overland-underwater.com Diary Pages

Indonesia, Country 24, Diary entry 28th Sept to 5th Oct 2006, Total distance in Indonesia: 8396KM

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Disappointed that you didn't win the diving holiday in Thailand? Well here's your chance for another superb prize. In conjunction with Reefseekers Diving based in Flores, Indonesia, the Overland-Underwater team are raffling a 5 day package of diving in the Komodo National Park with accommodation and a trip to see the Komodo dragons!

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One type of diving that being on a liveaboard is great for, is the night dive. Normally it’s too much faff to go to all the effort, but when you’re on a floating hotel right above the dive site it makes night diving a delight. Maz particularly likes a good night dive and with me keen to ‘get back on the horse’ we plopped in for a pre-dinner dive just as the sky turned red to another spectacular sunset. The area was a collection of coral bommies sticking up several meters from the sand bottom. The life was spectacular, amazingly different to what you see during the day and as you are focused to the beam of the torch you pick out so much more of the little details. The area was moving in crabs and crustaceans, which may seem pretty dull, but out here every crawling critter is vibrantly coloured or decorated to blend in with their own particular chosen anemone, sponge or coral. One fellow looked like a teddy bear. He was the decorator crab who covers his shell with various colourful sponges and growths until he just becomes a growth himself blending into his surroundings. Until they move it’s difficult to tell they’re actually there!

After the evening feeds, the pros amongst the group were pestered to give a slide show of their work for all to enjoy. Since Clay had carted his mammoth camera about, he was only too pleased to show off his unedited footage. It’s incredible the range the camera had, from being able to take wide angle reef scenes right down to capturing the minute pigmy seahorses. He still looked hilarious though controlling the system underwater, suspended by a lift bag, to give the rig more buoyancy, with the landing gear tripod stretched below and three extremely bright lights piercing ahead. I quite enjoyed just watching him work, as in his hands he made it look like a simple ‘point-n-shoot’ setup – well almost! Some of the others needed more persuading as they critically choose the best shots suitable for audience viewing… they all looked pretty good to me. Being on the old fashion 35mm slide film and not the flash new digital yet, of course I couldn’t join the show, however I did happen to have a few snaps of the biggest diveable ‘rust fish’ in the ocean. I offered up this alternative to a devout fish spotting group and they at least seemed intrigued. So one night I got a small dose of rust fix reminiscing as I put a show together about a previous expedition I’d done to Bikini Atoll diving the ‘Atomic Fleet’. They seemed to like it and a few even understood why I was getting a bit mucked out!

That’s not to say there weren’t some diving highlights still in store. Before heading north from Alor we got to dive near one of the local villages. They maintained their traditional methods of fishing and thankfully hadn’t turned to the destructive methods of dynamite and cyanide fishing, so disappointingly prevalent in many other regions. They still used wooden fish traps and hunted with simple home made spear guns and goggles. These guys were fantastic and loved coming over to the boat to see what was going on. Once in the water, down the kids would come, expert breath holders and pose professionally mid-water for the cameramen. Being so remote in Indonesia, meant interaction with the villages was always a delight. After one dive we surfaced near to shore and on the still of the evening air we could hear the local children singing in unison, as some of our group had gone ashore and the kids were putting on an impromptu show.

Apart from the variations in dive sites, muck, reef, wall, it’s surprising how different the conditions are as you travel through the archipelago. Sensitive souls that we are, most obvious to us was the variation in water temperature as we skipped from island to island. A few changes in degree underwater makes a significant difference and when you are accustomed to diving in the high 20’s, suddenly plunging into mid to low 20’s sends a real chill running down your spine. Thankfully they had hooded tops onboard that we could use. These were a few mm thick and are worn underneath your wetsuit and together with the hood, which not only keeps your head warm, but also prevents water flushing down your neck were a real god send, making all the difference. Regardless of the few extra travelling pounds accumulated thus far and the well known problem of shrinking neoprene, these hooded tops were getting squeezed on underneath our wetsuits come hell or high water!

Come midway through the trip we were really starting to get into the flow of things, relaxing on such a grand scale actually takes some acclimatisation, but we managed! Maz herself was getting quite into the critter spotting and I’d been replaced as buddy a few times by Richard (Mr Marine Biologist) as he methodically made detailed notes of everything he spotted for reference and identification later, whilst I just stayed in one spot bothering the hell out of yet another ghost pipe fish. Then the answer to all my dreams arrived, somewhat surprisingly Maz was carrier of the news, she’d found a condominium of ghost pipe fish. Not one but EIGHT subjects all gathered around one solitary lump of muck. I went snap happy.

Now if you think Richard was a bit weird making detailed notes on a wrist slate of precise details of various fish (I guess it was at least part of his homework) he was well and truly trumped by Kreg the king of fish spotters all the way from the good ol’ US of A. Now he’d already earned somewhat of a reputation for being the last left in the water after every dive. He would simply like nothing better than splashing in the shallows looking for any and every single fish to be found long after his wife Margareth had surfaced and was back on the boat. Once he’d eventually dried out, he would subsequently spend the time between dives pouring over all the fish reference books and make copious notes. For the record, he informs us that he spotted….567 species. He was also kind enough to list each and every single ones’ both Latin and common name. Please see Appendix A for extensive details. It appears that there are as many various types of dives in the sea as there are fish

As we headed north of Alor, we were in for a real treat, Gunung Api, Snake Island. This solitary volcanic island sits in the middle of absolutely nowhere with open sea for miles around. On the crossing we spotted a school of whales, but they were too far off to identify, one however did breech to unquestionably show us they were whales! Now Gunung Api is quite unique for as the meaning suggests the sea snakes that for some mysterious reason accumulate around this particular place. Now although sea snakes are x times more poisonous than a cobra (the x varies from source to source, but trust me you don’t want to be bitten!) they are not in the slightest bit aggressive, although they are extremely curious! This puts one into a bizarre situation as you swim with often a few snakes at once, all interest in seeing what you are, you can’t help but clout the ones out of your view with either a misplaced arm or fin. But they don’t react, they just continue on their way. One of the guides was even handling a large specimen and although I don’t agree with touching the wildlife, the snake appeared oblivious to his attention. After the dives it was common to have seen 20 or 30 snakes, either lying dormant snuggled up amongst the rocks, or busying about searching for food amongst the cracks and crevices. I’d never seen anything like it!

