Striped Monocle Bream

Scientific Name: Scolopsis lineatus
Family: Coral Breams - Nemipteridae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Dark gray to blackish upper body with 2-3 white stripes and irregular whitish bars, white below.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Sandy fringe of coastal reefs, lagoons and seaward slopes in 1-20m.
Location: East Indo-West Pacific - Andaman Sea to Vanuatu and Gilbert Is. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef.

Rainbow Monocle Bream

Scientific Name: Scolopsis temporalis
Family: Coral Breams - Nemipteridae
Maximum Size: 40cm
Identification: Gray back with pale blue to white stripe and wider bright stripe below; pair of blue bands between eyes, darkish spot behind upper rear eye, narrow orange line on cheek.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Mixed sand of coastal and lagoon reefs to 35m.
Location: West Pacific - E. Sulawesi and Molucca Is. in Indonesia to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Is., Vanuatu and Fiji.

Pearly Monocle Bream

Scientific Name: Scolopsis margaritifer
Family: Coral Breams - Nemipteridae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Pearly shades of gray; frequently 2-3 longitudinal rows of yellow spots on side and yellow pectoral fin base, two narrow whitish bars below rear dorsal fin.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Sand and rubble fringe of coastal reefs and lagoons in 2-25m.
Location: West Pacific - Sumatra in Indonesia to Palau and Vanuatu. Taiwan to N. Australia.

Pearl-Streaked Monocle Bream

Scientific Name: Scolopsis xenochrous
Family: Coral Breams - Nemipteridae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Brownish body with pale underside; brown-edged diagonal blue streak behind head followed by a series of brown spots and elongate pearly streak.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Rubble areas of coastal reefs, lagoons and outer slopes in 5-50m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Maldives to Solomon Is. Taiwan to Australia.

Pale Monocle Bream

Scientific Name: Scolopsis affinis
Family: Coral Breams - Nemipteridae
Maximum Size: 30cm
Identification: Pale gray body with yellowish tail; 3-4 rows of black dots on upper back.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Sandy bottoms of lagoons and coastal reefs in 5-35m.
Location: East Indo-Asian Pacific - Andaman Sea to Solomon Is. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef.

Monogram Monocle Bream

Scientific Name: Scolopsis monogramma
Family: Coral Breams - Nemipteridae
Maximum Size: 38cm
Identification: Pale gray to whitish body; blue band between eyes and margin on yellowish tail; often display elongate brown blotch on side with adjacent yellowish areas.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Sandy fringe of coastal reefs lagoons in 2-50m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Sumatra in Indonesia to Papua New Guinea. S.W. Japan to E. Australia and New Caledonia.

Lattice Monocle Bream

Scientific Name: Scolopsis taeniopterus
Family: Coral Breams - Nemipteridae
Maximum Size: 30cm
Identification: Yellowish gray upper body and white below; dark mid-lateral stripe; red spot on pectoral fin base, bluish stripe or patch on snout extends between eyes.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups; shy.
Hide-out: Sandy fringe of reefs or muddy estuaries in 2-25m.
Location: East Indo-Asian Pacific - E. Andaman Sea to Papua New Guinea. Taiwan to Australia.

Bridled Monocle Bream

Scientific Name: Scolopsis bilineatus
Family: Coral Breams - Nemipteridae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Dark gray to yellow upper body, white below; black-edged white band runs from below eye to rear of dorsal fin, 3 yellow stripes on upper head.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Sand and rubble fringe of reefs to 25m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Maldives to Fiji. S.W. Japan to Australia and New Caledonia.

Arabian Monocle Bream

Scientific Name: Scolopsis ghanam
Family: Coral Breams - Nemipteridae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Alternating pale gray to black and white stripes on upper body and white below with rows of black spots.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs and lagoons in 2-25m.
Location: Indian Ocean - Red Sea, E. Africa and Arabian Gulf to Andaman Sea.

Fork-Tailed Threadfin Bream

Scientific Name: Nemipterus furcosus
Family: Coral Breams - Nemipteridae
Maximum Size: 30cm
Identification: Pinkish red with dusky saddles on back, lower edge of tail whitish; elongate body with deeply forked tail.
Hide-out: Seldom on reefs, usually inhabit featureless sand bottoms in 3-100m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Sri Lanka to S.W. Japan, Papua, N. Australia and New Caledonia.

