Red Sea Creatures
Soft coral, Dendronephyta speciesThe body of this soft coral, Alcyonacea order, is stiffened with yellow spicules. Here the individual polyps are open, showing their 8 tentacles (the 8 tentacles help to confirm identification). It is partly down to these that much of the diving in the Red Sea is so beautiful.
Polyclad Flatworm, Pseudoceros spFlatworms look very similar to nudibranchs: they are beautifully coloured, the same shape and may move similarly by muscular propulsion. However, they have thinner bodies than nudibranchs and also move by beating hair-like cilia on their undersides - rippling through the water.
Lionfish (Turkeyfish), Pterois miles Found in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean to the Andaman Sea. Elsewhere replaced by the very similar P. volitans. Usually 11 dorsal rays (those on the top of the fish). A sting from this fish can be very painful, and possibly fatal. They often shelter under ledges during the day, being more active at dusk and during the night when feed on fishes and crustaceans using their non-stinging pectoral fins to shepherd prey into their mouths. The Lionfish's poisonous spines allow it to be conspicuously coloured, warning predators to keep their distance.
Two-Banded Clownfish, Amphiprion bicinctus
The most common clownfish in the Red Sea. It is found at depths of 1-30 m, generally living in pairs in association with an anemone. This is a classic example of symbiosis. The tentacles of the anemone protect the clownfish from predators. The clownfish is immune to the anemones stinging nematocysts because of a mucus coating on its body. The benefit to the anemone is probably down to the fish's swimming within its tentacles and wafting them around, thus increasing the water flow and hence the amount of oxygen available to the anemone.
Blue Spotted Stingray, Taeniura lymma.The Dasyatidae family contains about 100 species, one of which is the Blue Spotted Stingray. Like all stingrays they have venomous spines at the base of the tail. They breathe by drawing water through a small hole behind the eye and expelling it through gill slits on their undersides. They often lie on sandy bottoms, flicking sand over themselves as camouflage. They feed on molluscs and crabs. Common and easy-to-spot throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans, including the Red Sea and the Great Barrier Reef. Simple to identify with their oval shape and blue spots. Not aggressive, but if you accidentally step on one the spine may be driven into your leg. This causes intense pain, increasing for around 90 minutes and lasting, if untreated, for 1 to 2 days
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Giant Moray Eel, Gymnothorax javanicusThe largest of the moray eels, growing up to 3 m. Quite common and always interesting to observe. Feeds primarily on fish, occasionally on crustaceans and octopus. Morays live in holes and generally hunt by night. You may see them rhythmically opening and closing their mouths. They do this to maintain a respiratory current past the gills. Morays undergo a sex change during growth, changing from male to female.
Carpet Flathead Fish (Crocodilefish), Papiloculiceps longicepsMainly lives on sand and rubble near coral heads, although you might also find it in patches of seagrass. It stays shallow: between 1 and 15 m. The flatheads are flattened fishes. They have two dorsal fins and bony ridges and spines on their heads. The body is mottled above, whitish below. The Carpet Flathead grows to 70 cm. It is a very placid fish which, confident in its camouflage, lets you approach closely. Although related to scorpion fish it is harmless.
Coral Grouper (Coral Rock-Cod), Cephalopholis miniataFound around coral in areas with clear water. Easy to spot and fairly common. Range from 2 to 150 m and feed mostly on fish. Juveniles have yellow bodies with blue spots and as adults grow to around 41 cm. Like all groupers, Cephalopholis miniata has a large mouth and sharp teeth. They use grinding plates within their throats to break up prey. Groupers are the most important family of reef based predators. Territorial and solitary apart from in the mating season in June. Also common in other parts of the world, including Australia.
