1. Mandarin Fish
Scientifically known as Synchiropus splendidus, the mandarin fish, is also one of the most stunningly beautiful and interesting fish in the ocean. They could well be the most distinct patterned creature you have ever seen when you dive.
The mandarinfish is a popular photographic subject due to its striking beauty and interesting habits. An extremely small and shy tropical fish, it can be a tricky photographic subject, coming in and out of view, appearing only briefly at dusk to mate and seemingly wishing to avoid any bright light.
Mandarinfish are shy and mostly passive. Normally they are found inhabiting broken coral rubble beds or under dead coral. They are so shy that any heavy breathing or movement will scare them away back to their shelters. They are usually found in groups or in pairs on reef crests and slopes in sheltered lagoons throughout much of the Western Pacific and in the Coral Triangle of biodiversity, which includes Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Australia.
2. Juvenile Emporer Angel Fish
They are stunning as juveniles or as adults. Juveniles have white
concentric rings all over their deep blue bodies. It is the adults that
really catch the eye of the onlooker. Its body is a dark blue/purple
with horizontal yellow lines streaking towards its tail. It wears a
black mask outlined by neon blue across its eyes.
All large angelfish have the potential to become really big bullies in captivity. The emperor angelfish is aggressive towards other large angels and very hostile towards fishes of the same species.
It generally leaves fishes from outside the Pomacanthidae family alone but might go after fishes a large or with the same overall body shape as itself.
3. Lion Fish
A Lionfish is any of several species of venomous marine fish in the genera Pterois, Parapterois, Brachypterois, Ebosia or Dendrochirus, of the family Scorpaenidae. The lionfish is also known as the Turkey Fish, Scorpion or Fire Fish. They are notable for their extremely long and separated spines, and have a generally striped appearance, red, green, navy green, brown, orange, yellow, black, maroon, or white.
Reefs and rocky areas of the Indio-pacific waters is where the Lionfish calls home. They have however made their way to the eastern coast of the United States, although no one is really sure how they got there. The only real rumor as to why the fish got so very far from home is that aquarium owners released the fish and they started to propagate on the coast. Again, this is purely speculation though and has never been proven.
4. Clown Trigger Fish
The Clown Triggerfish has a dramatic coloration, making this species a most sought after addition to the home aquarium. The Clown Triggerfish is found along the inner and outer portions of a reef in the wild, wherever shellfish and other invertebrates are found.
Among the most colorful, the Clown Triggerfish is also one of the most aggressive commonly kept inhabitants of an aquarium. Care should be taken in selecting its tank mates, choosing other aggressive, large fish. The tank decor should also be chosen based on the propensity of the Clown Triggerfish to rearrange it.
The Clown Triggerfish needs a varied diet of meaty foods including; squid, krill, clams, small fish and hard shelled shrimp to help wear down their ever growing teeth.
5. Nudibranch
A nudibranch is a member of what is now a taxonomic clade, and what was previously a suborder, of soft-bodied, shell-less marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks, which are noted for their often extraordinary colors and striking forms. The clade Nudibranchia is the largest clade within the heterobranchs, with more than 3,000 described species.
6. Symphysodon
Symphysodon are a genus of three species of cichlid freshwater fishes native to the Amazon River basin. Discus are popular as aquarium fish and their aquaculture in several countries in Asia is a major industry.
7. Mantis Shrimp
Mantis shrimp or stomatopods are marine crustaceans, the members of the order Stomatopoda. They are neither shrimp nor mantids, but receive their name purely from the physical resemblance to both the terrestrial praying mantis and the shrimp. They may reach 30 centimetres (12 in) in length, although exceptional cases of up to 38 cm (15 in) have been recorded. The carapace of mantis shrimp covers only the rear part of the head and the first three segments of the thorax. Mantis shrimp appear in a variety of colours, from shades of browns to bright neon colours. Although they are common animals and among the most important predators in many shallow, tropical and sub-tropical marine habitats they are poorly understood as many species spend most of their life tucked away in burrows and holes.
8.Moorish Idol Fish
The moorish idol, Zanclus cornutus, is a small marine fish species, the sole representative of the the Family Zanclidae in order Perciform. A common inhabitant of tropical to subtropical reefs and lagoons, the moorish idol is notable for its wide distribution throughout the Indo-Pacific. A number of butterflyfishes closely resemble the moorish idol.
9. Clownfish
Clownfish or anemonefish are fishes from the subfamily Amphiprioninae in the family Pomacentridae. About twenty-nine species are recognized, one in the genus Premnas, while the remaining are in the genus Amphiprion. In the wild they all form symbiotic mutualisms with sea anemones. Depending on species, clownfish are overall yellow, orange, reddish, or blackish, and many show white bars or patches. The largest reach a length of 18 centimetres (7.1 in), while the smallest barely reach 10 centimetres.
10. Rainbow Parrot Fish
Named Parrot fish because of their calcareous bird-like beaks. Parrot fish use these beaks to crush and eat the small invertebrates that live in coral. Much of the sand and sea floor of coral reefs are actually remains of meals from the parrot fish, they chew the coral, eat the invertebrates and spit out the leftover calcium. In most species, the initial phase is dull red, brown or grey, while the terminal phase is vividly green or blue with bright pink or yellow patches. The remarkably different terminal and initial phases were first described as separate species in several cases, but there are also some species where the phases are similar.
