Indo-Pacific Marine environment – Sulawesi

Black longspine urchin

Diadema setosum

Blackspotted rubberlip

Plectorhinchus gaterinus

They often live on groups in crevices and ledges of reefs. They have big, fleshy yellow lips that use to unearth their preys from the sand of the bottom of the reef. At nightfall, they feed on shrimps and crabs. They display the bright yellow fins and leopard-like spots. Juveniles may be banded.

Blacktip reef shark

Carcharhinus melanopterus

Small shark species usually found in the coral reefs. It inhabits shallow and coastal waters over reef ledges and sandy flats. It is also been known to enter brackish and freshwater environments. It is active predator of small fishes, cephalopods, snakes and seabirds.

Blue diesel wrasse

Labroides dimidiatus

This species can be found on coral reefs of shallow depth. It is well-known for cleaning the parasites on other fishes and the dead tissues of the fishes with which it sharies the reef. It lives in colonies formed for a single male with multiple female social groups.

Blue green damelfish

Chromis viridis

Blue sea star

Linkia laevigata

Blue Surgeonfish

Paracanthurus hepatus

Reef fish that can reaches up to 30 cm (12 in.) Its body is laterally compressed. This species has a royal blue body. Colour intensity of its body varies with the age. Juveniles live in group close to the coral where they can hide when in danger. It feeds on plankton and macroalgae.

Bluering angelfish

Pomacanthus annularis

It is a pelagic fish linked to coastal reefs and close sandy areas. Its body is compressed laterally and a small mouth with comb-like teeth.This fish is usually seen in pairs or as solitary individuals.It feeds on sponges and algae.

Candy cane coral

Caulastrea sp.

Chinese zebra goby

Ptereleotris zebra

Clown triggerfish

Balistoides conspiscillum

It lives in shallow and rocky coral reefs. It has robust jaws with a peak uses to break reefs, shells from molluscs and crustaceans for feeding. It has an erectile spine in its dorsal used to defend itself and to cling to the cavities of the rocks where it remains hidden.

Common bluestripe snapper

Lutjanus kasmira

This species lives in open water close to the reefs to 200 m (656.2 ft.) in depth. It frequently gathers in large aggregations around coral formations, caves or wrecks during daylight hours. As they get old it is a solitary species that inhabits deep reefs. It catches fish, shrimps and crustaceans.

Common jellyfish

Aurelia aurita

Jellyfish are about 98 percent water. They have no skeleton, armour or shell. They live alone or in groups in surface waters drifted by the current. It is a cosmopolitan species. They feed on plankton . The jellyfish has an umbrella membrane and thin and stinging tentacles that paralyse their prey. There is a nerve that is responsible for contractions in swimming muscles. It is an harmless species and it is used for human consumption in Indonesia.

Convict Surgeonfish

Acanthurus triostegus

This species lives close to coastal reefs. It is a gregarious fish that enjoys living in harmony with other fishes. Juveniles are found in tide pools close to the beach. It feeds on plankton and filamentous algae. Monogamous specimen. Fertilization is external forming soals

Cowtail stingray

Pastinachus sephen

They are found on sandy bottoms in tropical coastal waters and on coral reefs. They are also known to enter rivers and estuaries. The most distinctive characteristic of the cowtail stingray is the candle-like tail. Its skin is very hard.

Emperor angelfish

Pomacanthus imperator

Big size angelfish, very spread from the reef borders to 100 m depth. It feeds on seaweeds, sponges and other organisms that are embed in rocks. The looks between juveniles and adults is very different.

Emperor red snapper

Lutjanus sebae

The emperor red snapper is a fish of open waters in tropical climate. It inhabits the coral reefs although it prefers flat areas with either a sandy or gravel substrate. It eats fish and crabs.

Giant moray

Gymnothorax javanicus

It is an anguilliforme species living on the outer of tropical waters with coral reefs. During the day it is hidden in crevices. At night, it hunts fishes, octopuses, cuttlefishes and crustaceans. It has cryptic coloration in its body.

Golden trevally

Gnathonodon speciosus

It can be found on shoals where the juvenile species show a beautiful bright yellow colour. It is known to grow to 120 cm in length. The golden trevally uses to follow floating objects and large animals, such as sharks, jellyfish or turtles. It sucks out prey from sandy soils.

Goldlined spinefoot

Siganus guttatus

It inhabits coastal coral reefs and mangroves. It tolerates the low salinity. It leaves and enters the rivers with the tides. Its body is laterally compressed as an ellipse shape and its mouth is small with protracted jaws. It feeds on plankton. It spawns in the river mouth.

Grey shark

Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos

This species is most often seen in shallow water near the reefs. It is a social and curious species. During the day, it forms groups in areas of strong currents. At night, they split up for hunting. It is fast-swimming and an agile predator.

Halfmoon butterflyfish

Chaetodon lunula

This species has nocturnal habits. It lives in small shoals and in pairs during the breeding season. Juveniles shelter in the hollows of the rocks. It feeds mainly on benthic invertebrates, polyps of hard corals and algae.

