Sunday, January 27

Pinecone Fish - the weird fish under the blue ocean.


the weird fish under the blue ocean.
The Pinecone Fish also called the Pineapple Fish and Knight-fish is a small and unusual beryciform marine fish member of the family Monocentridae, of the Order Beryciformes, Class Actinopterygii. It is an unusual armored fish of the Indo-Pacific whose body has a vaguely pinecone pattern made by the joining of hard scutes, which provide protection to the fish from her enemies. There are four species of pinecone fish which are Monocentris japonica, Monocentris meozelanicus, Monocentris reedi, and Cleidopus gloriamaris.

A beautiful sea fish
A beautiful sea fish Pinecone Fish
It is 8-15 cm long (3-6 in), and is covered with spines, and has a brilliant yellow body somewhere it can be yellow to orange in color. It has what appears to be a glowing smile due to the bioluminescent bacteria which inhabit the light organs found on the sides of the mouth. All pinecone fish have phosphorescent organs at either side of the lower jaw that can turn off and on by movement of the jaw. It has a large, blunt head, and interestingly, its dorsal fin is not situated on the center of its back like that of most fish, but is off-center and the second dorsal and anal fins are at the rear of the animal, pointing backward.

This fish generally seeks shelter by day in caves, crevices and under overhangs. It lives in tropical and sub-tropical waters. The pinecone fish is popular in tropical aquariums due to its unusual appearance, but it is considered a difficult fish to keep.

Origin from Australia, Coral Sea but their distribution is limited to tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific. 

Tuesday, January 22

Blonde Naso tang - a very personable pet aquarium fish.


a very personable pet aquarium fish.
The Blonde Naso tang, also known as the Elegant Tang , Naso lituratus, Clown tang, Redlip surgeonfish, Orange spine surgeonfish, Orangespine unicornfish, Barcheek unicornfish, Masked unicornfish, Poll unicornfish, Orange-spine unicornfish, Orangespine unicornfish, Pacific orangespine unicornfish, Striped unicornfish etc. The tang is from Acanthuridae family. It is a very personable pet fish. The fish is very much famous to the aquarium lovers and once it is comfortable it can even be trained to accept foods from its keeper's hand.

a very personable pet fish.
A beautiful Blonde Naso tang
At the maturity, the largest scientifically measured Naso tang was 46.0 cm /18 in. At the time of juvenile, the body is of a grayish brown shade and a prominent yellow line runs from the back of the mouth up to the eye. At maturity, the body takes on a darker bluish-gray tone and the juvenile striping is supplemented with additional color. The tail takes on a lyre shape and two yellow patches appear at the peduncle spines near the tail. A thin, black mask forms between the eyes and mouth, and the lips develop a yellow color.

Blonde Naso tang, Elegant Tang , Naso lituratus
A fantastic Naso lituratus
It is found among corals, rocks and rubble in lagoons and seaward reefs. The depth range for this amazingly beautiful sea species is about 0-90 meters / 0-295 feet. Juveniles prefer shallow rocky reefs and will sometimes form small aggregations together with other similarly sized members of the family Ancanthurus but the adults typically live in small groups and sometimes large aggregations also occur.  

Origin is from Maldives but the Naso lituratus is also found in the western and central Pacific Ocean, from Honshu in Japan to New Caledonia and Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Eastwards, its range proceeds to Hawaii, French Polynesia, and Pitcairn. 

Monday, January 21

Mantis shrimp – a colorful and fascinating sea creature.


a colorful and fascinating sea creature.
Mantis shrimp or stomatopods are marine crustaceans and it is the members of the order Stomatopoda. The shrimp is a fascinating creature that has the ability to punch its prey into submission with a club that accelerates underwater at around 10,400 g. It is called "sea locusts" by ancient Assyrians, "prawn killers" in Australia and now it also referred as "thumb splitters" because of the animal's ability to inflict painful gashes if handled incautiously.