Sabre or Long-Jawed Squirrelfish, Sargocentron spiniferumThis species is the largest of the squirrelfish. It's common in the Red Sea at all depths likely to be dived, and feeds primarily on crabs. A member of the Holocentridae family, squirrelfish have large eyes and are nocturnal. During the day you'll find them under ledges and in caves, away from the light. Growing up to 45 cm, they live alone or in small groups. You can distinguish Sargocentron spiniferum from other squirrel fish by the red blotch behind its eye. Like many nocturnal fish, Sargocentron spiniferum is red. To us it is easy to spot during the day, but to other fish it blends into its dark crevice or cave. Long red light wavelengths don't penetrate water well, so fish colour vision tends to be tuned to the shorter, blue and ultra-violet, end of the spectrum. This means that red and pink fish are inconspicuous.
Hawkfish, Paracirrhites forsteriSeen from 1 to 33 m resting motionless on coral. It is carnivorous, feeding on crustaceans and small fish. A member of the Cirrhitidae family, it can change sex. Young fish are all female. One male has a harem of females - if the male dies one of the females changes sex to take its place. Males are very territorial.
Picasso Trigger Fish, Rhinecanthus assasiTrigger fishes are so called because of the shark-fin shaped trigger they are able to raise in defence. They use this to jam themselves into a crevice in the coral. The trigger is actually the first spine of its dorsal (top) fin. They bend the second spine forward to fix the first firmly in position. When the fish is swimming the fin is flattened into a groove.
Glassfish or Sweepers, Parapriacanthus ransonnetiGlassfish congregate in enormous shoals in wrecks and caves, liking the dark. Members of the small Pempheridae family, they feed at night on zooplankton.
Crown Butterfly Fish, Chaetodon paucifasciatusCan be seen between 4 and 30 m in pairs or groups. Not shown in the photo is its distinctive red rear. It's key identification feature, though, is the yellow stripe through the eye. The Crown Butterfly fish feeds on coral polyps, algae and crustaceans. It is only found in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Cuttlefish, Sepia speciesThe cuttlefish has almost incredible powers of mimicry. It can control the colour, patterning and texture of its skin to perfectly match its surroundings. And not just from aboveL the camouflage works from whichever angle it is observed. From birth, cuttlefish can display at least 13 type of body pattern, made up from over 30 different components.
OctopusThe octopus is solitary. Mating can be risky for the male: he is smaller than the female and risks being attacked. The female watches his body postures and skin pattern. Once accepted the male stretches out a modified arm towards the female - shown in our photo. The arm has grooves along which sperm passes to the female's mantle cavity.
Hermit crab, Dardanus speciesHermit crabs scuttle about the sea-floor using someone else's shell for a home. They always use empty shells and never kill the original occupant. Some of the Dardanas species of Hermit crab stick sea anemones on their shells. This camoflauges the crab and the stinging cells of the anemone may protect the crab from predators such as octopus.
Blackspotted Sweetlips or Grunts, Plectorhinchus gaterinusSweetlips have thick lips, continuous dorsal fins and truncate or emarginate tails. Adults are often inactive during the day and shelter near or under ledges. They feed at night on bottom-dwelling invertebrates. The juveniles of Blackspotted sweetlips have 6 black lines on their heads and bodies, these become spots with age.
Masked Butterfly Fish, Chaetodon semilarvatusLive around coral, from 3 to 20 m. Very common throughout the Red Sea. Around 23 cm long, the Masked butterfly fish is large for its family. You generally see them in pairs or large group
Masked Butterfly Fish, Chaetodon semilarvatusknown as a sea cow, Dugong's feed in the seagrass beds of the Indo-Pacific. They are the only herbivorous, truly marine mammal
Dead Sea Creatures
Rhizostome jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo can sting your skin with its thread-cells located on the lacy peristomal tentacles. It is better to avoid it when swimming; Though nettle stings stronger than this jellyfish.
Moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita is another Scyphozoan medusa common in the Black Sea. Its thread-cells located on the canopy fringe tentacles are less potent weapon than those of Rhizostoma; they cannot penetrate even children's skin. Contact of this jellyfish with eyes should still be avoided.
