Clark's Anemonefish

Scientific Name: Amphiprion clarkii
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 12cm
Identification: Black to entirely orange with pair of white or pale bluish bars, second bar wide; tail white or yellow, usually with abrupt boundary if body dark; other fins variably black to yellow-orange.
Hide-out: Live with 10 anemone species to 55m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Persian Gulf to Micronesia, New Caledonia and Fiji. S.W. Japan to N. Australia (rare).

Twinspot Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis elerae
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 7cm
Identification: Brown; two white spots, one each at base of rear dorsal and anal fin rays.
Favourite: Form small groups.
Hide-out: Caves, ledges and black coral thickets, usually on steep slopes in 12-70m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Maldives to Fiji and Guam in Micronesia. Taiwan to Australia.

Lord Howe Butterflyfish

Scientific Name: Amphichaetodon howensis
Family: Butterflyfish - Chaetodontidae
Maximum Size: 18cm
Description: Alternating black and silver-white bars; yellow hue on back.
Hide-out: On rocky reefs with some live corals. Typically at least 50m, but occasionally shallow.
Location: Southwestern Pacific - S.E. Australia, Lord Howe and Norfolk Is. to N. New Zealand and Kermadec Is.

White-Tailed Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis leucura
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 6.5cm
Identification: Dark blue gray with yellow ventral fins and white tail; black edge marking extends from rear dorsal fin to rear anal fin, black spot covers pectoral fin base.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Around deep boulders or scattered coral in 16-119m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Mauritius and Reunion Is. to N. Sumatra in Indonesia, S.W. Japan, Hawaii and French Polynesia.

Red Saddleback Anemonefish

Scientific Name: Amphiprion ephippium
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 12cm
Identification: Red to reddish orange with variable amount of black on rear body (no bars); young entirely red-orange except a white head bar.
Hide-out: Live most commonly with Bulb-Tentacle Anemone on shoreline reefs in 2-15m.
Location: East Indian Ocean - Andaman Sea to Sumatra and Java in Indonesia.

Deep Reef Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis delta
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 6.5cm
Identification: Gray; white band around base of tail, tail pale to translucent; black spot covers pectoral fin base.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Steep outer reef slopes in 10-80m.
Location: West Pacific - Indonesia to Fiji. Taiwan to N. Great Barrier Reef.

Masked Rabbitfish

Scientific Name: Siganus puellus
Family: Rabbitfishes - Siganidae
Maximum Size: 16cm
Identification: Yellow with wavy broken blue lines arranged vertically on forebody and horizontal on rear; black bar across eye.
Favourite: In pairs; feed on tunicates and sponges.
Hide-out: Rich coral areas in 3-12m.
Location: East Indo-West Pacific - Cocos-Keeling Is. to S. Micronesia and Gilbert Is. S. China Sea and S.W. Japan to S. Great Barrier Reef, New Caledonia and Vanuatu.

Doublebar Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis opercularis
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 16cm
Identification: Charcoal-gray with pale scale centers; narrow black bar on gill cover, and broad black bar from rear upper corner of gill cover to pectoral fin base.
Favourite: Form groups.
Hide-out: Outer reef slopes in 10-40m.
Location: Indian Ocean - E. Africa to Andaman Sea and Seribu Is. off Java, Indonesia.

Clown Anemonefish

Scientific Name: Amphiprion percula
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 9cm
Identification: Orange with 3 white bars, middle bar has forward-projecting bulge; variable amounts of black edging on bars and fins. Similar False Clown distinguished by location.
Hide-out: Live with 3 anemone species to 15m.
Location: West Pacific - N. New Guinea, Solomon Is., Great Barrier Reef to Vanuatu.

Spiny Chromis

Scientific Name: Acanthochromis polyacanthus
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 13cm
Identification: Visual ID nearly impossible due to highly variable color and markings depending on geographic location. Similar in shape to Chromis damselfishes, but much larger than most.
Favourite: Usually in pairs.
Hide-out: Shoreline, lagoon and outer reefs to 65m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines to N. Australia and Solomon Is.

