Maximum length: 14 cm

Depth: 3 - 15 m

Males smaller than females.

The only anemonefish with a spine in the white headband.

Photo 1 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi

Photo 2 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North Sulawesi

Maximum length: 11 cm

Depth: 1 - 30 m

Every diver knows them, the cute clownfish.

Never far from their anemone.

Photo 1 Johnny: El Quesir Egypt

Photo 2 Astrid: Hurghada Egypt

Photos 3- 4 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt

 Clownfish guarding its clutch 

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt

Maximum length: 14 cm

Depth: 1 - 20 m

Mostly black with a variable orange head.

Three white horizontal bands run across their body, head and tail root.

Photo 1 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi

Photos 2 - 3 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North Sulawesi

Maximum length: 13 cm

Depth: 2 - 10 m

Red-orange body and fins, usually slightly darker on the back.

A white head stripe.

This species lives in lagoons and outer reefs and was first described in 2008.

Usually swimming in groups above their anemones.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Moalboal Philippines

Maximum length: 9 cm

Depth: 1 - 40 m

One instead of two horizontal stripes

Photo 1 Johnny: Embudu Maldives

Maximum length: 8 cm

Depth: 1 - 30 m

Lives in small groups in sheltered shallow coastal reefs.

Photo 1 Johnny: Moalboal Philippines

Photo 2 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi

 Photo 3 Johnny: Bali Indonesia

Maximum length: 12 cm

Depth: 6 - 20 m

Adults always in pairs, often with juveniles in an anemone.

Photo 1 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North Sulawesi

Photo 2 Johnny: Moalboal Philippines

Maximum length: 13 cm

Depth: 3 - 20 m

This species has a broad white dorsal stripe

that extends from the upper lip to the root of the tail.

Found in lagoons and on outer reefs.

Photo 1 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi

Photo 2 Astrid: Bangka Island North Sulawesi

Maximum length: 17 cm

Depth: 1 - 12 m

5 olive-green bands on the body, yellow tail.

Relatively shy.

Photo 1 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt

Maximum length: 17 cm.

Depth: 0 - 12 m

Their body has five black transverse bands.

The upper part of the back is usually yellow, the lower part silver to white or light gray.

The males turn dark blue to violet when guarding their red-violet egg clutch

(see photo 2: male swimming over the clutch).

Not shy.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean

Maximum length: 19 cm

Depth: 0.3 - 15 m

Silvery body with 5 black bands and black stripes on the tail.

Feed on zooplankton and are not very shy.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt

Maximum length: 23 cm

Depth: 0.3 - 5 m

Black spot on the base of the tail and broad dark bands on the body.

Very territorial, immediately chases away food competitors.

Relatively shy towards divers.

Photo 1 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt

Maximum length: 25 cm

Depth: 0 - 5 m

Five dark brown transverse bands on the body.

Upper lip longer than lower lip.

Lives in coastal regions with surf.

Always close to the bottom near dark hiding places.

Photo 1 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean

Photo 2 Astrid: Bonaire Caribbean

Maximum length: 14 cm

Depth: 1 - 12 m

Easy to recognize by the 5 stripes and the yellow back.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: El Quesir Egypt

 Maximum length: 14 cm

Depth: 3 - 35 m

Prefers steep outer reefs.

Snaps at zooplankton.

Photo 1 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi

 Maximum length: 11 cm

Depth: 1 - 20 m

The middle of the side is often yellowish with three irregular horizontal stripes.

In coral-rich lagoons, bays and outer reefs, usually in groups snapping for plankton in open water.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Moalboal Philippines

Maximum length: 10 cm

Depth: 12 - 20 m

Silver anterior body, pale yellow posterior body.

Inhabits coral-rich lagoons and outer reefs and feeds on zooplankton.

Not very shy.

Photo 1 Astrid: Hurghada Egypt

 Maximum length: 9 cm

Depth: 2 - 35 m

They can be seen individually or in small groups in coral-rich lagoons and outer reefs

Not very shy.

Photos 1 - 2 Astrid: Hurghada Egypt

 Maximum length: 8 cm

Depth: 2 - 35 m

It lives alone or in small groups in the lagoons of the coastal areas,

primarily on sandy or muddy areas, but also in rocky areas. 

Photos 1 - 2 Astrid: Bangka Island North Sulawesi

Maximum length: 12 cm

Depth: 12 - 25 m

Bright blue body.

Slender, deeply forked caudal fin with dark edges.

Back is often dark colored.

Swims over reefs feeding on plankton.

Not shy, but goes near the bottom if a diver comes too close.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean

Photo 3 Astrid: Bonaire Caribbean

Maximum length: 6 cm

Depth: 8 - 25 m

In the sea, the perch occurs in small groups or individually in shallow lagoon reefs with large Acropora populations.

The corals offer the damselfish protection and food.

