Multicolor Pygmy Angelfish

Scientific Name: Centropyge multicolor
Family: Angelfish - Pomacanthidae
Maximum Size: 9cm
Identification: White upper body, yellow face and lower body, dark blue dorsal and anal fins, yellow tail; blue patch on nape with black barring.
Favourite: Usually solitary; shy.
Hide-out: Under ledges on steep outer reef dropoffs in 20-90m.
Location: Central Pacific - Micronesia to Hawaii, south to Samoa, Fiji, Cook Is. and Society Is. in French Polynesia.

Moorish Idol

Scientific Name: Zanclus comutus
Family: Moorish Idol - Zanclidae
Maximum Size: 16cm
Identification: Three wide black and two pale yellow bars; yellow saddle marking on long protruding snout; long trailing dorsal fin filament.
Favourite: Solitary, in pairs or groups; feed primarily on sponges.
Hide-out: Lagoons and outer reefs to 180m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Micronesia, Hawaii, Polynesia, Mexico and Galapagos. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef.

Andaman Butterflyfish

Scientific Name: Chaetodon andamanensis
Family: Butterflyfish - Chaetodontidae
Maximum Size: 15cm
Description: Bright yellow with numerous faint stripes; black spot on base of tail.
Favourite: Solitary or in pairs.
Hide-out: Rock and coral reefs near shore and on outer slopes in 10-40m.
Location: Indian Ocean - Maldives, Sri Lanka, Andaman Sea to W. Sumatra in Indonesia.

Hawaiian Bristletooth

Scientific Name: Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Dark olive-brown with numerous thin pale greenish stripes covering head, body, dorsal and anal fins.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Seaward rock and coral reefs in 10-45m.
Location: Central Pacific - Palau and Mariana Is. in Micronesia to Hawaii and French Polynesia.

Japanese Pygmy Angelfish

Scientific Name: Centropyge interrutus
Family: Angelfish - Pomacanthidae
Maximum Size: 15cm
Identification: Orangish red head and forebody with blue spotting and blue behind, yellow tail. Males have stronger blue spotting on head and heavy blue lines on cheeks.
Hide-out: Rocky shores and coral patches in 15-60m.
Location: S.W. Japan to Kure, Midway Is. and Hawaii.

Gray Unicornfish

Scientific Name: Naso caesius
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 60cm
Identification: Gray to brownish gray, can rapidly change to pattern of indistinct round to vertically elliptical blotches on upper half of body; no horn and no dark margin on gill cover.
Favourite: Solitary or form aggregations.
Hide-out: Outer reefs in 6-60m.
Location: Pacific - Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia to Hawaii and Pitcaim Is. east of French Polynesia.

Humphead Bannerfish

Scientific Name: Heniochus varius
Family: Butterflyfish - Chaetodontidae
Maximum Size: 19cm
Description: Large brown to black triangular area on body; pair of horns just above eyes; bump on nape.
Favourite: Solitary, in pairs or form groups; often under ledges.
Hide-out: Coral-rich areas of lagoons and seaward reef slopes in 2-30m.
Location: Pacific - Indonesia, Philippines, Micronesia and Fiji to Polynesia. S.W. Japan to N.W. & N.E. Australia and New Caledonia.

Lined Bristletooth

Scientific Name: Ctenochaetus striatus
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 26cm
Identification: Dark brown with numerous orange spots on head and blue lines on body; may display a small black spot at rear base of dorsal fin.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups; one of most abundant reef fishes.
Hide-out: Lagoon and seaward reefs to 35m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Indonesia, Micronesia and French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef.

Blueback Pygmy Angelfish

Scientific Name: Centropyge colini
Family: Angelfish - Pomacanthidae
Maximum Size: 9cm
Identification: Pale yellow except for broad patch of blue on upper body extending from nape to soft dorsal fin.
Favourite: Usually solitary; shy, rarely observed.
Hide-out: Caves and ledges of steep outer reef slopes in 25-75m.
Location: East Indo-West Pacific - Cocos-Keeling Is. to C. Indonesia, S. Philippines, Palau, Marshall Is. and Fiji.

Achilles Tang

Scientific Name: Acanthurus achilles
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Identification: Dark to navy blue; large orange teardrop on rear body, white edge on gill cover, and white band at base of dorsal and anal fins, middle of tail orange.
Favourite: Solitary; territorial and aggressive.
Hide-out: Surge zone to 4m.
Location: Central Pacific - W. Caroline Is. in Micronesia, New Caledonia and Hawaii to Pitcaim Is. east of French Polynesia.

