to burrows if threatened.

 Pictures: Phillipines by Sami Salmenkivi

Pygmy Sweeper [Parapriacanthus ransonneti]

 

Pygmy Sweeper, Parapriacanthus ransonneti. Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea south to Transkei, South Africa and east to the Marshall Islands, north to southern Japan, south to Australia. Found in large groups under coral overhangs and in caves. Feeds on zooplankton at night.

 Pictures: Raja Ampat, Papua, Indonesia by Sami Salmenkivi

Lyretail Anthias [Pseudanthias squamipinnis]

Female

Male

The sea goldie (Pseudanthias squamipinnis), also known as the lyretail coralfish, lyretail anthias, and scalefin anthia, is a small species of colourful fish in the subfamily Anthiinae. It is a common sight to scuba divers in the Indian Ocean. Female: Length up to 7 cm, orange/gold colour with violet streak below the eye. Male: Length up to 15 cm, fuchsia colour with elongated 3rd ray of the dorsal fin, a red patch on the pectoral fin and elongated margins of the tail.

 Pictures: Great Barrier Reef, Australia by Sami Salmenkivi

Tailspot blenny [Ecsenius stigmatura]

Tailspot blenny, Ecsenius stigmatura is a Blenny from the Western Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 6cm in length. (text source: Wikipedia)

Pictures: Misool Islands, Raja Ampat, Papua, Indonesia by Sami Salmenkivi

Common Clownfish [Amphiprion ocellaris]

The Ocellaris Clownfish, Common Clownfish or False Percula Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) is a popular aquarium fish, even more so after it rose to stardom in Finding Nemo. It is very closely related to A. percula, the Orange Clownfish or “True Percula Clownfish”, and often lives in association with the sea anemone Heteractis magnifica, using them for shelter and protection. Generally, Ocellaris clownfish are hardier, and slightly less aggressive than its Percula counterpart. Both species are found in coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the Fiji and Tonga regions.

This clown anemonefish can be recognised by its orange colour with three white bars and black markings on the fins. It grows to about eight centimeters (three inches) in length. One can differentiate between Percula (true) and Ocellaris (false) by their respective colors and patterns. Ocellaris are usually less vibrantly colored, and have 11 dorsal fin-spines instead of 10, as on the Percula. There is also a rare melanistic variety hailing from the reefs around Darwin, Australia, that is a dark black colour with the normal white stripes. (text source: Wikipedia)

Pictures: Pulau Perhentian, Malaysia and Andaman, India by Sami Salmenkivi

Whitespotted filefish [Cantherhines dumerilii]

Wikipedia has no article on whitespotted filefish.

Picture: Cozumel, Mexico by Sami Salmenkivi