As we were becoming more and more remote you started to grasp just how big Indonesia is, especially after entering through Kalimantan and already visiting Sulawesi, Java and Bali. This was bought home to us once more at the end of wall dive at a place called Palau Maisel a low lying island with a fringe reef that steeply drops to the abyss. The currents once more were playing about, but this time just along and not down the slope. As you can imagine there’s not much fun to be had in fining straight into the current (a bit like a mouse on a wheel – a lot of effort but you don’t actually get anywhere) so as normal we opted to go with the flow. We’d gone a bit deeper than most and they seemed to still be going the opposite direction, so there must be a combination of conflicting currents in play. As we ascended slowly through the dive to give a good ‘profile’ we met the current in the opposite direction, so once again turned and went with it. Nearer the surface still, the current changed yet again… so around we went. By now we’d been down for around an hour, the normal duration we give ourselves, so up we came.

Surprisingly we seemed to be all alone. We could see Voyager some distance off and when I reached the top of the growing waves I could just catch a glimpse of the tender boats. As normal we’d come up underneath a hi-vis buoy which marks our position, but they’d not spotted us. What worried us further was the speed at which the sun was literally dropping in the sky, in less than half an hour it’d be dark, there’s no such thing as ‘evening’ this close to the equator! Instinctively, without a word we both reached back to the side of our tanks and withdrew our flags. These simple but highly effective location devices popular amongst UK divers, are three poles that once unfolded connect together with a bit of elastic running through the middle, not too dissimilar in design to modern self-erect tent poles. At the end is a bright flag. The benefit of this system is the simplicity, requiring no batteries, you are instantly able to signal at arms length nearly 2m higher than a divers head disappearing amongst the waves.

As the time ticked on, we made sure we’d swam to the top of the reef near where it broke the surface as fortunately the current wasn’t taking us offshore. It was some time however before we saw a tender boat heading our way. In the interim a few other divers who’d obviously come our way had surfaced, but with far less effective signalling devices, they were thankful that both Maz and I were bobbing about on the surface with a huge flag sticking up! By the time we clambered aboard the boats the sun wasn’t far from disappearing. The rest of the group had all been surfacing where the boats were stationed, so no one expected to have divers surfacing over where we were. Fortunately someone spotted the flags and put two and two together… another conversation for the dinner table!

Not to be discouraged, we were back in the water the next day enjoying another wall dive. Maz was moonlighting and switching her modelling attention between me and Andrew (thanks for letting us use some of your photos) but I must say when it comes to models Tim and Wilhelm (who’d both bought their own models, friend & wife respectively) out shone us… literally. Yoko and Martine were both decked out in day-glow pink and yellow snazzy dive skins, with matching masks and accompanying fins. Now the day I get Maz to dress up in all that garb I wouldn’t be able to hold the camera still for laughter…!!! No I prefer the real diver look… black, used neoprene wetsuit, beaten up but reliable stab jacket, a mask with attitude and fins that have gone a few rounds with the infamous Titan Trigger fish… now that’s my girl. Just as Maz was vying for attention, Andrew pointed into the blue… an enormous Bump Head Parrot Fish swam past. This 3 or 4 foot fish fell out of the ugly tree (coral) and received an enormous bump to the nut. Given that their diet consists of crushing coral, they have a dangerous looking beak for such a purpose to complete the mug shot. Just then a shoal of around 20 of these monsters swirled around us… Maz for all her posing was completely forgotten!

After that, the remainder of the diving happened to confine us to the locality of Bandar Neira. This was a highlight for many of those onboard, some of whom had been before, as there was muck glorious muck in ample abundance. Bizarrely the diving took place right alongside the town pier, in an enclosed harbour and was everything muck wise you’d expect from a town pier anywhere in the world… lets just say muck aptly describes it! A trademark of this particular site were the resident Mandarin Fish. These gloriously coloured dragonets are green, orange and blue with a real cheeky persona. They would come out in great numbers in the shallows at dusk to court and breed. Unfortunately this year they weren’t as abundant as previous, fish collectors for tropical aquariums being to blame… man does it again!

Alas when we arrived the first day it was already dark and too late for the Mandarin Fish who were all tucked up in bed sleeping, evidently after a hard dusk squawk! So we plopped in for a night dive. I was film changing so missed the rush and ended up jumping in on my own a few minutes later than everyone else…. Okay bring it on… where was all this amazing macro which made Banda and this particular pier internationally famous..??? I’ll try most things once, but after about 30mins I was thinking that a beer topside was infinitely better than rummaging about in this! No no, I must be missing something, try harder, I’ve had all trip to perfect my macro hunting skills. No nothing, okay maybe a fish or two, but nothing whatsoever that resembled exciting. Resigned and amazed that I’d incredulously stuck it out for an hour, I surfaced and clambered back onboard.

Still somewhat confused as to what had just happened with the last hour of my life, I overheard a couple of the older British ladies, Pat and Mary, who were still actively enjoying their diving lives well gone sixty (go ladies) in fact I struggled to name an exotic location that they’d not had the recent pleasure of visiting, saying they’d just had their best dive of the trip..!! I obviously had water on the ears, so after shaking my head to make certain and asking them to repeat themselves, the absolute shock on my face was enough to tell them that the feeling most definitely wasn’t mutual. Like I said it takes all sorts. I dubbed the site, ‘The Emperors New Clothes!’

As if to confirm my findings, Andrew one of the pro photographers from America, said he’d got really excited once underwater as he spotted something unusual and slowly stalked it. From the distance he couldn’t identify it, but as he crept up on it, he thought it was perhaps a new anemone that he’d never seen before. Whilst he composed his shot, he suddenly thought, ‘hang on a minute I know what that is’ and his thoughts of identifying a new species were dashed as he finally recognised what he was looking at for what it was… the paisley pattern of a pair of PANTS! The flamboyant underpants…. Sums it up nicely

The whole of the next day we could dive the pier at our leisure, so for me that meant first and second breakfasts all in one sitting as I politely declined the offer. However there was respite at hand, if only by laughing at the exploits of Richard (Not the biologist but an ex army captain – artillery or signals if my memory serves me correctly, but I’m probably wrong) who had already kept us amused for hours! His idea of light holiday reading wasn’t a trashy romance novel, but the life of Churchill and just in case he managed to wade his way through that doorstop a backup ‘novel’, ‘The Devils Disciples’ about Hitler’s three closest henchmen! He was however acting as chaperone for the 4 English mem shiabs, Pat, Mary, Mary (with the infectious laugh) & Alexandra and made up the group with Max the cookie tracker! Incidentally he was the last to direct fire for HMS Scylla, which has now been sunk outside of Portsmouth harbour as an artificial reef which I’ve dived a few times. We now have a pact that next time we’re back in England we’ll dive the Scylla together.

