White-Shouldered Whiptail

Scientific Name: Pentapodus bifasciatus
Family: Coral Breams - Nemipteridae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Identification: Brown to dark gray on upper sides with 3 white stripes; white marking on upper rear edge of gill cover; slender with pointed snout.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Silty coastal reefs in 2-20m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Singapore, Malaysian Peninsula, W. Indonesia and Philippines.

Striped Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus lineatus
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 38cm
Identification: Gold undercolor with numerous black edged blue stripes and bluish belly, yellow ventral fins; bright blue margins on most fins.
Favourite: Solitary; territorial and aggressive; tail spine venomous.
Hide-out: Outer edge of reefs to 6m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Indonesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia.

Three-Striped Whiptail

Scientific Name: Pentapodus trivittatus
Family: Coral Breams - Nemipteridae
Maximum Size: 30cm
Identification: Gray, underside of head and body white; pale saddles and stripe on back, white mid-body blotch gradates into stripe toward tail.
Favourite: Solitary or in pairs.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs and lagoons in 2-30m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Malaysian Peninsula to Philippines, E. Caroline Is. in Micronesia and Solomon Is.

Regal Angelfish

Scientific Name: Pygoplites diacanthus
Family: Angelfish - Pomacanthidae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Yellow-orange with 7-8 dark-edged bluish-white bars, yellow tail; dark patch around eye; blue and orange bands on anal fin.
Favourite: Solitary or in pairs; feed on sponges and tunicates.
Hide-out: Lagoons and outer reefs to 48m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Indonesia, Philippines and Polynesia. S.W. Japan to N. Australia and New Caledonia.

Small-Toothed Whiptail

Scientific Name: Pentapodus caninus
Family: Coral Breams - Nemipteridae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Greenish gray to bluish gray back gradating to whitish lower body; broad yellowish stripe from eye to base of tail; no dark band between eyes.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Silty coastal reefs and deep lagoons in 2-35m.
Location: West Pacific - Malaysian Peninsula to Gilbert Is. S.W. Japan to New Caledonia.

King Demoiselle

Scientific Name: Chrysiptera rex
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 8cm
Identification: Upper head and forebody variable from grayish blue to yellow, remainder of body and fins yellowish, ventral fins translucent; often tiny blue speckles on head and body.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Surge channels and outer reefs to 6m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines. S.W. Japan to Coral Sea.

Paradise Whiptail

Scientific Name: Pentapodus paradiseus
Family: Coral Breams - Nemipteridae
Maximum Size: 35cm
Identification: Gray; white stripe bordered by dark gray stripe from eye to tail joins white V-shaped mark and small black spot on tail base.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs in 10-70m.
Location: Asian Pacific - S. Papua New Guinea, Solomon Is. and Great Barrier Reef.

Queensland Yellowtail Angelfish

Scientific Name: Chaetodontoplus meredithi
Family: Angelfish - Pomacanthidae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Blackish body, head blue, (yellow-spotted in male) with white bar behind; yellow breast and bright yellow tail; yellow blotch on nape.
Favourite: Solitary or in pairs.
Hide-out: Flat bottoms with rocky coral patches in 6-45m.
Location: E. Australia from Great Barrier Reef (rare) to Sydney area and Howe I.

Japanese Whiptail

Scientific Name: Pentapodus nagasakiensis
Family: Coral Breams - Nemipteridae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Brownish back gradating to whitish lower body; white stripe bordered with wide yellow to gold diffuse stripes from snout through lower eye to tail; slender with pointed snout.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs in 20-100m.
Location: Asian Pacific - S.W. Japan and central Indonesia to N.W. Australia.

Brown Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus nigrofuscus
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 21cm
Identification: Brown with numerous orange spots on head; black spot at rear base of last dorsal and anal fin rays.
Favourite: Common on Indo-Pacific reefs. Form large schools; graze on algae growing on rocky surfaces.
Hide-out: Inshore and outer reefs to 20m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Micronesia, Hawaii and Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef and Lord Howe I.