Scientifically known as Synchiropus splendidus, the mandarin fish, is also one of the most stunningly beautiful and interesting fish in the ocean. They could well be the most distinct patterned creature you have ever seen when you dive.
The mandarinfish is a popular photographic subject due to its striking beauty and interesting habits. An extremely small and shy tropical fish, it can be a tricky photographic subject, coming in and out of view, appearing only briefly at dusk to mate and seemingly wishing to avoid any bright light.
Mandarinfish are shy and mostly passive. Normally they are found inhabiting broken coral rubble beds or under dead coral. They are so shy that any heavy breathing or movement will scare them away back to their shelters. They are usually found in groups or in pairs on reef crests and slopes in sheltered lagoons throughout much of the Western Pacific and in the Coral Triangle of biodiversity, which includes Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Australia.
2. Juvenile Emporer Angel Fish
All large angelfish have the potential to become really big bullies in captivity. The emperor angelfish is aggressive towards other large angels and very hostile towards fishes of the same species.
It generally leaves fishes from outside the Pomacanthidae family alone but might go after fishes a large or with the same overall body shape as itself.
3. Lion Fish
A Lionfish is any of several species of venomous marine fish in the genera Pterois, Parapterois, Brachypterois, Ebosia or Dendrochirus, of the family Scorpaenidae. The lionfish is also known as the Turkey Fish, Scorpion or Fire Fish. They are notable for their extremely long and separated spines, and have a generally striped appearance, red, green, navy green, brown, orange, yellow, black, maroon, or white.
Reefs and rocky areas of the Indio-pacific waters is where the Lionfish calls home. They have however made their way to the eastern coast of the United States, although no one is really sure how they got there. The only real rumor as to why the fish got so very far from home is that aquarium owners released the fish and they started to propagate on the coast. Again, this is purely speculation though and has never been proven.
4. Clown Trigger Fish
The Clown Triggerfish has a dramatic coloration, making this species a most sought after addition to the home aquarium. The Clown Triggerfish is found along the inner and outer portions of a reef in the wild, wherever shellfish and other invertebrates are found.
Among the most colorful, the Clown Triggerfish is also one of the most aggressive commonly kept inhabitants of an aquarium. Care should be taken in selecting its tank mates, choosing other aggressive, large fish. The tank decor should also be chosen based on the propensity of the Clown Triggerfish to rearrange it.
The Clown Triggerfish needs a varied diet of meaty foods including; squid, krill, clams, small fish and hard shelled shrimp to help wear down their ever growing teeth.
5. Nudibranch
A nudibranch is a member of what is now a taxonomic clade, and what was previously a suborder, of soft-bodied, shell-less marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks, which are noted for their often extraordinary colors and striking forms. The clade Nudibranchia is the largest clade within the heterobranchs, with more than 3,000 described species.
6. Symphysodon
Symphysodon are a genus of three species of cichlid freshwater fishes native to the Amazon River basin. Discus are popular as aquarium fish and their aquaculture in several countries in Asia is a major industry.
7. Mantis Shrimp
Mantis shrimp or stomatopods are marine crustaceans, the members of the order Stomatopoda. They are neither shrimp nor mantids, but receive their name purely from the physical resemblance to both the terrestrial praying mantis and the shrimp. They may reach 30 centimetres (12 in) in length, although exceptional cases of up to 38 cm (15 in) have been recorded. The carapace of mantis shrimp covers only the rear part of the head and the first three segments of the thorax. Mantis shrimp appear in a variety of colours, from shades of browns to bright neon colours. Although they are common animals and among the most important predators in many shallow, tropical and sub-tropical marine habitats they are poorly understood as many species spend most of their life tucked away in burrows and holes.
8.Moorish Idol Fish
The moorish idol, Zanclus cornutus, is a small marine fish species, the sole representative of the the Family Zanclidae in order Perciform. A common inhabitant of tropical to subtropical reefs and lagoons, the moorish idol is notable for its wide distribution throughout the Indo-Pacific. A number of butterflyfishes closely resemble the moorish idol.
9. Clownfish
Clownfish or anemonefish are fishes from the subfamily Amphiprioninae in the family Pomacentridae. About twenty-nine species are recognized, one in the genus Premnas, while the remaining are in the genus Amphiprion. In the wild they all form symbiotic mutualisms with sea anemones. Depending on species, clownfish are overall yellow, orange, reddish, or blackish, and many show white bars or patches. The largest reach a length of 18 centimetres (7.1 in), while the smallest barely reach 10 centimetres.
10. Rainbow Parrot Fish
Named Parrot fish because of their calcareous bird-like beaks. Parrot fish use these beaks to crush and eat the small invertebrates that live in coral. Much of the sand and sea floor of coral reefs are actually remains of meals from the parrot fish, they chew the coral, eat the invertebrates and spit out the leftover calcium. In most species, the initial phase is dull red, brown or grey, while the terminal phase is vividly green or blue with bright pink or yellow patches. The remarkably different terminal and initial phases were first described as separate species in several cases, but there are also some species where the phases are similar.