Blue-Spot Butterflyfish

Scientific Name: Chaetodon plebeius
Family: Butterflyfish - Chaetodontidae
Maximum Size: 15cm
Description: Bright yellow with numerous faint stripes; blue patch on side, ocellated spot on base of tail and blue-edged eye bar.
Favourite: Solitary or in pairs.
Hide-out: Shallow coastal waters including lagoons and seaward reefs to 10m.
Location: East Indo-West Pacific - Andaman Sea to Indonesia, New Guinea and Fiji. S.W. Japan to W. & E. Australia.

Blacktail Angelfish

Scientific Name: Centropyge eibli
Family: Angelfish - Pomacanthidae
Maximum Size: 11cm
Identification: Pale gray with thin brown to orange bars and black tail with blue margin; orange ring around eye, and orange bar across base of pectoral fin.
Favourite: Solitary, occasionally in pairs.
Hide-out: Usually in coral-rich areas in 3-25m.
Location: Indo-South Asian Pacific - Sri Lanka and Bay of Bengal south through S. Indonesia to N.W. Australia.

Whitebar Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus leucopareius
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Identification: Tan with thin dark stripes; white bar behind eye bordered by two dark bars.
Favourite: Form schools.
Hide-out: Rocky, boulder-strewn areas of surge in 0-10m.
Location: Pacific - Two separate populations. North of equator: S. Japan and Mariana Is. to Hawaii. South of equator: New Caledonia to Pitcaim Is. east of French Polynesia.

Highfin Coralfish

Scientific Name: Coradion altivelis
Family: Butterflyfish - Chaetodontidae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Description: White with wide orange bar across rear body including dorsal and anal fins; pair of closely spaced brown bars behind head.
Favourite: Uncommon.
Hide-out: Inshore reefs in 3-15m.
Location: East Indo-Asian Pacific - Andaman Sea to Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea and Solomon Is. S.W. Japan to E. Australia.

Bicolor Angelfish

Scientific Name: Centropyge bicolor
Family: Angelfish - Pomacanthidae
Maximum Size: 15cm
Identification: Bright yellow head and forebody, deep blue behind with yellow tail; blue saddle across nape extends to eyes.
Favourite: Solitary, in pairs or small groups.
Hide-out: Coral-rich and rubble areas of seaward reefs and lagoons, usually in 10-25m.
Location: West Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines, New Guinea to Samoa and Phoenix Is. S.W. Japan to N.W. & E. Australia.

Yellowback Butterflyfish

Scientific Name: Chaetodon mertensii
Family: Butterflyfish - Chaetodontidae
Maximum Size: 12.5cm
Description: White with chevron markings, outer tail yellow to orange; broad yellow to orange bar across rear body, black eye bar and spot or smudge on nape.
Favourite: Solitary or in pairs.
Hide-out: Lagoons and outer slopes in 10-120m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa, Maldives, Indonesia, Philippines and New Guinea to French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to E. Australia.

Japanese Swallow

Scientific Name: Genicanthus semifasciatus
Family: Angelfish - Pomacanthidae
Maximum Size: 21cm
Identification: Male - White with numerous close-set wavy bars on upper body, yellow on head extends into a yellow mid-body stripe; yellow spots on dorsal and tail fins.
Favourite: Usually form same-sex groups.
Hide-out: Rock or coral reefs in 15-100m.
Location: W. Pacific Rim from S.W. Japan to N. Philippines.

Masked Bannerfish

Scientific Name: Heniochus monoceros
Family: Butterflyfish - Chaetodontidae
Maximum Size: 23cm
Description: Rear body and fins yellow; white band runs from dorsal fin filament to lower head with dark bar behind; bump on nape.
Favourite: Solitary, in pairs or small groups.
Hide-out: Lagoons and outer reefs with rich coral growth in 2-25m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa, Bay of Bengal to Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea and French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to E. Australia.

Purple-Mask Angelfish

Scientific Name: Paracentropyge venusta
Family: Angelfish - Pomacanthidae
Maximum Size: 12cm
Identification: Blue upper head and body, yellow below with large triangular extension invading blue just behind head.
Favourite: Usually solitary; secretive, often upside down under ledges or in caves.
Hide-out: Outer reef slopes in 15-35m.
Location: W. Pacific Rim from Japan's Ryukyus and Izu Is. to Taiwan and N. Philippines (N. Luzon).

Crosshatch Butterflyfish

Scientific Name: Chaetodon xanthurus
Family: Butterflyfish - Chaetodontidae
Maximum Size: 14cm
Description: White with net pattern, outer tail yellow; broad yellow bar across rear body, black eye bar and spot on nape.
Favourite: Solitary or in pairs.
Hide-out: Outer reef slopes and drop-offs, usually among rocks or coral in 12-50m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Gulf of Thailand, S. China Sea, S.W. Japan, Malaysian Peninsula, Indonesia and Philippines.