He had also reached muck saturation, but when one of the guys bought up an old stone bottle obviously discarded overboard during the times when Banda was centre of the spice trade and highly contested over by the Dutch, British and Portuguese, Richard’s ears pricked up! Treasure..! I’d not seen him this excited on the entire trip and as he raced for his masks n fins, tried convincing me to join him. Politely I turned down the kind invitation, I’ve had my fill of bottle diving on the aptly named ‘Bottle Bank’ inside of Portland harbour, where skippers stick their captive dive punters if the sea state is too damn rough to go out to sea proper diving. In fact thinking about it they should rename it the Portland muck experience & attract an international crowd… there’ll be more than underpants down there that I can guarantee! Richard surfaced with all sorts of junk, but it was Alexandra that made some interesting finds of ships pottery, some with the ship’s line embossed around the edge.

There was however one dive outside of the harbour that I was keen to see. After the last eruption about ten years ago, scientists have been baffled at the rate of growth by the Table Coral that has sprung up from nowhere over the otherwise destroyed seascape of new lava rock. It’s almost as if they have received ‘power grow’ from the nutrients in the water and for a time it was the only coral growing in the area. It looks quite spectacular as you approach the site at the shore of the volcano and you can clearly trace the line of black burnt rock that comes all the way down from the crater lip to the waters edge exactly where we dive. Nothing has re-grown on the lava flow topside, but underwater it really is remarkable. What is most peculiar is that all this coral has grown and done so in abundance, but none of the normal reef fish appear to have moved in. It’s like a new housing estate freshly built, but still awaiting the tenants to arrive! Most odd.

That evening we were all treated to another round of slide shows, plus one they’d all been waiting for and were really keen to see… our EXPEDITION! I’d spent every spare moment between dives putting a show together from the zillions of pictures that we’d taken across 25 countries – no mean feat I can assure you. Anyhow the moment of truth came and although I was a little concerned as it would run for just under an hour, they all sat through it commenting favourably on the photos and asking lots of questions. I’d been a bit nervous as this was the first time I’d shown any of our pictures to a live audience. Alright pics go up on the web in diaries and eventually the photo album (bear with us on that one – pleeease) but we don’t get the feedback like you do when in front of an audience. In short they loved it, Clay even said he thought some looked like ‘stock’ photos… quite an accolade

All that there was time for the next day was the final steam to Ambon where we’d unfortunately be disembarking. For some reason, which made perfect sense when we booked the flights, we’d planned to spend a couple more days on Ambon, but now that didn’t look quite the thing we wanted to do. The rest were leaving early the following morning, some to further diving destinations around Indonesia, others on to the long flight home. It was too late to reschedule tickets, Siska said she could do that the next day, so all that was to be done was enjoy a last few beers with the great guys that we’d just spent the last 2 weeks diving and socialising with and say thanks to all the crew in a little last night party. I was glad that we weren’t on the early am flight when we finally dragged ourselves off to sleep a little worse for wear.

With everyone gone Voyager seemed like the Marie Celeste, although the crew were up and busy preparing for the next arrivals in a few days time. The others had just about got away on time, only waiting for Kreg who protested that he’d not had his second breakfast yet! Siska managed to change our flights after a bit of to’ing and fro’ing for the following day and an added bonus it’d be back via Surabaya, Java (after changing in Makassar, Sulawesi) before the final leg to Bali. We could seize the opportunity to call back at immigration again and extend our visa as we’d enquired with them earlier. Sascha kindly said we could remain onboard and if we fancied getting wet, could join him on a wreck dive in the harbour. A wreck – fantastic, we didn’t need asking twice.

Sascha, now on play time with the customers gone insisted Herg and Keri should dive too, although they tried to avoid it by muttering something about it was their policy that they didn’t dive man made things. Sascha wasn’t taking no for an answer and soon we were all kitted up and sat in the tender boat on the way to the wreck. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect although we’d been told it was big. The pea soup in the harbour didn’t look encouraging, but hell we were diving a wreck and we’d even do it by brail if necessary. On hitting the water the visibility was indeed limited, however Maz & I pushed on knowing that sometimes it improves and if it was a big wreck, inside always tends to be better.

The stern started shallow in around 12m and seemed to be intact, so we pushed forward over 2 or 3 holds before we popped down below deck looking for a way into the engine room. As we’d expected the visibility improved inside and was ample good enough to see with a torch illuminating the darkness inside. No way to the engine room, so back up and over the next bit of superstructure… deeper now as the ship lay down a slope. Bingo an engine room sky light. Before you could say ‘rat down a drain pipe’ we were both in and sinking down on top of the engine, then between the companion ways to get deeper in and around, stopping now and again to get photos of my real diver model posing amongst heaps of rust. It reminded me of a conversation with Richard (fish hugger) when he said, ‘I bet Maz really loves it when you go off wreck diving’… yes siree, she’s right there next to me in the thick of it.

After squeezing forward into the boiler room, now low on time, we edged up past the boilers towards a small hatch of light and were once more back on deck. Gliding back towards the stern we realised just how big a ship this was. On surfacing Maz and I unanimously agreed it was the best dive of the trip, our wetsuits covered in rust smears always a sign of a good dive. We laughed as we contemplated who else from the trip would have enjoyed it as a dive, precious few we concluded and as if to confirm our suspicions, Keri and Herg lasted 30secs and 3mins respectively! We’d been down 40min and only come up as we were nearing decompression. Sascha however was also in his element and was trying to patch bits and pieces together as the origins of the wreck still remain a mystery, although it had been sunk by the Japanese during WWII.