Golden-Striped Butterflyfish

Scientific Name: Chaetodon aureofascistus
Family: Butterflyfish - Chaetodontidae
Maximum Size: 12.5cm
Description: Grayish body rimmed with bright yellow; orange band through eye.
Favourite: Solitary or in pairs; hybridizes with Goldbarred Butterflyfish.
Hide-out: Most common on silty coastal reefs, often near river mouths in 5-15m.
Location: N. Australia and S. Papua New Guinea to Great Barrier Reef.

Pale-Tail Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis xanthura
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 15cm
Identification: Dark charcoal-gray to blackish with white tail including base, but not rear dorsal and anal fins.
Favourite: Usually form groups.
Hide-out: Outer reef slopes in 3-40m.
Location: East Indo-Pacific - Cocos-Keeling Is. to Indonesia, Line Is. and Pitcaim Is. east of French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to N.W. and N.E. Australia and New Caledonia.

False Clown Anemonefish

Scientific Name: Amphiprion ocellaris
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 9cm
Identification: Orange with 3 white bars, middle bar has forward-projecting bulge; variable amounts of black edging on bars and fins.
Hide-out: Shoreline reefs to 15m.
Location: East Indo-Asian Pacific - Andaman Sea to N.W. Australia, Central Indonesia and Philippines. Rare black variation around Darwin, Australia; brown variation elsewhere.

Indian Half-and-Half Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis dimidiata
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 7cm
Identification: Dark brown to black head and forebody, white rear body and tail. Distinguished from Pacific Half-and-Half Chromis by location.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Common near shore and on seaward reef slopes in 2-20m.
Location: Indian Ocean - Red Sea, E. Africa and Christmas I. to Sumatra and Java in Indonesia.

Ballina Angelfish

Scientific Name: Chaetodontoplus ballinae
Family: Angelfish - Pomacanthidae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Identification: White with black upper body, tail and pectoral fins yellow to orange, dark snout tip and triangular eye mask.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Coral or rock reef in 10-80m.
Location: N. New South Wales (Coffs Harbor, Ballina, Solitary Is.) and Lord Howe I. Generally rare, but common at Ball's Pyramid near Lord Howe I.

Pacific Half-and-Half Chromis

Scientific Name: Chromis iomelas
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 7cm
Identification: Dark brown to black head and forebody, white rear body and tail. Distinguished from Indian Half-and-Half Chromis by location.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Outer reef areas in 3-35m.
Location: Southwestern Pacific - Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea to Fiji.

Wide-Band Anemonefish

Scientific Name: Amphiprion latezonatus
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 14cm
Identification: Dark brown to black with wide pyramid-shaped white area covering most of side; white bar on head and across tail base.
Hide-out: Live most commonly with Leathery Anemone on rocky and inshore reefs in 10-45m.
Location: Southwestern Pacific - S. Queensland, Australia, N. New South Wales and Lord Howe I.

Twospot Demoiselle

Scientific Name: Chrysiptera biocellata
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 7cm
Identification: Dark grayish brown with pale tail; white mid-body bar. Juvenile - Primarily yellow with blue lines on forehead and upper side and pair of black spots on dorsal fin.
Hide-out: Rubble and rock outcroppings in lagoons and shore reefs to 5m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - E. Africa to Samoa and Marshall Is. in Micronesia. S.W. Japan to N.W. Australia and New Caledonia.

Goldbarred Butterflyfish

Scientific Name: Chaetodon rainfordi
Family: Butterflyfish - Chaetodontidae
Maximum Size: 15cm
Description: Yellow; pair of broad bluish gray bars with orange margins and orange eye bar.
Favourite: Solitary or in pairs; easy to approach.
Hide-out: Coastal and offshore reefs areas of sparse coral growth to 15m.
Location: S. Papua New Guinea to Great Barrier Reef.

Tracey's Demoiselle

Scientific Name: Chrysiptera traceyi
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 6cm
Identification: Dark purplish gray, pale yellowish tail base, ventral fins blackish; ovate black blotch at base of middle of dorsal fin.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Lagoons and outer reefs in 5-30m.
Location: Northwestern Pacific - Micronesia and Philippines.