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The
body of the batfish is very flat and compressed, so that the adult
of the species actually resembles a disk. The forward profile of
the head is convex and smooth, but it is broken in line with the
snout, which becomes progressively longer. The young of the species
have very tall and narrow dorsal and anal fins, but over time these
become shorter and rounder. The coloration also varies with age.
The young are reddish or yellowish-brown, while the adults display
broad dark vertical bands, or else are more or less silvery, while
parts of their fins are dark in colour. They live in small schools
and are omnivorous. They grow to a length of 50 centimetres
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Black-footed
Clownfish (Amphiprion Nigripes)
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The
body is oval and stout and is covered with large scales. The dorsal
profile of the head presents a saddle formation above the eyes.
The snout is brief, mouth small and terminal. The caudal fin has
a round upper edge. The coloration ranges from orange to yellow,
but there is always a white strip on the head. The ventral fins
are black. This fish lives in symbiosis with the genus Heteractis.
They grow to be seven or eight centimetres in length.
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Black
Spotted Gardeneel (Heteroconger Hassi)
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These
are extremely elusive creatures that flee immediately at the sight
of an approaching scuba diver. They live in large colonies in sandy
areas, generally deeper than 20 metres. They are seen with the front
portion of their bodies out of their holes, allowing them to wave
in the water, in search of plankton on which they feed. With a head
distinguished by a short snout, their eyes are large and mouth oblique
with large lips. The body is light coloured and is spangled with
numerous small dark spots, with larger spots closer to the back.
The species can grow to a length of 40 centimetres.
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Blackspotted
Pufferfish (Arothron Stellatus)
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The
body is elongated and globular, with an oval silhouette, and is
covered in small spines. The young of the species have a rubbery
texture, while adults are more flaccid. The mouth is powerful equipped
with two large adjacent dental plates on each jaw. The colouring
is typically mottled. In the young the belly is marked by pronounced
black stripes. The base of the pectoral fins is black. This fish
propels itself along with its dorsal and anal fins. It is common
to encounter this species on the sandy bottoms of lagoons. It grows
to a length of 100-120 centimetres.
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Bluestriped
Snapper (Lutjanus Kasmira)
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Tapered
body with pointed snout. Large eyes and mouth. The dorsal fin extends
to the height of the caudal peduncle. The coloring is golden yellow
on the back becoming gradually paler along the sides and almost
silvery on the belly. Typical of the species are the four light
stripes running lengthwise, with the longest stripe running from
the mouth to the caudal peduncle. The edges of the dorsal and caudal
fins are black. This fish measures forty centimetres in length.
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Bullethead
Parrotfish (Scarus Sordidus)
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The
general configuration of the body is typical of the parrotfish.
The dental plates can be clearly seen. The young present a pattern
with horizontal stripes. As they grow this coloring turns dark brown.
The adult males are green in colour and the edges of their scales
are salmon pink. The cheeks are bright orange fading to yellow on
the opercula. Strangely their teeth are green while the female of
the species has a pink mouth.
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Clown
Triggerfish (Balistoides Conspicillum)
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The
body is oval and compressed. The mouth is terminal with protruding
incisors and the snout is pointed. The caudal fin is rounded. The
colouring of is very vivid making it very easy to recognise. The
clown triggerfish is one the best known in its family. The upper
portion of it body is dark and speckled with yellow. The lower portion
is adorned with large white spots. The lips are a yellowish orange
and there is a yellow band beneath the eyes. The clown triggerfish
live along the outer wall of the reef and grow to a length of 50
centimetres.
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Coral
Grouper (Cephalopholis Miniata)
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The
body is massive and slightly compressed and quite similar to the
peacock grouper. However the rear edges of the dorsal and anal fins
are less rounded. The colouring is bright reddish orange with numerous
small dark blue ocellate spots scattered all over its body and fins.
The spots tend to be darker in the adults. A fairly territorial
species, ehich prefers to remain in the vicinity of the grottoes
and crannies of the reef. It has been observed that these become
gregarious and gather in specific areas during the mating season.
It attains a length of 40 to 50 centimetres.
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Great
Barracuda (Sphyraena Barracuda)
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The
body of the giant barracuda is elongated and slightly cylindrical.
Its snout is long and pointed and the lower jaw prominent. Its numerous
teeth are canine shaped. There are two dorsal fins which are clearly
separated. The colouring ranges from greyish to greenish bown on
the back, while the sides and belly are silvery. The adults have
irregular dark spots along their sides near the caudal fin. The
species attain a length of 1.5 to 1.8 metres.