That afternoon we simply chilled in the saloon watching DVD after DVD and tucking into the Oreo stash and drinking fizzy pop! With bags packed it was an earlier night to be up early the next morning to catch our plane back to our long lost Tinfish… our home.

I’d like to extend a BIG thanks to all those at Kararu, especially Sascha and Lisa and of course Siska for all her help and all the crew onboard Voyager, our trip was everything you promised and more. I’d also like to say thanks to all our fellow guests onboard that made the trip so memorable, the diving only makes up part of such an adventure it’s the other divers that you have to live with that can make or break the trip and for us it was a delight to have your company. Finally a HUGE thank you to those who kindly made donations to our expedition charity CARE International, through your kindness and generosity we raised an impressive USD500 whilst onboard! And congratulations again to Mary with the laugh for winning the Thailand liveaboard holiday that we were raffling in aid of CARE. Until next time… dive safe.

Appendix A:

Chaetodon vagabundus Vagabond Butterflyfish
Chaetodon decussatus Indian Vagabond Butterflyfish
Chaetodon auriga Threadfin Butterflyfish
Chaetodon trifascialis Chevroned Butterflyfish
Chaetodon selene Yellow-dotted Butterflyfish
Chaetodon melannotus Black-backed Butterflyfish
Chaetodon ocelicaudus Spot-tail Butterflyfish
Chaetodon xanthurus Crosshatch Butterflyfish
Chaetodon triangulum Triangular Butterflyfish
Chaetodon lunulatus Redfin Butterflyfish
Chaetodon unimaculatus Teardrop Butterflyfish
Chaetodon bennetti Eclipse Butterflyfish
Chaetodon speculum Oval-spot Butterflyfish
Chaetodon lunula Raccoon Butterflyfish
Chaetodon semeion Dotted Butterflyfish
Chaetodon kleinii Blacklip Butterflyfish
Chaetodon rafflesi Latticed Butterflyfish
Chaetodon citrinellus Speckled Butterflyfish
Chaetodon ephippium Saddled Butterflyfish
Chaetodon punctatofasciatus Spot-Banded Butterflyfish
Chaetodon lineolatus Lined Butterflyfish
Chaetodon ulietensis Pacific Double-Saddle Butterflyfish
Chaetodon oxycephalus Spot-Nape Butterflyfish
Chaetodon meyersi Meyer's Butterflyfish
Chaetodon ornatissimus Ornate Butterflyfish
Chaetodon octofasciatus Eight-Banded Butterflyfish
Heniochus singularius Singular Bannerfish
Heniochus acuminatus Longfin Bannerfish
Heniochus chrysostomus Pennant Bannerfish
Heniochus varius Humphead Bannerfish
Coradion melanopus Two-Eyed Coralfish
Forcipiger flavissimus Longnose Butterflyfish
Hemitaurichthys polylepis Pyramid Butterflyfish

Apolemichthys trimaculatus Three-Spot Angelfish
Paracentropyge multifasciata Multi-Barred Angelfish
Centropyge bicolor Bicolor Angelfish
Centropyge tibicen Keyhole Angelfish
Centropyge nox Midnight Angelfish
Centropyge flavicauda White-Tailed Pygmy Angelfish
Centropyge vrolike Pearl-Scaled Angelfish
Centropyge bispinosus Two-Spined Angelfish
Pygoplites diacanthus Regal Angelfish
Pomacanthus navarchus Blue-Girdled Angelfish
Pomacanthus imperator Emperor Angelfish
Pomacanthus semicirculatus Semicircle Angelfish
Pomacanthus sexstriatus Six-Banded Angelfish
Pomacanthus xanthometopon Yellow-mask Angelfish
Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus Vermiculated Angelfish
Genicanthus lamarck Blackstriped Angelfish

Platax boersii Golden Spadefish (Batfish)
Platax orbicularis Circular Spadefish (Batfish)
Platax batavianus Batavia Spadefish (Batfish)
Platax pinnatus Pinnate Spadefish (Batfish)

Acanthurus olivaceus Orangeband Surgeonfish
Acanthurus pyroferus Mimic Surgeonfish
Acanthurus nigricans Whitecheek Surgeonfish
Acanthurus dussumieri Eyestripe Surgeonfish
Acanthurus lineatus Striped Surgeonfish
Acanthurus nigricaudus Blackstreak Surgeonfish
Acanthurus grammoptilus Fine-lined Surgeonfish
Acanthurus triostegus Convict Tang
Paracanthurus hepatus Palette Surgeonfish
Zebrasoma scopas Brushtail Tang
Zebrasoma veliferum Pacific Sailfin Tang
Ctenochaetus striatus Lined Bristletooth
Ctenochaetus tominiensis Orangetip Bristletooth
Naso unicornus Bluespine Unicornfish
Naso brachycentron Humpback Unicornfish
Naso brevirostris Spotted Unicornfish
Naso hexacanthus Sleek Unicornfish
Naso vlamingii Bignose Unicornfish
Naso lituratus Orangespine Unicornfish

Zanclus cornutus Moorish Idol

Siganus doliatus Barred Rabbitfish
Siganus puellus Masked Rabbitfish
Siganus guttatus Golden Rabbitfish
Siganus corallinus Coral Rabbitfish
Siganus punctatus Gold-Spotted Rabbitfish
Siganus punctatissimus Fine-Spotted Rabbitfish
Siganus argenteus Forktail Rabbitfish
Siganus canaliculatus White-spotted Rabbitfish
Siganus vermiculatus Vermiculate Rabbitfish
Siganus vulpinus Foxface Rabbitfish

