New rare subspecies designation for the beloved Regal Angelfish

Subspecies seem to be rarely used in marine and reef fish but the monotypic genus Pygoplites is fixing to be one of the first angelfish species to receive this designation. We’ve long been aware that Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific regal angelfish look…

500 gallon Mountain View reef tank is home to an exquisite wall of corals

Nestled in the foothills of Genesee Colorado, there is a most excellent 500 gallon reef tank with an exquisite wall of corals and an impressive view of the Colorado Rockies. This Mountain View reef tank is maintained by Premier Fish & Reef…

Aberrant ‘Superfemale’ Bellus angelfish

Genicanthus bellus is one of the prettiest species of swallowtail angelfish, and their small adult size also makes them the most suited to aquarium life. Like all Genicanthus, G. bellus has very strong sexual color differences and some would argue that the…

Indian Ocean zebra angelfish found in Central Indonesia!

When I first fell in love with the whole diverse family of angelfishes, Genicanthus caudovittatus was known as the ‘Red Sea Zebra’ angelfish, because back then, this species was only known to occur in the Red Sea and surrounding waters. Then in…

The Coolest Hawaiian reef fish get visually checklisted in this Kure dive video

Hawaii is renowned for its endemism which extends from the land down to the deep reefs. It’s been a while since we’ve posted a really good dive video featuring some rare fish so you can be certain that this one…

A visit to the okayama University of Science

In light of MACNA and the hectic schedule of traveling, we haven’t been able to finish up recounting our visit to Japan. Now that the dust has settled, we’re obligated to tie up the loose ends and finish up this short series.…

Prognathodes “basabei” in serene Kyoto

Once regarded as the former capital of Japan, Kyoto relinquished its title to the anagrammatic Tokyo in 1868. Today, Kyoto is known for its serene and tranquil landscapes peppered extensively with shinto shrines, temples and historical culture. This geographical icon of…

Is Japan really home to any endemic Fairy Wrasses? Cirrhilabrus katoi disagrees

The reefs of Japan are known to harbour unique fauna found nowhere else on this earth. Rife with endemics, species such as Centropyge interrupta, Chaetodon daedalma, Genicanthus takeuchii, Chromis mirationis and a whole hodgepodge of other reef fish call this…

1.3 Fairy Wrasses: The lanceolatus group

The members of the lanceolatus group are some of the largest and showiest fairy wrasses, collectively celebrated for their grandiose caudal fin and chromatic brilliance. The group spans most of the Indo-Pacific, with its various species occupying a series of…

O’ don’t you love this anthias – Odontanthias unimaculatus

Odontanthias is a small genus which includes slightly over a dozen species. Members of this genus are quite unlike the slender cliché of regular anthiines, and are characterized by having rather deep body profiles and steep foreheads. Being exclusive worshippers…