A delicious sea food made by Mantis shrimp
A delicious sea food made by Mantis shrimp
They may reach nearly 30 centimeters in length but in exceptional cases it has been recorded up to 38 centimeters. The carapace of mantis shrimp covers only the rear part of the head and the first four segments of the thorax. Mantis shrimp appear in a variety of colors, from shades of browns to bright neon colors. Mantis Shrimp are crustaceans that live in shallow waters and normally grow to about a foot long. More then 400 species of mantis shrimp have currently been described worldwide. They are commonly separated into two distinct groups (Spearers and Smashers) determined by the manner of claws.

a beautiful sea creature
Mantis shrimp - beautiful sea creature
The mantis shrimp has very powerful claws that they use to attack and kill prey by spearing, stunning, or dismemberment. Although it happens rarely, some larger species of mantis shrimp are capable of breaking through aquarium glass with a single strike from this weapon. The mantis shrimp uses its formidable weapon to break the shells of its prey but, until recently, it was unclear how its club could receive such a severe, repetitive pounding without suffering too much damage. The club, in fact, handles as many as fifty thousands strikes during its lifespan.

A appetizing chinese food made by Mantis shrimp
A appetizing chinese food made by Mantis shrimp
The mantis shrimp in Cuisine: In Japanese cuisine, the mantis shrimp is eaten boiled as a sushi topping, and occasionally, raw as sashimi. In Cantonese cuisine, the mantis shrimp is known as "pissing shrimp". In the Mediterranean countries the mantis shrimp Squilla mantis is common seafood, especially on the Adriatic coasts and the Gulf of Cadiz. In the Philippines it is cooked and eaten like shrimp like other shrimps and known as tatampal, hipong-dapa or alupihang-dagat.







Wednesday, January 16

Clown triggerfish - the most popular and colorful sea fish.


The most popular and colorful sea fish
The Clown triggerfish is an eye-catching marine species and the most popular trigger species. It is also known as Clown Trigger, Big-spotted Triggerfish. It is found along the inner and outer portions of a reef in the wild, wherever shellfish and other invertebrates are found. The Scientific name of this beautiful sea creature is Balistoides conspicillum. It is the only triggerfish that has been bred in home aquariums. Maximum size of the fish can reach up to about 20 in / 50 cm in length.

Close view of Clown triggerfish
It has a brown body and the ventral surface has large, white spots on a dark background, and its dorsal surface has black spots on yellow. The mouth is surrounded by a yellow field whit a white edge and may be used to deter potential predators. On its back the Clown triggerfish has a yellow to gold colored field and there is a vertical, white (slightly yellow) stripe on the caudal fin. The tailfin peduncle is sometimes, but not always, of the same yellow/gold color.

It has a dramatic coloration, which making this species a most sought after addition to the home aquarium. Among the most colorful, the Clown Triggerfish is also one of the most aggressive commonly kept inhabitants of an aquarium and it should never be kept with smaller fish or invertebrates. The fish are not reef safe and should not be kept in reef aquariums.

The Clown triggerfish originates from the Indo-Pacific coastal waters from 1-75 meters in depth. This fish is generally uncommon or rare throughout its range, which includes African east coast down to Durban, South Africa and eastwards to Samoa. They can be found as far north as Southern Japan and as far south as New Caledonia.

Sunday, January 13

Blue - ringed octopus - the deadliest creatures under the blue ocean.

Residing in the Pacific Ocean anywhere from Japan to Australia, the blue-ringed octopus is a tiny and beautiful sea creature which is feeds off of small crabs, shrimp and wounded fish. 

Blue ringed octopus

Described by British zoologist Guy Coburn Robson in 1929, the blue-ringed octopuses (genus Hapalochlaena) are three or four octopus species that live in tide pools and coral reefs. At the size of a golf ball and having a yellowish/brown coloring, they are recognized as some of the world's most venomous marine animals.

Although small in size, it is easily able to camouflage itself into its surroundings and it has powerful enough venom to kill humans with just one bite and most attacks on humans occur only when the octopus has been picked out of its pool or stepped on. With no known antidote, this makes it the most toxic known sea creature. They can be recognized by their characteristic blue and black rings and yellowish skin. Normally, 50-60 blue rings cover the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the mantle. 