Abudefduf lorenzi Black-tail Sergeant
Abudefduf sexfasciatus Scissortail Sergeant
Abudefduf notatus Yellowtail Sergeant
Abudefduf septemfasciatus Banded Sergeant
Abudefduf vaigiensis Indo-Pacific Sergeant
Amblyglyphidodon curacao Staghorn Damsel
Amblyglyphidodon ternatensis Golden Damsel
Amblyglyphidodon leucogaster White-Belly Damsel
Amblypomacentrus clarus Banggai Demoiselle
Amphiprion sandaracinos Orange Anemonefish
Amphiprion perideraion Pink Anemonefish
Amphiprion clarkii Clark's Anemonefish
Amphiprion melanopus Red and Black Anemonefish
Amphiprion polymnus Saddleback Anemonefish
Amphiprion ocellaris False Clown Anemonefish
Premnas biaculeatus Spinecheek Anemonefish
Neoglyphidodon nigronis Yellowtail Damsel
Neoglyphidodon melas Black Damsel
Neoglyphidodon thoracotaeniatus Barhead Damsel
Plectroglyphidodon johnstonianus Johnston Damsel
Plectroglyphidodon dickii Blackbar Damsel
Plectroglyphidodon lacrymatus Jewel Damsel
Chrysiptera brownriggii Surge Demoiselle
Chrysiptera rollandi Rolland's Demoiselle
Chrysiptera talboti Talbot's Demoiselle
Chrysiptera cyanea Blue Devil
Dascyllus trimaculatus Three-Spot Dascyllus
Dascyllus aruanus Humbug Dascyllus
Dascyllus melanurus Black-Tailed Dascyllus
Dascyllus reticulatus Reticulated Dascyllus
Dischistodus perspicillatus White Damsel
Chromis scotochiloptera Philippeans Chromis
Chromis amboinensis Ambon Chromis
Chromis ternatensis Ternate Chromis
Chromis viridis Blue-green Chromis
Chromis atripectoralis Black-Axil Chromis
Chromis atripes Darkfin Chromis
Chromis caudalis Blue-axil Chromis
Chromis xanthura Pale-Tail Chromis
Chromis delta Deep Reef Chromis
Chromis elerae Twinspot Chromis
Chromis vanderbilti Vanderbilt's Chromis
Chromis analis Yellow Chromis
Chromis weberi Weber's Chromis
Chromis retrofasciata Blackbar Chromis
Acanthochromis polyacanthus Spiny Chromis
Neopomacentrus azysron Yellowtail Demoiselle
Pomacentrus amboinensis Ambon Damsel
Pomacentrus pavo Blue Damsel
Pomacentrus auriventris Goldbelly Damsel
Pomacentrus vaiuli Princess Damsel
Pomacentrus bankanensis Speckled Damsel
Pomacentrus nigromarginatus Black-Margined Damsel
Pomacentrus brachialis Charcoal Damsel
Pomacentrus moluccensis Lemon Damsel

Lutjanus gibbus Humpback Snapper
Lutjanus ehrenbergii Blackspot Snapper
Lutjanus kasmira Bluestripe Snapper
Lutjanus biguttatus Two-Spot Snapper
Lutjanus monostigma Onespot Snapper
Lutjanus fulvus Blacktail Snapper
Lutjanus bohar Red Snapper
Lutjanus semicinctus Black-Banded Snapper
Lutjanus decussatus Checkered Snapper
Macolor niger Black Snapper
Macolor macularis Midnight Snapper
Aprion virescens Green Jobfish

Pentapoldus emeryii Double Whiptail
Pentapoldus trivittatus Three-Striped Whiptail
Scolopsis bilineatus Bridled Monocle Bream
Scolopsis trilineatus Three-lined Monocle Bream
Scolopsis margaritfer Pearly Monocle Bream
Scolopsis affinis Pale Monocle Bream
Scolopsis lineatus Striped Monocle Bream
Gnathodentex aureolineatus Striped Large-Eye Bream
Monotaxis grandoculis Humpnose Bigeye Bream
Lethrinus olivaceus Longface Emperor
Lethrinus xanthochilus Yellowlip Emperor
Lethrinus harak Thumbprint Emperor
Lethrinus obsoletus Orange-Striped Emperor
Lethrinus erythropterus Longfin Emperor
Lethrinus ornatus Ornate Emperor

Carangoides plagiotaenia Barcheek Trevally
Carangoides bajad Orange-Spotted Trevally
Carangoides orthogrammus Yellow-Spotted Trevally
Carangoides ferdau Blue Trevally
Caranx melampygus Bluefin Trevally
Caranx sexfasciatus Bigeye Trevally
Caranx ignobilis Giant Trevally
Elagatis bipinnulatus Rainbow Runner
Trachinotus baillonii Small-Spotted Dart
Scomberoides lysan Double-Spotted Queenfish
Decapterus macarellus Mackerel Scad
Sphyraena helleri Brass Striped Barracuda
Sphyraena barracuda Great Barracuda
Gymnosarda unicolor Dogtooth Tuna
Kyphosus cinerascens Topsail Drummer
Kyphosus vaigiensis Lowfin Drummer
Kyphosus bigibbus Gray Drummer
Crenimugil crenilabis Fringlip Mullet
Liza vaigiensis Diamond-scale Mullet
Terapon jarbua Crescent-Banded Grunter
Tylosurus crocodilus Crocodile Needlefish
Hyporhamphus dussumieri Dussumier's Halfbeak
Gerres oblongus Oblong Silver Biddy
Kuhlia mugil Barred Flagtail
Clupea quadrimaculata Gold-spot Herring

Pterocaesio tile Bluestreak Fusilier
Pterocaesio pisang Ruddy Fusilier
Pterocaesio trilineata Threestripe Fusilier
Pterocaesio randalli Randall's Fusilier
Pterocaesio chrysozona Goldband Fusilier
Caesio cuning Yellowtail Fusilier
Caesio lunaris Lunar Fusilier
Caesio caerulaurea Scissortail Fusilier

Pseudanthias pleurotaenia Squarespot Anthias
Pseudanthias dispar Redfin Anthias
Pseudanthias tuka Purple Anthias
Pseudanthias huchti Threadfin Anthias
Pseudanthias squamipinnis Scalefin Anthias
Pseudanthias lori Lori's Anthias
Pseudanthias smithvanizi Princess Anthias