Double Whiptail

Scientific Name: Pentapodus emeryii
Family: Coral Breams - Nemipteridae
Maximum Size: 35cm
Identification: Blue back grading to whitish lower body with thin yellowish stripe on back and wider mid-lateral stripe; slender with pointed snout and elongate filament on each tail lobe.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Silty coastal reefs in 2-35m.
Location: Asian Pacific - N.W. Australia, E. Indonesia and Philippines.

Orange-Faced Angelfish

Scientific Name: Chaetodontoplus chrysocephalus
Family: Angelfish - Pomacanthidae
Maximum Size: 22cm
Identification: Orangish head grading to brown then black toward rear, tail yellow; maze of blue markings on head, blue stripes on body.
Hide-out: Coral and rubble in 15-25m.
Location: Asian Pacific - E. Indonesia, Malaysian Peninsula, N. Philippines and W. Pacific Rim to Sagami Bay, Japan.

Butterfly Whiptail

Scientific Name: Pentapodus setosus
Family: Coral Breams - Nemipteridae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Light gray; gold to yellow stripe from eye to upper base of tail joins a pale lower stripe to form a V with central dark spot; adults have filament extending from upper tail lobe.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs in 5-50m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Malaysian Peninsula, Singapore, Indonesia and Philippines.

Talbot's Demoiselle

Scientific Name: Chrysiptera talboti
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 6cm
Identification: Commonly pale mauve but variable (black in Fiji); bright yellow area from snout to back, black spot on middle of dorsal fin.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Shoreline reefs, lagoons and outer slopes in 6-35m.
Location: East Indo-West Pacific - Andaman Sea to Coral Sea and Fiji, north to Philippines.

Green Jobfish

Scientific Name: Aprion virescens
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 100cm
Identification: Dark green to blue to bluish gray; slender cylindrical body with strongly forked tail, pectoral fins short; no distinctive markings.
Favourite: Usually solitary.
Hide-out: Lagoons, reef passes and outer slopes in 5-150m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Micronesia, Hawaii and French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Australia and Lord Howe I.

Half-Banded Angelfish

Scientific Name: Genicanthus semicinctus
Family: Angelfish - Pomacanthidae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Male - Grayish with black bars that end above yellowish belly; light gray bars on chest, spotted tail.
Favourite: Usually form groups.
Hide-out: Outer reef slopes in 10-50m.
Location: S.W. Pacific at Lord Howe I. and Kermadec Is.

Spanish Flag

Scientific Name: Lutjanus carponotatus
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 40cm
Identification: Grayish to white undercolor with 5-9 yellow to golden brown stripes; black spot on base of pectoral fin.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Turbid coastal reefs, lagoons and outer slopes in 1-35m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - India to Papua New Guinea. S. China to N. Australia and Great Barrier Reef.

Whitefin Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus albipectoralis
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 33cm
Identification: Dark gray to nearly black, except for white outer half of pectoral fin.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups; feed on plankton high above bottom.
Hide-out: Steep outer reef slopes in 5-20m.
Location: Southwest Pacific - Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea to Tonga.

Five-Lined Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus quinquelineatus
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 39cm
Identification: Yellow with 5 blue stripes, bottom stripe on yellow belly; usually black spot or smudge on rear back.
Favourite: Frequently form groups.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs, lagoons and outer slopes in 2-40m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Arabian Gulf to Fiji. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Flame Angelfish

Scientific Name: Centropyge loricula
Family: Angelfish - Pomacanthidae
Maximum Size: 10cm
Identification: Brilliant red to red-orange with about 5 black bars; blue markings on rear edge of dorsal and anal fins.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups; shy.
Hide-out: Seaward reefs and lagoons in 5-60m.
Location: Central Pacific - W. New Guinea and Micronesia to Hawaii. Great Barrier Reef to French Polynesia. Scattered populations in West Pacific and Indonesia.