In addition to coral polyps, the small perch also feeds on zooplankton.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt

Maximum length: 14 cm

Depth: 1 - 30 m

Dark brown body with light blue fin edges and an ear spot

that is not always as visible as in this photo.

Found on coral and boulder-rich reef tops,

as well as in sheltered lagoons and on outer reefs.

Frequent, but very shy, immediately flees into its hiding place when approached.

Photo 1 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt

Maximum length: 7 cm

Depth: 1 - 15 m

Olive-brown body with a yellow axillary spot on the pectoral fin and black tail edges.

They are found in small, loose schools near branch corals and along upper reef edges in lagoons and on outer reefs, where they hunt zooplankton in open water.

Not shy, but often overlooked.

Photo 1 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt

Maximum length: 16 cm

Depth: 20 - 100 m

The most species-rich genus of damselfish.

Photo shows a juvenile.

Schooling fish that live in tropical and subtropical coral reefs in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific,

usually at a depth of approx. 10 - 20 m, rarely deeper.

Photo 1 Astrid: Bonaire Caribbean

Maximum length: 17 cm

Depth: 12 - 25 m

Their body is olive-brown to brownish gray.

The edge of the dorsal fin and the tips of the caudal fin are yellow, slender deeply forked caudal fin.

There is a dark spot on the pectoral fin. 

Swims over reefs feeding on plankton.

Not shy, but goes near the bottom when a diver comes too close.

Photo 1 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean

Photo 2 Astrid: Bonaire Caribbean

Maximum length: 9 cm

Depth: 1 - 12 m

Blue-green body.

Often found near Acropora branch corals, into which they quickly swim when in danger.

Photo 1 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt 

 Photo 2 Johnny: El Quesir Egypt 

Photo 3 Astrid: Hurghada Egypt

 Maximum length: 8 cm

Depth: up to 2 m

White-yellow body with 5 black bands.

Found on reef tops, shallow lagoons, but often also in seagrass areas.

Territorial and not very shy.

Not so common.

Photo 1 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt

Maximum length: 8 cm

Depth: 1 - 18 m

Adult males have an orange tail, which the females lack,

but the females have a black spot at the base of the rearmost dorsal fin ray.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi

Maximum length: 13 cm

Depth: 3 - 45 m

Yellow pelvic fins.

Found individually or in small, loose groups in clear lagoons and outer reefs.

Feed on zooplankton. Not very shy.

Photo 1 Johnny: Moalboal Philippines

 Maximum length: 6 cm

Depth: 1 - 15 m

Bright blue body, yellow caudal peduncle and caudal fin.

Seeks shelter between coral branches.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi

Photo 3 Johnny: Moalboal - Philippines

 Maximum length: 6 cm

Depth: 5 - 35 m

Black spot at the middle base of the dorsal fin.

Found in coral-rich areas of lagoons and outer reefs.

They feed on zooplankton alone or in small groups.

Photo 1 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi

Photo 2 Johnny: Moalboal Philippines

 Maximum length: 8 cm

Depth: 0.3 - 2 m

Pale brown body, with a black ocellus at the base of the dorsal fin.

Inhabits lagoons, bays, harbors and outer reef tops.

Photos 1- 3 Johnny: El Quesir Egypt

Maximum length: 8 cm

Depth: 1 - 20 m

White body with three black bands.

Wedges itself between branch coral branches in case of danger.

Hunts for zooplankton in loose clusters above the coral branches.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt

 Maximum length: 6 cm

Depth: 1 - 15 m

Silvery-yellow body with black fin edges.

Associated with branch corals in which they hide in case of danger.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt

 Maximum length: 8 cm

Depth: 1 - 50 m

Brownish gray in the tail area and black horizontal stripes on the body.

Swim in small to large groups over branch corals, into which they flee in case of danger.

Photo 1 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North Sulawesi

Photo 2 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi

 Maximum length: 14 cm

Depth: 0.3 - 20 m

Gray body with a light spot on the back.

Found on most reef habitats, usually in small groups.

Photos 1 + 2 + 4 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt

Photo 3 Astrid: Hurghada Egypt

 Maximum length: 20 cm

Depth: 1 - 12 m

It is an inhabitant of lagoons and coastal reefs with sandy bottoms.

The male is responsible for breeding after courtship and mating.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi

 Maximum length: 19 cm

Depth: 3 - 12 m

Adult: Brown body with small blue spots and yellow tail.

Juvenile form: Dark blue with small, bright blue spots and a whitish tail fin, which turns yellow with sexual maturity (see photos).

Live in the area of fire corals, have small territories which are not aggressively defended.

Allow divers to approach closely, but still difficult to photograph as they always move quickly.

Photos 1 - 3 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean

Photos 4 - 5 Astrid: Bonaire Caribbean

 Maximum length: 12 cm

Depth: 1 - 12 m

This damselfish only shows this beautiful coloration as a small juvenile fish.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi