Mozambique - 2006

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Mozambique • Fish

The identifications were only made on the basis of the photographs which is very hazardous for most of the species. As a consequence the Latin names might not be accurate.
The books used for the identification are listed: bibliography.

What we use to call fish is a very heterogeneous group. To try to undrestand how it works I've done a small table: fish.
Link to the fish base: fishbase.

Click on the pictures to get a closer view

CHONDRICHTHYES, cartilaginous fishes

Dasyatidae - stingrays
cf. Himantura uarnak (Forsskål, 1775), coachwhip ray

OSTEICHTHYES, Actinopterygii, ray-finned fishes

Anguilliformes, eels

Family Muraenidae, morays
Echidna nebulosa (Ahl, 1789), snowflake moray, very common in shalow water.

Muraenidae, morays
Rhinomuraena quaesita Garman, 1888, ribbon moray
This fish is first a male and then changes to a female (protandrous hermaphrodite). Juveniles are all black, males have yellow dorsal fin as on the picture and females change to a nearly all yellow color.

Muraenidae, morays
Gymnothorax sp.

© Copyright 2006 Fiona McIntosh
Muraenidae, morays
Gymnothorax favagineus Bloch & Schneider, 1801

© Copyright 2006 Fiona McIntosh
Muraenidae, morays
Gymnothorax griseus (Lacepède, 1803)

Synodontidae

Synodontidae
Saurida cf. gracilis Quoy & Gaimard, 1824, graceful lizardfish

Synodontidae
cf. Synodus variegatus Lacépède, 1803, red lizardfish ???

Synodontidae
Saurida cf. gracilis Quoy & Gaimard, 1824, graceful lizardfish

Antennariidae, frogfishes

© Copyright 2006 Fiona McIntosh

Antennariida, frogfishes
Antennarius cf. commerson (Latreille, 1804), black angler living in a sponge: cf. Haliclona sp.

Syngnathiformes

Aulostomidae, trumpetfishes
cf. Aulostomus chinensis (Linnaeus, 1766), Chinese trumpetfish

Fistulariidae, cornetfishes
cf. Fistularia sp.

Syngnathidae, pipefishes and seahorses
cf. Corythoichthys sp.

Syngnathidae, pipefishes and seahorses
Hippocampus cf. histrix Kaup, 1856, spiny seahorse

Scorpaeniformes

Platycephalidae, flatheads
cf. Thysanophrys otaitensis (Cuvier, 1829)

At first, I saw two white spots on the sand (1st photo), then, a touch and the fish appeared !

© Copyright 2006 Fiona McIntosh
Scorpaenidae
I think it's Taenianotus triacanthus Lacépède, 1802, leaf scorpionfish, not to be confused with the real leaf-fish from the Tetrarogidae family.

© Copyright 2006 Fiona McIntosh

Scorpaenidae, Pterois cf. miles (Bloch), devil firefish

© Copyright 2006 Fiona McIntosh
Scorpaenidae, Cf. Scorpaenopsis sp.

Perciformes, Labroidei, parrotfishes, rainbowfishes, and wrasses

Pomacentridae
Amphiprion cf. akallopisos Bleeker, 1853, nosestriped anemonefish

Pomacentridae,
Dascyllus trimaculatus (Rüppell, 1828),
Domino damselfish.

Well, the pictures are terrible but they're here to remind anyone snorkeling South from Fim du Mundo beach to listen carefully. You might hear a strange kind of growl, if you look around you, you'll observe that each time this sound comes, a D. trimaculatus is attacking an other fish. As far as I remember, the agressive D. trimaculatus were not living with anemones as on the photos.
Wilson reports that threespot damsellfish (from the Caribbean) "cultivates" a small algal crop and defend it vigorously by "erecting fins, striking postures, making popping or cliking sounds...". Might be that our D. trimaculatus are defending their crops !

Pomacentridae,
Dascyllus trimaculatus (Rüppell, 1828),
Domino damselfish.

Perciformes, Percoidei

Pomacanthidae, angelfishes: Pomacanthus imperator (Bloch, 1787), emperor angelfish

Perciformes, Blennioidei, blennies

Blenniidae, blennies
Aspidontus cf. taeniatus Quoy & Gaimard, 1834, false cleanerfish

This fish is really a nice one for a photographer: always in the same hole, motionless ! As it's rather small, living in shallow water in a place with waves, I had trouble to focus and had to come back for a few day: the fish was always at the rendez-vous !
In a narrow hole (in fact a worm tube) an other Aspidontus is living, more shy, I wasn't able to take a picture ofvit. Aspidontus taeniatus is known to live in pair.
Aspidontus taeniatus imitates the cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus. Wilson reports that the blenny imitates its model so well that it's nearly indistinguishable from it in both appearance and swimming habits. The blenny, instead of cleaning the victim will bite and consume pieces of its fins.

Perciformes, Gobioidei , gobies

Gobiidae, gobies
Bryaninops cf. yongei (Davis & Cohen, 1969) on a black coral Cirripathes sp.