Jellyfish immobilize or even kill their prey (small planktonic animals mostly) with the use of thread-cells containing venom capsule with a sharp, saw-edged coiled harpoon attached to it.
The spring uncoils and hit the prey when it touches sensitive hair on the thread-cell surface. Spike of the hollow dart breaks inside the victim body, and paralyzing venom pours out. Thread-cell is a disposable weapon.
Black Sea scorpion-fish Scorpaena porcus. It is a monster: a big head covered with skin flaps, protruding red eyes, huge mouth with thick lips. Dorsal fin's rays of Scorpaena became poisoned spikes - venom glands locate at the base of each ray. Another couple of hard poisoned prickles grow from gill flaps. These thorns are scorpaena's defense weapon, whereas its weapon of attack is a great many sharp crooked teeth. Scorpion-fish is a predator hiding between rocks and algae, indistinguishable from them due to the camouflage of color spots and skin shreds. Scorpaena waits until smaller fish approach within attacking distance - a violent rush follows and the prey being swallowed within a split second.Everything in scorpaena's ugly appearance tells about the menace; at the same time - it's nice. There are grey, charcoal-black, pink, brown, purple-yellow scorpaenas - depending on the dominant habitat colors. It dwells mostly among underwater rocks, but also can occur on the sandy bottom; it is a usual, abundant fish reaching 50cm length. Scorpion-fish represent threat mostly for fishers - when they handle the catch. No cases of accidental pricks by Scorpaena are known; just do not touch it.
Another local species of scorpion-fish is noticeable scorpionfishScorpaena notata, it does not exceed 15cm, and has smaller supraorbital skin flaps than those of Scorpaena porcus. Wounds inflicted byScorpaena's venomous spikes severely hurt and swell, then general allergic reaction follows: weakness, raised body temperature, headache. No lethal cases after Scorpaena wounds were registered. Helpful is antihistamine medication under doctor's supervision.
More dangerous member of Scorpaenidae familyoccurring in Black Sea isweever Trachinus draco. It is a fish with elongated body and angular head. Like many other benthic predator fishes weever have big protruding eyes in the upper part of head, and a very big mouth. This fish (anglers sometimes call it snake) prefer soft bottom habitats - sand or silt. It digs into the bottom leaving only its eyes on the surface, and watches the prey - smaller fishes. When disturbed, weever spreads noticeable black dorsal fin, all five rays of which are venomous spikes. Like scorpion-fish it possess directed backward venomous spike on each of the gill flaps as well. There were cases of accidental stomping on weever's rays on sandy shallows in Mediterranean Sea; so far, no such cases are known at Black Sea coasts. The consequences of the weever pricks are much heavier (lethal outcome possible) than in the case of scorpaena. Injured person must be taken to hospital in any case.
Skates are flat benthic sharks; they have no sides - only back and belly - dorsal and ventral surfaces. They swim waving with their "wings" - flattened body sides, whereas their tailfin is reduced to tail-stem. They live on the sandy or silt bottom, and find their food on the bottom: shellfish and small fish. Two species of skates live in the Black Sea: larger (its length up to 1.5m, with tail) thornback skate Raja clavata, and smaller (< 0.7m) common stingray Dasyatis pastinaca.Like in all sharks, their skeleton is composed of cartilage. However,stingray has one long - up to 20cm - bone: tale prickle. It is a saw-edged, very sharp, pointed blade. Being disturbed, stingray uses its tale as a weep against invader, sticking out the prickle at the same time. Resulting wound may be deep and severe one. Fortunately, these rays are very wary, and rush away from swimmers and divers.
Black Sea spiny shark, piked dogfish Squalus acanthias, Russian name katran, like all fish species listed above may represent threat only to fishermen when they handle the catch: two venomous spikes in front of dorsal fins being raised as a response to disturbance. Dogfish prefer colder water, and during the warm period of year, it stays beneath summer thermocline - deeper than 20m.