Anyperodon leucogrammicus Slender Grouper
Cephalopholis argus Peacock Grouper
Cephalopholis cyanostigma Bluespotted Grouper
Cephalopholis leopardus Leopard Grouper
Cephalopholis urodeta Flagtail Grouper
Cephalopholis spiloparaea Strawberry Grouper
Cephalopholis miniata Coral Grouper
Cephalopholis sexmaculata Saddle Grouper
Gracila albomarginata Masked Grouper
Epinephelus areolatus Aerolate Grouper
Ephinephelus merra Honeycomb Grouper
Ephinephelus spilotoceps Foursaddle Grouper
Ephinephelus hexagonatus Hexagon Grouper
Ephinephelus maculatus Highfin Grouper
Ephinephelus caerulepunctatus Whitespotted Grouper
Ephinephelus ongus Whitestreaked Grouper
Ephinephelus fuscoguttatus Brown-Marbled Grouper
Ephinephelus tukula Potato Grouper
Ephinephelus fasciatus Blacktip Grouper
Aethaloperca rogaa Redmouth Grouper
Cromileptes altivelis Barramundi
Variola louti Yellow-edged Lyretail
Variola albimarginata White-edged Lyretail
Plectropomus oligacanthus Highfin Coral Grouper
Plectropomus laevis Blacksaddle Coral Grouper
Plectropomus areolatus Squaretail Coral Grouper

Belonoperca chabanaudi Arrowhead Soapfish
Diploprion bifasciatum Doublebanded Soapfish
Oxycirrhites typus Longnose Hawkfish
Cirrhitichthys aprinus Threadfin Hawkfish
Cirrhitichthys falco Dwarf Hawkfish
Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus Pixy Hawkfish
Cirrhitus pinnulatus Marbled Hawkfish
Paracirrhites arcatus Arc-Eye Hawkfish
Paracirrhites forsteri Freckled Hawkfish

Plectorhinchus lineatus Diagonal-Banded Sweetlips
Plectorhinchus vittatus Oriental Sweetlips
Plectorhinchus lessonii Striped Sweetlips
Plectorhinchus polytaenia Ribbon Sweetlips
Plectorhinchus albovittatus Giant Sweetlips
Plectorhinchus picus Dotted Sweetlips
Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides Many-Spotted Sweetlips
Diagramma pictum Silver Sweetlips

Chlorurus bleekeri Bleeker's Parrotfish
Chlorurus capistratoides Indian Parrotfish
Chlorurus sordidus Bullethead Parrotfish
Chlorurus microrhinos Steephead Parrotfish
Leptoscarus vaigiensis Marbled Parrotfish
Cetoscarus bicolor Bicolor Parrotfish
Hipposcarus longiceps Pacific Longnose Parrotfish
Scarus flavipectoralis Yellowfin Parrotfish
Scarus dimidiatus Yellow-barred Parrotfish
Scarus ghobban Blue-Barred Parrotfish
Scarus prasiognathos Greenthroat Parrotfish
Scarus schlegeli Yellowbar Parrotfish
Scarus tricolor Tricolor Parrotfish
Scarus rubroviolaceus Redlip Parrotfish
Scarus niger Swarthy Parrotfish
Scarus quoyi Quoy's Parrotfish
Bulbometopon muricatum Bumphead Parrotfish

Coris gaimard Yellowtail Coris
Coris aygula Clown Coris
Coris dorsomacula Pale-barred Coris
Coris batuensis Batu Coris
Cheilinus trilobatus Tripletail Wrasse
Cheilinus chlorourus Floral Wrasse
Cheilinus fasciatus Redbreasted Wrasse
Cheilinus undulatus Humphead Wrasse
Cheilinus oxycephalus Snooty Wrasse
Choerodon anchorago Anchor Tuskfish
Cirrhilabrus flavianalis Yellowfin Fairy Flasher
Cirrhilabrus exquisitus Exquisite Wrasse
Cirrhilabrus solorensis Solor Wrasse
Paracheilinus flavianalis Yellowfin Flasher
Macropharyngodon ornatus Ornate Wrasse
Anampses melanurus White-Spotted Wrasse
Anampses meleagrides Yellowtail Wrasse
Anampses caeruleopunctatus Blue-Spotted Wrasse
Anampses twistii Yellow-Breasted Wrasse
Anampses geographicus Geographic Wrasse
Epibulus insidiator Slingjaw Wrasse
Hemigymnus melapterus Blackeye Thicklip
Hemigymnus fasciatus Barred Thicklip
Gomphosus varius Bird Wrasse
Cheilio inermis Cigar Wrasse
Hologymnosus doliatus Pastel Ring Wrasse
Halichoeres chrysus Canary Wrasse
Halichoeres melanurus Pinstriped Wrasse
Halichoeres richmondi Tailspot Wrasse
Halichoeres leucurus Chain-lined Wrasse
Halichoeres solorensis Yellowface Wrasse
Halichoeres scapularis Zigzag Wrasse
Halichoeres trimaculatus Threespot Wrasse
Halichoeres melasmapomus Black-eared Wrasse
Halichoeres podostigma Axilspot Wrasse
Halichoeres prosopeion Twotone Wrasse
Halichoeres argus Argus Wrasse
Halichoeres nigrescens Greenback Wrasse
Halichoeres nebulosus Nebulous Wrasse
Halichoeres marginatus Dusky Wrasse
Halichoeres hortulanus Checkerboard Wrasse
Halichoeres ornatissumus Ornate Wrasse
Oxycheilinus celebicus Celebes Wrasse
Oxycheilinus rhodochrous Oriental Wrasse
Oxycheilinus digrammus Linedcheeked Wrasse
Oxycheilinus unifasciatus Ringtail Wrasse
Thalassoma jansenii Jansen's Wrasse
Thalassoma trilobatum Ladder Wrasse
Thalassoma quinquevittatum Fivestripe Wrasse
Thalassoma hardwicke Sixbar Wrasse
Thalassoma lunare Crescent Wrasse
Thalassoma amblycephalum Two-Tone Wrasse
Stethojulis bandanensis Redshoulder Wrasse
Stethojulis trilineata Fourline Wrasse
Pseudocheilinus octotaenia Eightstripe Wrasse
Pseudocheilinus evanidus Disappearing Wrasse
Pseudocheilinus hexataenia Sixstripe Wrasse
Pteragogus enneacnathus Cockerel Wrasse
Bodianus axillaris Axilspot Hogfish
Bodianus mesothorax Blackbelt Hogfish
Bodianus bilunulatus Saddleback Hogfish
Bodianus diana Diana's Hogfish
Bodianus anthioides Lyretail Hogfish
Novaculichthys taeniourus Rockmover Wrasse
Iniistius aneitensis Whitepatch Razorfish
Iniistius pentadactylus Fivefinger Razorfish
Pseudodax mullucanus Chiseltooth Wrasse
Labrichthys unilineatus Tubelip Wrasse
Diproctacanthus xanthurus Yellowtail Tubelip
Labropsis xanthonota Wedge-Tailed Wrasse
Labropsis alleni Allen's Tubelip
Labroides bicolor Bicolor Cleaner Wrasse
Labroides pectoralis Blackspot Cleaner Wrasse
Labroides dimidiatus Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse