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Grey
Reef Shark (Carcharhinus Amblyrhynchos)
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This
species is fairly common in the waters of the Maldives. During dives
it is not uncommon to see to or three swimming along the reef wall
towards the deeper seabed. The grey reef shark is easily recognisable
by its silhouette -stout, and against its greyish colour the white
rear edge of the first dorsal fin and the black edge of the tail
both stand out prominently. It prefers to feed upon fish but do
not pass up on other forms of reef life. The grey reef shark can
attain a length of two metres.
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Leopard
Moray (Gymnothorax Undulatus)
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The
leopard moray has a general squat shape. Its forward section appears
rather large and tall because of its massive head and its dorsal
fin that begins at the nape of what may be considered as its neck
and the gill aperture. The colour of its body is marbled in appearance
and the head is spotted. The edge of the gills and the tip of the
tail are white. It lives amidst the nooks and crannies of the reef
as well as in the flat areas and the slopes of the reef. The leopard
moray grows to length of 1.5 metres.
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Longnose
Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites Typus)
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A
cylindrical body, taller at the centre and terminating in an elongated
snout. The mouth is small and the spinous part of the dorsal fin
bears a series of appendages. The pectoral fins are particularly
well developed and are used to balance over gorgonians. Amongst
the gorgonians the fish is perfectly camouflaged because of its
matching tone and colour, the series of red stripes that form a
checkerboard design. The longnose hawkfish attains a length of 10
to 13 centimentres.
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Peocock
Grouper (Cephalopholis Argus)
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The
body of the peacock grouper is massive, tapered and slightly compressed,
with a powerful head and a slightly prominent lower jaw. The edge
of the caudal fin is rounded. The dorsal fin with a rounded rear
edge has nine spinous rays that end in the proximity of the caudal
peduncle and opposite the anal fin. Its body is marked by numerous
dark blue spots and by ten darker bands on the sides. The fins are
dark blue. It attains a length of 50 centimetres.
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Picasso
Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus Aculeatus)
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The
body of the picasso triggerfish is oval and compressed. Its head
is conical and snout long and pointed. The forward and ventral part
of the body is light in colour and the rear part is dark. Its mouth
is edged with light blue and yellow and a striation of the same
colour extends from what would be the nape of its neck to the eyes.
A series of light coloured oblique bands extend over its flanks.
The caudal peduncle has three rows of small black spines. The picasso
triggerfish grows up to a length of thirty centimetres.
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Royal
Angelfish (Pygoplites Diacanthus)
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Its
body is not as tall as the others in the angelfish family. The rear
edges of the dorsal and anal fins are well developed but do not
exceed the caudal fin. The body has a background colouring of orange
and yellow with eight or nine dark blue bands. The eyes are surrounded
by two sharply defined dark blue stripes. The dorsal fin has a fairly
dark vermiculation, while the anal fin has parallel yellow stripes
along its edge. The young are fairly similar and have posterior
ocellar spot. The fish grows to a length of 30 centimetres.
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Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus Narinari)
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This
ray can be easily recognised by its pointed and convex head with
large eyes and broad lateral spirales. The body is diamond-shaped
and has broad, pointed pectoral fins. The tail, with one, two or
three denticulated spines, is about three times the length of its
body. The ventral fins are broad and fleshy. The back is dark in
colouring with many white spots. The disk-shaped body measures up
to two and a half metres in width. It attains a total length of
up to two and a half metres. It can also be found in shallow lagoons
(one to five metres in depth) on sandy areas.
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Picasso
Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus Aculeatus)
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The
body of the picasso triggerfish is oval and compressed. Its head
is conical and snout long and pointed. The forward and ventral part
of the body is light in colour and the rear part is dark. Its mouth
is edged with light blue and yellow and a striation of the same
colour extends from what would be the nape of its neck to the eyes.
A series of light coloured oblique bands extend over its flanks.
The caudal peduncle has three rows of small black spines. The picasso
triggerfish grows up to a length of thirty centimetres.
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Trumpetfish
(Aulostoma Chinensis)
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An
elongated compressed body which terminates in the front with a long
and tubular snout. At the tip of the snout is a small mouth with
a barble beneath the mandible. At the centre of its back are a number
of stout and erectile spines, the vestigial residue of the first
dorsal fin. The second dorsal fin is located near the caudal peduncle,
opposite of the anal fin. The coloration ranges from yellowish to
greenish. The trumpetfish feed on other smaller fish and crustaceans.
They grow to a length of 60 centimetres.
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Whale
Shark (Rhincodon Typus)
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This
is the world’s largest fish, and it can easily be recognised
by it size. The head is flat and terminates in a large mouth, distinguished
by the presence of numerous small teeth. The eyes are very small.
The whale shark prefers to swim near the surface, where it feeds
on small fish, cephalopods and crustaceans. The colouring is dark
and light blue with distinctive white spots on the back. The belly
is white. The fish is not dangerous; it grows to a length of eighteen
metres.
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Maldives
Fish Watch