Tattoo of Blue ringed octopusWhen agitated or provoked, blue rings or lines appear in the octopus, making it beautiful to look at but deadly to touch and the brown patches darken dramatically, and pulsate within the maculae.

Most of the tattoo lover believes that, octopus tattoo option is appreciate for their personality and in the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy, Bond is seduced by Magda, who has a blue-ringed octopus tattoo symbolizing her alliance with Octopussy's Octopus cult.

This deadly little sea creature abide in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, from Japan to Australia (mainly around southern New South Wales and South Australia).

Wednesday, January 9

Blue-Banded Goby - a peaceful sea creature.


A peaceful sea creature.
With a bright orange-red body and three - nine electric blue vertical stripes, the blue-banded goby seems to glow with the fluorescence of a neon light.  This peaceful little sea creature (Lythrypnus dalli) is also called the Catalina goby. It is from the family Gobiidae, a group of small fish with an estimated 2,000 species occurring worldwide in both fresh and saltwater environments.

Blue-banded gobies can often be seen hanging upside down in underwater caves at depths of 20 to several hundred feet. Blue-banded gobies are beautiful and very colorful fish. They are mostly red with blue bands near their head region. The number of bands varies with each fish. It is a small fish which are reach an adult size of only 2-2.5 inches (6-6.5 cm) in length. It is a short-lived fish and may live for up to 18 months only.

A beautiful sea creature.
Blue Banded Goby
They live in small groups with a single male and multiple females. If the male leaves or dies, the largest female changes sex. The attractive crevice dweller rarely ventures far from its rocky habitat, darting in and they are out of holes only to capture small plank tonic food, attract a mate or vigorously defend its nest using its brilliant colors to remind intruders of its strong defensive instincts. 

This angelic little sea fish are found in the Eastern Pacific and off the coast of California

Tuesday, January 8

Yellow boxfish – a yellow fantasy under the blue Ocean.


A yellow fantasy under the blue Ocean
The Yellow boxfish (Ostracion cubicus) is a genus of Ostracion. This yellow species also known as Blue-spotted Box-fish, Cubed Boxfish, Cubical Boxfish, Polka Dot Boxfish and Yellow Trunkfish. The Yellow Boxfish inhabits coral and rocky reefs, and it is found at depths of 1 m to 40 m.

It can be recognized by its box-shaped body, bright yellow colouration and black spots. Juveniles have black spots about the size of the pupil. As it ages, the brightness fades and very old specimens will have blue-grey coloration with the faded yellow, sometimes even changing to white spots with a black margin. It feeds mainly on algae, but will also feed on sponges, crustaceans and mollusks. It reaches a maximum length of 45 centimeters (18 in).

A colorful sea fish
The species occurs in tropical and temperate marine waters of the Indo-West Pacific (Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean), including Indonesia, New Guinea, north to the Philippine Islands and east to Fiji and French Polynesia as well as the south eastern Atlantic Ocean. In Australia the Yellow Boxfish is known from the central coast of Western Australia around the tropical north and down the east coast to south of Sydney, New South Wales.

Monday, January 7

Clark's anemonefish - a spectacularly colorful fish of blue Ocean.


The beautiful Clark's Anemonefish
The Clark's anemonefish or banded Clownfish is perhaps one of the most durable and enjoyable of the clown fish species. Clark's anemonefish or the Yellowtail clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii) is a widely distributed clownfish. The Clark's Clownfish is also known as, Yellowtail clownfish, The Banded Clownfish or Clarki Clownfish.

Yellow Clark's Anemonefish
Yellow Clark's Anemonefish
Clark's Anemonefish is variable in color. This small sea fish is a spectacularly colorful fish, with vivid black, white and yellow stripes, though the exact pattern shows considerable geographical variation. It has two white bands - one behind the eye and one above the anus. It usually has a third bar at the tail base. The tail fin is white, or yellowish, but is always lighter than rest of the body. Maximum length is 14 to 15cm.

Clarke's Anemonefish are a popular aquarium species and readily available, reasonably priced, and easily kept in the home aquarium. They are omnivorous, and in the aquarium will readily eat brine shrimp. They regularly host many sea anemones in the home aquarium.
A beautiful sea fish
A beautiful Clark's Anemonefish

The Clark's Anemonefish are found everywhere in the world especially in tropical waters, in lagoons and on outer reef slopes, from the Persian Gulf to Western Australia and throughout the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean as far as Melanesia and Micronesia, and as far north as Taiwan, southern Japan and the Ryukyu Islands.

Sunday, January 6

Lionfish - One of the most beautiful and colorful Sea fish.

Lionfish on coral reef
Lionfish on coral reef. Credit: Bill Watts

Pterois, commonly known as lionfish, is a genus of venomous marine. It is characterized by red, white and black bands, showy pectoral fins and venomous spiky fin rays. The lionfish is one of the most venomous fish on the ocean floor. Lionfish have venomous dorsal spines that are used purely for defense. When threatened, the fish often faces its attacker in an upside down posture which brings its spines to bear.

Lionfish
Lionfish, also called turkey fish, dragon fish and scorpion fish, are native to the reefs and rocky crevices of the Indo-Pacific, although they've found their way to warm ocean habitats worldwide. Average life span in the wild of a Lionfish is up to 15 years and size 11.8 to 15 in (30 to 38 cm). It’s maximum weight up to 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg). A lionfish will often spread its feathery pectoral fins and herd small fish into a confined space where it can more easily swallow them.

Lionfish Nuggets - a delicious Sea food
Lionfish Nuggets - a delicious Sea food.
However, a lionfish’s sting is usually not fatal to humans but a sting from a lionfish is extremely painful to humans and can cause nausea and breathing difficulties. Lionfish are popular in some parts of the world as Sea food, but are far more prized in the aquarium trade.

The Lionfish are widely distributed throughout the western Pacific from southern Japan to MicronesiaAustralia and the Philippines. Lionfish is volitions occur throughout most of Oceania (including the Marshall IslandsNew Caledonia and Fiji) east to French Polynesia. It is miles are from the Indian Ocean and Red Sea, although its range extends to Sumatra.


Tuesday, January 1

Moorish idol - the most beautiful Sea fish

One of the most beautiful sea fish
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The Moorish idol (Zanclus cornutus "Crowned Scythe" Linnaeus, 1758) is the only extant member of the family Zanclidae (order Perciformes). The Moorish idol got its name from the Moors of Africa, who purportedly believe the fish to be a bringer of happiness. One of the most beautiful sea fish - Moorish idol is a small marine fish species. Some authors and scientist place it in the family Acanthuridae (the surgeonfishes), though it differs from members of this group conspicuously in its lack of peduncular spines. It has also been placed (much more erroneously) in the family Chaetodontidae (the butterflyfishes).
A pair of beautiful Moorish idol
A pair of beautiful Moorish idol

The Moorish idol is a saltwater fish coming from the Indian Ocean or Pacific Ocean. A common inhabitant of tropical to subtropical reefs and lagoons, the Moorish idol is notable for its wide distribution throughout the Indo-Pacific. A number of butterfly fishes (genus Heniochus) closely resemble the Moorish idol. It is closely related to, if not a direct descendant of the extinct Eozanclus brevirhostris, from the Middle Eocene of Monte Bolca.

One of the most difficult fish to keep in a home aquarium (and very expensive as well), to most aquarists these fish are the pinnacle of the hobby. Moorish idols are also popular aquarium fish, but despite their popularity, they are notorious for short aquarium lifespan and sensitivity.

Moorish idol - a Beautiful sea fish
Often seen alone, Moorish idols also form pairs or occasionally small schools, especially as juveniles. They are diurnal fish, sticking to the bottom of the reef at night, adopting a drab coloration.