Face to face with the Cenderawasih butterflyfish, Forcipiger wanai
The Cenderawasih butterflyfish, Forcipiger wanai, was described just a little over three years ago from Cenderwasih Bay Indonesia. New species of butterflyfish don't come along very often so we definitely took note when one was newly minted. Forcipiger wanai is only the…
Forcipiger wanai is a new longnose butterflyfish species from Cenderawasih Bay

Forcipiger wanai is a new species of longnose butterflyfish which was very recently described in the seminal, three-volume book Reef Fishes of the East Indies. Twenty five new species of reef fish were described in this book including dottybacks, dartfish…

First Video of the Unique Copperband Butterflyfish of Raja Ampat

Chelmon rostratus, aka the Copperband Butterflyfish is an extremely beautiful fish, and by far one of the most common and popular species of butterflyfish in home aquariums, and on the reef. Earlier this year we told you about our travels and…

Pink Acropora jacquelineae discovered in Raja Ampat

Acropora jacquelineae is a very recognizable species of deepwater or smooth skinned Acro. It is relatively easy to keep, but until now if you wanted to try your hand at growing the unique shape of Acropora jacquelineae you had to…

Reefbuilders Indonesia Travelogue – Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat is a true underwater paradise, and this past week we had the privilege of diving some of the best reefs the Park had to offer. For those of you that are not familiar, the Raja Ampat Marine Park…

There’s something special about Copperband butterflyfish from Raja Ampat

The copperband butterflyfish, Chelmon rostratus, is one of those iconic reef fish that is incredibly popular with divers and aquarists alike. This species of reef fish shows very little variation across its wide natural distribution, with the only deviations from the…

What’s in a name?

Scientists are often pretty whimsical in their own way when it comes to describing a new species for science. To the undiscerning amateur like us, we may find scientific names cumbersome, made up of an unpronounceable mass of consonants with an unearthly…

Reef Nuggets 2: Aquatic Lepidopterans for your reef (Revised edition)

In our previous episode of Reef Nuggets, we explored our options for peaceful and lesser known damselfish to add a little spark of colour and life to our aquariums. Having vanquished the hateful stereotype that not all damsels are malevolent and…

Photos of Cirrhilabrus cenderawasih and Paracheilinus walton give us a glimpse into the endemic life of West Papua

In a world abundant with coral reefs and geographical landscapes, no place captivates me quite like the amazing and wonderful West Papua. Isolated and disjunct from just about everywhere, the local flora and fauna both terrestrial and aquatic have evolved in…

Keeping butterflyfish in reefs: What to look out for and what to avoid

Butterflyfish are the quintessential reef inhabitant. Take a look at any coral reef picture, video, documentary, poster, you name it. There’s a high chance a colourful butterfly is flitting around there somewhere. The same is not to be said in…