Honeycomb stingray

Himantura uarnak

Vive en bahías de arena y lagunas salobres asociadas a arrecifes coralinos hasta 50 m de profundidad. Tolera bajos niveles de salinidad por lo que a veces se adentra en zonas de manglar. Alcanza 2 m. Es nocturna y durante el día se esconde en la arena. Come peces, cangrejos y medusas

Humpback red snapper

Lutjanus gibbus

This species can reach a length of 50 cm (20 in). Its dorsum is deeply curved. It inhabits shoal of fishes in the limits of the lagoons and between the reef. Juveniles can be found in beds of seagrass.
It predates fish, shrimps and crabs. They feed and mate at night

Indian Ocean oriental sweetlips

Plectorhinchus vittatus

This species can be found on coral reefs at depths of 25 m 882.0 ft). It can be solitary, or seen resting in small groups . Juveniles are different to adults and they swim imitating the movement of a poisonous worm.

Laced moray

Gymnothorax favagineus

It is a large moray which can reach a maximum length of 3 m (9.84 ft). Its body has a white to yellowish color dotted with numerous black spots which latter vary in size, shape and intensity depending on the environment in which the animals live. Sight is poor but the sense of smell very developed. It hunts fish and octopus

Leafy hedgehog coral

Echinopora lamellosa

Leather coral

Sarcophyton sp.

Lyretail Wrasse

Thalassoma lunare

It lives in coral reefs up to 20 meters (65.62 feet). It has a good sense of vision and smell. It goes into waters of low salinity as the river mouths. At night, it rests down the rocks. When in danger, it buries in the sand. This species feeds on fishes larvae.

Magnificent foxface

Siganus magnificus

Magnificent foxface

Siganus vulpinus

Mushroom anemone

Discosoma sp.

Orange-barred garden eel

Gorgasia preclara

It is an anguiform fish without scales in their skin. It lives half-buried in the sand of the reef forming colonies where they remain hidden at the minimum signal of danger. They are peaceful and shy species. They feed on zooplankton. The larvae are planktonic until they are large enough to make their own burrow.

Orangespine unicornfish

Naso lituratus

IIt inhabits inland lagoons and coral reefs. It can reach a length of 45 cm (20 inches) Its laterally compressed body has a sharp sting in its caudal fin used for defence. The body is grey with yellow and blue lines in its contour. It feeds on algae. They have sexual dimorphism. It’s lonely but sometimes forms schoals.

Orbicular batfish

Platax orbicularis

Juveniles have an appearance very different than the adults. It feeds on seaweeds and invertebrates. The early stages of growth often happen protected in the brackish waters of the mangroves.

Pennant coral fish

Heniochus acuminatus

Its body is flattened and has an elongated dorsal fin of great length. It is sociable and quiet. Adults can live alone, in pairs or in small groups. Juveniles are cleaners, removing parasites from other fishes. It feeds on polyps of corals and other benthic invertebrates.

Pinecone soldierfish

Myripristis murdjan

It lives in coastal shallow waters close to reefs It is a species with nocturnal habits During the day, it remains hidden in caves and crevices of the coral reef. It has a laterally compressed body shape, with its tail forked, and red color. It feeds on zooplankton.

Pink anemonefish

Amphiprion perideraion

Razor fish

Aeoliscus strigatus

It is found in shallow coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific. The body is flattened from side to side with long narrow snouts. The tail fin is reduced to a sharp spine. They swim in a synchronized manner with their heads pointing downwards. They eat brine shrimp, fish larvae and zooplankton. They spawn under a full moon.

Red-knobed starfish

Protoreaster linkii

It has a thick gray body covered with bright red tubercles and spicules that extend upward from its five arms. It moves slowly across the sandy bottoms of reefs searching for worms, mollusks and corals. It could live in shallow coastal lagoons or in reefs up to 100 m deep. It is very active during the day.

Redtoothed triggerfish

Odonus niger

It inhabits open waters and current-swept seaward reefs and coral reefs. It can reach a length of 50 cm (20 inches) Its hard skin is resistant and immune to parasitic diseases. It has dorsal spines used for defence.It feeds on invertebrates.

Scarlet cleaner shrimp

Lysmata amboinensis

Sea goldie

Pseudanthias squamipinus

Sinularia

Sinularia brassica

Turbo snail

Turbo fluctuosus

Upside down jellyfish

Cassiopea andromeda

Whipray jenkins

Himantura jenkinsii

It is a species of stingray usually found in sandy habitats shallower than 50 m (160 ft). It feeds on crustaceans and small fishes. This large species grows to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) Its tail is similar to a whip and it lacks of fin folds. The young develop in the uterus of the female.

Yellow tang

Zebrasoma flavescens

It is an angle and attractive swimmer. It lives in lagoons and outer coral reefs. The body is laterally compressed and has two retractable white spines on each side of the tail fin that it uses to defend itself. It is sociable. It feeds on plankton and microalgae.

Zebra shark

Stegostoma fasciatum

Carpet shark of big size. It can reach up more than 3 metres length. It remains hidden most of the daytime, and goes out at night for hunting crustaceans, cephalopods, fishes and even sea snakes. They can be very long-lived, have been registered cases with even more than 60 years old.