Myripristis vittata Whitetip Soldierfish
Myripristis pralinia Scarlet Soldierfish
Myripristis chryseres Yellowfin Soldierfish
Myripristis kuntee Epaulette Soldierfish
Myripristis botche Splendid Soldierfish
Myripristis adusta Shadowfin Soldierfish
Neoniphon opercularis Blackfin Squirrelfish
Neoniphon sammara Spotfin Squirrelfish
Sargocentron caudimaculatum Tailspot Squirrelfish
Priacanthus hamrur Crescent-Tail Bigeye

Apogon notatus Spotnape Cardinalfish
Apogon compressus Split-Banded Cardinalfish
Apogon nigrofasciatus Blackstripe Cardinalfish
Apogon angustatus Striped Cardinalfish
Apogon multilineatus Multilined Cardinalfish
Apogon cyanosoma Yellowstriped Cardinalfish
Apogon aureus Ringtailed Cardinalfish
Apogon fleurieu Flower Cardinalfish
Apogon komodoensis Komodo Cardinalfish
Apogon hoevenii Frostfin Cardinalfish
Apogon chrysopomus Spotgill Cardinalfish
Apogon sealei Bargill Cardinalfish
Apogon sp. Similar Cardinalfish
Apogon fuscus Samoan Cardinalfish
Apogon kallopterus Iridescent Cardinalfish
Apogon dispar Whitespot Cardinalfish
Apogon fraenatus Spurcheek Cardinalfish
Apogon parvulus Redspot Cardinalfish
Apogon franssedai Faintbanded Cardinalfish
Archamia fucata Narrowlined Cardinalfish
Cheilodipterus macrodon Tiger Cardinalfish
Cheilodipterus isostigmus Toothy Cardinalfish
Sphaeramia orbicalaris Orbicular Cardinalfish

Labracinus cyclophthalmus Firetail Dottyback
Pseudochromis paccagnellae Royal Dottyback
Pseudochromis bitaeniatus Doublestriped Dottyback
Pseudochromis marshallensis Orangespotted Dottyback
Pseudochromis splendens Splendid Dottyback
Pseudochromis elongatus Elongate Dottyback
Calloplesiops altivelis Comet
Brotula multibarbata Bearded Brotula

Nemateleotris decora Decorated Dartfish
Nemateleotris magnifica Fire Dartfish
Ptereleotris evides Twotone Dartfish
Ptereleotris heteroptera Spottail Dartfish
Ptereleotris microlepis Pearly Dartfish
Ptereleotris zebra Zebra Dartfish
Gunnelichthys curiosus Curious Wormfish
Trichonotus elegans Threadfin Sand Diver
Pholidichthys leucotaenia Convict Blenny
Malacanthus brevirostris Flagtail Blanquillo
Malacanthus latovittatus Blue Blanquillo

Synchiropus splendidus Mandarinfish
Synchiropus morrisoni Morrison's Dragonet
Diplogrammus goramensis Goram Dragonet
Parapercis clathrata Latticed Sandperch
Parapercis hexophthalma Speckled Sandperch
Parapercis millipunctata Spotted Sandperch
Parapercis tetracantha Reticulated Sandperch
Parapercis cylindrica Sharpnose Sandperch
Parapercis schauinslandi Red-Spotted Sandperch
Parapercis lineopunctata Nozestripe Sandperch
Parapercis sp. Yellowtail Sandperch
Parapercis snyderi Blackfin Sandperch
Synodus dermatogenys Clearfin Lizardfish
Synodus jaculum Blackblotch Lizardfish
Synodus variegatus Reef Lizardfish
Opistognathus sp. Yellowbarred Jawfish

Amblyeleotris randalli Randall's Shrimpgoby
Amblyeleotris yanoi Flagtail Shrimpgoby
Amblyeleotris guttata Spotted Shrimpgoby
Amblyeleotris steinitzi Steinitz' Shrimpgoby
Amblyeleotris sp. Freckled Shrimpgoby
Amblyeleotris sp. Red-margin Shrimpgoby
Cryptocentrus cinctus Banded Shrimpgoby
Lotilia graciliosa Whitecap Shrimpgoby
Amblygobius rainfordi Old Glory
Amblygobius sphynx Sphynx Goby
Amblygobius phalaena Banded Goby
Asterropteryx striatus Striped Goby
Eviota sebreei Striped Pygmygoby
Eviota pellucida Neon Pygmygoby
Eviota albolineata Redspotted Pygmygoby
Eviota punctulata Sqarebelly Pygmygoby
Eviota nigriventris Blackbelly Pygmygoby
Eviota fasciata Twostripe Pygmygoby
Coryphopterus duospilus Towspot Goby
Coryphopterus signipinnis Signalfin Goby
Gnatholepis anjerensis Eyebar Goby
Istigobius rigilius Orangespotted Goby
Istigobius decoratus Decorated Goby
Trimma striata Stripehead Dwarfgoby
Trimma sp. Candycane Dwarfgoby
Trimma tevegae Blue-Striped Dwarfgoby
Trimma sp. Redhead Dwarfgoby
Trimma taylori Cave Dwarfgoby
Trimma anaima Pale Dwarfgoby
Trimma hoesei Forktail Dwarfgoby
Trimma stobbsi Yellowhead Dwarfgoby
Valenciennea strigata Bluestreak Goby
Valenciennea helsdingenii Twostripe Goby
Valenciennea puellaris Orange-Dashed Goby
Valenciennea sexguttata Sixspot Goby
Bryaninops yongei Wire Coral Goby
Pleurosicya micheli Stonycoral Ghostgoby
Pleurosicya mossambica Common Ghostgoby