Palette Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Paracanthurus hepatus
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 31cm
Identification: Brilliant blue head and body with dramatic black hook-shaped marking, yellow tail with black borders.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Young hide in branching corals. Usually on clear, current swept outer reefs in 2-25m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Indonesia, Micronesia, Samoa, New Caledonia and Line I. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef.

Blue Damsel

Scientific Name: Pomacentrus pavo
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 11cm
Identification: Light blue to light green with vertical dark streaks on scales, rear tail yellowish; scattered blue spots on head, black 'ear' spot.
Favourite: Form groups.
Hide-out: Shoreline and lagoon reef coral patches surrounded by sand to 16m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Micronesia and French Polynesia. Taiwan to E. Australia.

White-Freckled Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus maculiceps
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Identification: Black head with numerous white spots and grayish body; black streak behind upper edge of gill cover, black margin on tail spine, often a white ring around tail base.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Outer reefs to 15m.
Location: East Indo-Pacific - Andaman Sea to Micronesia and Line Is. in E. Central Pacific. S.W. Japan to Samoa and Great Barrier Reef.

Azure Demoiselle

Scientific Name: Chrysiptera hemicyanea
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 6cm
Identification: Brilliant blue over most of head and body, yellow lower body, ventral, anal and tail fins. Similar Goldtail Demoiselle distinguished by blue belly.
Favourite: Form small groups.
Hide-out: Shelter within coral branches of seaward reefs and lagoons in 3-20m.
Location: N.W. Australia Shelf reefs and Molucca Is. to W. Irian Jaya in Indonesia.

Whitetail Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus thompsoni
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 27cm
Identification: Dark brown changeable to pale bluish gray, white tail base; may display stripe pattern; body more slender than most surgeonfishes.
Favourite: Form groups; feed on zooplankton high above the bottom.
Hide-out: Seaward reef slopes and steep dropoffs in 4-75m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Micronesia, Hawaii and French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Goldtail Demoiselle

Scientific Name: Chrysiptera parasema
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 6cm
Identification: Brilliant blue head to rear body then yellow including adjacent tail and ventral fins. Similar Azure Demoiselle distinguished by yellow belly.
Favourite: Form groups.
Hide-out: Shelter within branching corals of protecter reefs to 16m.
Location: Asian Pacific - N.W. Australia, Sulawesi in Indonesia, Philippines to E. Papua New Guinea and Solomon Is.

Convict Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus triostegus
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 26cm
Identification: White with 5-6 black bars on head and body.
Favourite: Often feed in large groups.
Hide-out: Usually on shallow reefs to 5m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Indonesia, Micronesia, Hawaii, French Polynesia and Panama. S.W. Japan to N. & E. Australia and Lord Howe I.

Blueline Demoiselle

Scientific Name: Chrysiptera caeruleolineata
Family: Damselfishes - Pomacentridae
Maximum Size: 5.5cm
Identification: Pale yellow to orange often with purplish tints; bright neon-blue stripe from snout to rear dorsal fin, scattered blue spots on head.
Favourite: Usually form small groups.
Hide-out: Rubber and rock outcroppings on steep outer slopes in 30-65m.
Location: West Pacific - Rowley Shoals, 260km west of N.W. Australia to Samoa, north to S.W. Japan.

Yellow-Mask Angelfish

Scientific Name: Pomacanthus xanthometopon
Family: Angelfish - Pomacanthidae
Maximum Size: 38cm
Identification: Yellow with large blue spots on scales forming network pattern, blue head with yellow eye mask; large black spot on rear dorsal.
Favourite: Solitary; feed on sponges and tunicates.
Hide-out: Coral-rich areas in 5-30m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Maldives to Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea and Vanuatu. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef.

Powderblue Surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus leucostermon
Family: Surgeonfishes - Acanthuridae
Maximum Size: 38cm
Identification: Black head and blue body, yellow dorsal fin, white ventral anal and tail fins; white patch below mouth extending to pectoral fin.
Favourite: Form large feeding groups.
Hide-out: Inshore and outer reefs to 25m.
Location: Indian Ocean - E. Africa to Sumatra and Bali in Indonesia.