Tetraodontiformes

Ostraciidae, boxfishes
cf. Ostracion cubicus Linnaeus, 1758, yellow boxfish

Tetraodontidae, puffers
cf. Arothron stellatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), starry toadfish

Tetraodontidae, puffers
cf. Canthigaster valentini (Bleeker, 1853)

Mozambique
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Last update 27/10/06
© Copyright 2006 Sophie Valtat

Mozambique • Fish The identifications were only made on the basis of the photographs which is very hazardous for most of the species. As a consequence the Latin names might not be accurate. The books used for the identification are listed: bibliography. What we use to call fish is a very heterogeneous group. To try to undrestand how it works I've done a small table: fish. Link to the fish base: fishbase.
Click on the pictures to get a closer view CHONDRICHTHYES, cartilaginous fishes
Dasyatidae - stingrays cf. Himantura uarnak (Forsskål, 1775), coachwhip ray
OSTEICHTHYES, Actinopterygii, ray-finned fishes Anguilliformes, eels

Family Muraenidae, morays Echidna nebulosa (Ahl, 1789), snowflake moray, very common in shalow water.

Muraenidae, morays Rhinomuraena quaesita Garman, 1888, ribbon moray This fish is first a male and then changes to a female (protandrous hermaphrodite). Juveniles are all black, males have yellow dorsal fin as on the picture and females change to a nearly all yellow color.
Muraenidae, morays Gymnothorax sp.	© Copyright 2006 Fiona McIntosh Muraenidae, morays Gymnothorax favagineus Bloch & Schneider, 1801		© Copyright 2006 Fiona McIntosh Muraenidae, morays Gymnothorax griseus (Lacepède, 1803)
Synodontidae
Synodontidae Saurida cf. gracilis Quoy & Gaimard, 1824, graceful lizardfish	Synodontidae cf. Synodus variegatus Lacépède, 1803, red lizardfish ???		Synodontidae Saurida cf. gracilis Quoy & Gaimard, 1824, graceful lizardfish
Antennariidae, frogfishes
			© Copyright 2006 Fiona McIntosh
Antennariida, frogfishes Antennarius cf. commerson (Latreille, 1804), black angler living in a sponge: cf. Haliclona sp.
Syngnathiformes
Aulostomidae, trumpetfishes cf. Aulostomus chinensis (Linnaeus, 1766), Chinese trumpetfish	Fistulariidae, cornetfishes cf. Fistularia sp.		Syngnathidae, pipefishes and seahorses cf. Corythoichthys sp.

Syngnathidae, pipefishes and seahorses Hippocampus cf. histrix Kaup, 1856, spiny seahorse
Scorpaeniformes
	Platycephalidae, flatheads cf. Thysanophrys otaitensis (Cuvier, 1829)
At first, I saw two white spots on the sand (1st photo), then, a touch and the fish appeared !

© Copyright 2006 Fiona McIntosh Scorpaenidae I think it's Taenianotus triacanthus Lacépède, 1802, leaf scorpionfish, not to be confused with the real leaf-fish from the Tetrarogidae family.
			© Copyright 2006 Fiona McIntosh

Scorpaenidae, Pterois cf. miles (Bloch), devil firefish
	© Copyright 2006 Fiona McIntosh Scorpaenidae, Cf. Scorpaenopsis sp.
Perciformes, Labroidei, parrotfishes, rainbowfishes, and wrasses

Pomacentridae Amphiprion cf. akallopisos Bleeker, 1853, nosestriped anemonefish
Pomacentridae, Dascyllus trimaculatus (Rüppell, 1828), Domino damselfish.	Well, the pictures are terrible but they're here to remind anyone snorkeling South from Fim du Mundo beach to listen carefully. You might hear a strange kind of growl, if you look around you, you'll observe that each time this sound comes, a D. trimaculatus is attacking an other fish. As far as I remember, the agressive D. trimaculatus were not living with anemones as on the photos. Wilson reports that threespot damsellfish (from the Caribbean) "cultivates" a small algal crop and defend it vigorously by "erecting fins, striking postures, making popping or cliking sounds...". Might be that our D. trimaculatus are defending their crops !		Pomacentridae, Dascyllus trimaculatus (Rüppell, 1828), Domino damselfish.
Perciformes, Percoidei
Pomacanthidae, angelfishes: Pomacanthus imperator (Bloch, 1787), emperor angelfish
Perciformes, Blennioidei, blennies
Blenniidae, blennies Aspidontus cf. taeniatus Quoy & Gaimard, 1834, false cleanerfish		This fish is really a nice one for a photographer: always in the same hole, motionless ! As it's rather small, living in shallow water in a place with waves, I had trouble to focus and had to come back for a few day: the fish was always at the rendez-vous ! In a narrow hole (in fact a worm tube) an other Aspidontus is living, more shy, I wasn't able to take a picture ofvit. Aspidontus taeniatus is known to live in pair. Aspidontus taeniatus imitates the cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus. Wilson reports that the blenny imitates its model so well that it's nearly indistinguishable from it in both appearance and swimming habits. The blenny, instead of cleaning the victim will bite and consume pieces of its fins.
Perciformes, Gobioidei , gobies
	Gobiidae, gobies Bryaninops cf. yongei (Davis & Cohen, 1969) on a black coral Cirripathes sp.
Tetraodontiformes
Ostraciidae, boxfishes cf. Ostracion cubicus Linnaeus, 1758, yellow boxfish	Tetraodontidae, puffers cf. Arothron stellatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), starry toadfish		Tetraodontidae, puffers cf. Canthigaster valentini (Bleeker, 1853)
Mozambique Porifera • Cnidaria • Mollusca • Annelida • Arthropoda • Echinodermata • Tunicata Home
Last update 27/10/06		© Copyright 2006 Sophie Valtat