Meiacanthus atrodorsalis Yellowtail Fangblenny
Meiacanthus abditus Sulu Fangblenny
Meiacanthus grammistes Striped Fangblenny
Plagiotremus tapeinosoma Piano Fangblenny
Plagiotremus rhinorhynchos Bluestriped Fangblenny
Atrosalarias fuscus holomelas Brown Coral Blenny
Cirripectes filamentosus Filamentous Blenny
Ecsenius bathi Bath's Blenny
Ecsenius trilineatus Three-Lined Blenny
Ecsenius bimaculatus Twinspot Blenny
Ecsenius bicolor Bicolor Blenny
Ecsenius midas Midas Blenny
Ecsenius pictus Pictus Blenny
Exallias brevis Leopard Blenny
Enneapterygius mirabilis Miracle Triplefin
Enneapterygius tutuilae Highhat Triplefin
Helcogramma striatum Striped Triplefin

Antennarius commersoni Giant Frogfish
Antennarius pictus Painted Frogfish
Eurypegasus draconis Dragon Sea Moth
Dactyloptena orientalis Helmut Gurnard
Dendrochirus brachypterus Shortfin Lionfish
Dendrochirus biocellatus Twinspot Lionfish
Dendrochirus zebra Zebra Lionfish
Pterois volitans Common Lionfish
Pterois antennata Spotfin Lionfish
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala Tassled Scorpionfish
Taenianotus triacanthus Leaf Scorpionfish
Inimicus didactylus Spiny Devilfish
Inimicus sinensis Spotted Devilfish
Synanceia verrucosa Reef Stonefish
Richardsonichtys leucogaster Whiteface Waspfish
Ablabys taenianotus Cockatoo Waspfish
Cymbacephalus beauforti Crocodile Flathead
Rogadius welanderi Welander's Flathead
Bothus pantherinus Leopard Flounder
Synaptura marginata Margined Sole
Soleichthys heterorhinos Banded Sole
Diademichthys lineatus Urchin Clingfish
Discoirema crinophila Crinoid Clingfish

Ostracion meleagris Spotted Boxfish
Ostracion solorensis Solor Boxfish
Ostracion cubicus Yellow Boxfish
Mulloidichthys vanicolensis Yellowfin Goatfish
Parupeneus bifasciatus Doublebar Goatfish
Parupeneus cyclostomus Goldsaddle Goatfish
Parupeneus barberinoides Bicolor Goatfish
Parupeneus multifasciatus Manybar Goatfish
Parupeneus barberinus Dash-Dot Goatfish
Parupeneus indicus Indian Goatfish
Upeneus tragula Freckled Goatfish
Fistularia commersonii Cornetfish
Aulostomus chinensis Trumpetfish
Aeoliscus strigatus Razorfish
Plotosus lineatus Striped Catfish
Pempheris oualensis Copper Sweeper
Pempheris vanicolensis Vanikoro Sweeper
Parapriacanthus ransonneti Golden Sweeper

Balistoides viridescens Titan Triggerfish
Balistoides conspicillum Clown Triggerfish
Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus Yellowmargin Triggerfish
Balistapus undulatus Orange-Lined Triggerfish
Sufflamen chrysopterus Flagtail Triggerfish
Sufflamen bursa Scythe Triggerfish
Rhinecanthus verrucosus Blackpatch Triggerfish
Rhinecanthus aculeatus Picasso Triggerfish
Rhinecanthus rectangulus Wedgetail Triggerfish
Melichthys niger Black Triggerfish
Melichthys vidua Pinktail Triggerfish
Odonus niger Redtooth Triggerfish
Canthidermis maculatus Oceanic Triggerfish
Amanses scopas Broom Filefish
Aluterus scriptus Scrawled Filefish
Pseudaluttarius nasicornis Rhino Filefish
Oxymonacanthus longirostris Longnose Filefish
Pseudomonacanthus macrurus Strapweed Filefish
Pergavor melanocephalus Blackheaded Filefish

Arothron caeruleopunctatus Blue-Spotted Puffer
Arothron hispidus White-Spotted Puffer
Arothron stellatus Star Puffer
Arothron manilensis Sriped Puffer
Arothron mappa Map Puffer
Arothron nigropunctatus Blackspotted Puffer
Canthigaster bennetti Whitebelly Toby
Canthigaster papua Papuan Toby
Canthigaster compressa Fingerprint Toby
Canthigaster epilampra Lantern Toby
Canthigaster janthinoptera Honeycomb Toby
Canthigaster ocellicincta Shy Toby
Canthigaster valentini Black-Saddled Toby
Diodon hystrix Porcupinefish
Diodon liturosus Black-Blotched Porcupinefish

Solenostomus paradoxus Ornate Ghost Pipefish
Solenostomus paegnius Roughsnout Ghost Pipefish
Acentronura breviperula Shortpouch Pygmy Pipehorse
Corythoichthys haematopterus Reeftop Pipefish
Doryrhamphus dactyliophorus Ringed Pipefish
Doryrhamphus pessuliferus Orange-banded Pipefish
Duckerocampus boylei Broad-banded Pipefish
Siokunichthys nigrolineatus Mushroom Coral Pipefish
Hippocampus bargibanti Pygmy Seahorse
Hippocampus kuda Estuary Seahorse

Echidna nebulosa Snowflake Moray
Gymnothorax fimbriatus Fimbriated Moray
Gymnothorax flavimarginatus Yellowmargin Moray
Gymnothorax javanicus Giant Moray
Gymnothorax isingteena Blackspotted Moray
Gymnothorax zonipectis Barred-fin Moray
Pseudechidna brummeri White Ribbon Eel
Rhinomuraena quaesita Ribbon Eel
Siderea picta Peppered Moray
Brachysomophis henshawi Reptilian Snake Eel
Ophichthus bonaparti Napolean Snake Eel
Gorgasia maculata Spaghetti Garden Eel
Heteroconger polyzona Banded Garden Eel
Heteroconger hassi Spotted Garden Eel

Chiloscyllium punctatum Brown-banded Bamboo Shark
Carcharhinus melanopterus Blacktip Reef Shark
Taeniura lymma Blue-Spotted Ribbontail Ray
Taeniura meyeni Black-Blotched Stingray
Aetobatus narinari Spotted Eagle Ray
Mobula tarapacana Devil Ray

End of List