Pharoh Cuttlefish
Sepia pharaonis

The Pharaoh Cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonis) is a large cuttlefish species, growing to 42 cm in mantle length and 5 kg in weight.

Pharaoh cuttlefish are cephalopods related to cuttlefish, squid, octopus and chambered nautilus. They have eight short arms and two long tentacles that are usually tucked neatly into their arms. The tentacles are deployed to catch prey. The cuttlefish’s flat body allows it to live and hover near the ocean bottom where it finds its favorite food. An outer shell once covered the cuttlefish’s body but has since evolved into a porous internal shell called a cuttlebone. The cuttlefish varies its buoyancy by varying the amount gas and liquid held in the holes of the shell.

A cuttlefish moves by undulating a delicate fringe that runs along its entire body, but for a quick getaway it expels a forceful stream of water through its siphon. When threatened, cuttlefish can produce a covering cloud of ink called sepia. Long ago, this dark-brown ink was used for writing and drawing.

Males fight for choice mating dens. Most fights end without major injuries. After the males win their territory, female cuttlefish appear at the dens and mate with resident males. Fertilization is internal. Face to face the cuttlefish embrace and the male uses a special arm to transfer a sperm packet into the female’s mantle cavity. After mating, the female retreats deep within the den where she lays her eggs one at a time. She coats the eggs with a protective sheath and carefully cements them to the roof of the den. She leaves the eggs unattended to develop and to hatch on their own. The female dies shortly thereafter.
Like their fellow cephalopods, pharaoh cuttlefish are master color changers. Known for their bright coloration and iridescent blue bands that run along the fringe of their mantle, they can rapidly change to ornate colors including metallic blues, greens golds and silvers. They also create skin patterns such as stripes, and spots. Cuttlefish and other cephalopods use color to communicate warnings, mood changes, courtship displays or for camouflage.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Sepiida
Family: Sepiidae
Genus: Sepia
Subgenus: Sepia
Species: S. pharaonis

Ribbon Eel
Rhinomuraena quaesita
Garman, 1888

Ribbon eel in black, juvenile stage

The ribbon eel, Rhinomuraena quaesita, or Bernis eel, is a species of saltwater eels, the only member of the genus Rhinomuraena of the Muraenidae (Moray eel) family of order Anguilliformes. What is now known as Rhinomuraena quaesita also includes the former Rhinomuraena amboinensis. R. quaesita was used for blue ribbon eels and R. amboinensis for black ribbon eels, but these are now recognized as the same species. The ribbon eel is native to the Indian and Pacific oceans.

The ribbon eel is an elegant creature with a long, thin body and high dorsal fins. The ribbon eel can easily be recognised by its expanded anterior nostrils. Juveniles and sub-adults are jet black with a yellow dorsal fin, while females are yellow with a black anal fin with white margins on the fins. The adult males are blue with a yellow dorsal fin.

The ribbon eel grows to an overall length of approximately 100 cm (36 in), and has a life span of up to twenty years. The ribbon eel is the only moray eel that is not gonochoristic.

ike many eels, the ribbon eel is sometimes thought to be angry or aggressive, because its mouth is often open, appearing ready to strike. In reality, the eel is simply breathing.

In the wild, the ribbon eel buries itself in sand or hides in rocks or reefs, dashing out to feed on small fishes. The ribbon eel is known as one of the most sociable and peaceful of all moray eels, and does not bother humans or get easily irritated. As the eel grows and gets older, it changes sex from a male to a female. The ribbon eel also changes its colour from blue to yellow when it becomes fully mature (& female).

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Muraenidae
Genus: Rhinomuraena
Garman, 1888
Species: R. quaesita

Variagated Lizardfish
Synodus variegatus
Lacepède, 1803

The variegated lizardfish, Synodus variegatus, is a lizardfish of the family Synodontidae, found in the western Pacific and Indian Ocean, at depths from 4 m to 90 m. It can reach a maximum length of 40 cm.

The variegated lizardfish is rounded in cross-section with a broad moderately flattened head containing a large wide mouth. The jaws protrude equally. Both jaws and all the mouth bones are covered with conical barbed teeth. The strong thick pelvic fins serve as props when the fish is resting on the bottom waiting for prey.

Variegated lizardfish vary in color from grey to red hourglass shaped markings.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Aulopiformes
Family: Synodontidae
Genus: Synodus
Species: S. variegatus

Zebra Lionfish
Dendrochyrus zebra

Anemone Cleaner Shrimp
Periclimenes sp.

Periclimenes is very small being easy prey for many invertivores. However, their cryptic coloring and disguise patterns help them hide, camoflauged within their host anemone. They display a high host specificity to this cnidarian. But, it is difficult to reside within tentacles of an actinarian. They has evolved mechanisms to counter these stinging nematocysts. The exoskeletons of shrimps do not appear to protect them from the anemone nematocysts and protection occurs after a time of acclimation (Crawford 1992). It has been suggested that anemone shrimp acclimate to their hosts in the same way as anemone fishes. This is by chemically camouflaging themselves in the anemone mucus which contains thousands of nematocysts secreted by the anemone (Crawford 1992). They have been seen to cut off pieces of mucus using the chelae of its chelipeds and coating its body (Crawford 1992). Once shrimps are fully acclimated to their host the anemones will not respond to them differently and completely dismiss their presence (Levine and Blanchard 1980).

Reef Scorpionfish
Scorpaenopsis cirrhosa