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The group of fish called anemonefish are a specialized form of damselfish. They have evolved in symbiotic relationship to various forms of sea anemones. This is one of my favorite species, the “False Clown Anemonefish,” Amphiprion ocellaris. It was filmed in the Philippines.

This Striped Puffer, a fish of the illustrious family Tetraodontidae, was filmed in the Philippines at about 25 feet depth.  Like other members of the Tetraodontidae, the Striped Puffer has a powerful neurotoxin, tetrodotoxin,  which causes other fish to avoid eating it.  Indeed, members fo this family are among the most poisonous of all creatures [...]

WHITE-SPOTTED PUFFER. It’s in the same genus as the Striped Puffer. I find its eyes fascinating. Deadly poisonous so the predatory fish leave it alone.

The Variable Jawfish, Opistognathus variabilis, is a delightful species found in the Indo-West Pacific — from the eastern Indian Ocean (Maldive Islands and Sri Lanka) and throughout most of the central western Pacific, including the Ruykyu Islands and Palau. There are approximately 80 species of jawfish. They typically reside in burrows they construct in sandy […]

YELLOW BOX FISH JUVENILE. Watch in big screen if you can. This is one of the most delightful fish in the Indo-Pacific waters. The agile fish had cute eyes and was bashful.

BLACK-SPOTTED PUFFER. Here is a small Black-spotted puffer, also called the “Dog face puffer,” resting. I have seen small ones do this before, at night. It is in the same genus, Arothron, as the White-spotted puffer and the Striped puffer. All of them, as members of the family Tetraodontidae, are characterized by a deadly neurotoxin. […]

FIRE URCHIN. This is a poisonous echinoderm, Asthenosoma varium, perhaps one of the most beautiful sea urchins on the planet. Little crustaceans make their home on its body.

The Tasseled Scorpionfish is one of a large group of camouflaged predators that blend in with their surroundings. They ambush their unsuspecting prey by opening their mouths quickly, which creates a powerful suction. Their spines are highly poisonous. Please notice the tassels, sort of like a beard, on the chin of this fish.

“HOUSEHOLD” OF FALSE CLOWN ANEMONEFISH. The anemonefish are among the most charismatic of all coral reef fish, and are almost always found near their home anemones, which protect them with their stinging cells. The fish live in what I would call “households.” The little family is a matriarchy, with the largest, dominant always a female. […]

Nudibranchs are a group of soft-bodied, marine gastropod molluscs which shed their shells after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colors and striking forms, and they have been given colorful nicknames to match, such as “clown”, “marigold”, “splendid”, “dancer”, and “dragon”. Currently, about 3,000 valid species of nudibranchs are known. The […]