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…

“Leucoxanthic” Pseudochromis is a funky aberrant we’ve never seen before

Aberrant fish show up occasionally from time to time and it’s always a game of roulette as to what form they will take. Pseudochromis are not exclusively spared from such afflictions, although it’s not everyday we come across a unique…

Bali Aquarich’s angelfish accolades part 3: Trimaculatus trifecta

It has been a wonderful week for us here in Bali again, and our two-monthly visit to Bali Aquarich never fails to deliver amazing stories. Having seen their first ever captive raised Pomacanthus hybrid and the development of those darling Holacanthus…

Centropyge abei and Chaetodon smithi: Black and yellow superstars of Waikiki

If you ever visit Hawaii and don’t stop by the Waikiki aquarium, consider yourself a felon and a convicted criminal for breaking the fish geek code. In a small public aquarium within the Waikiki neighbourhood of Honolulu lives two mega superstars of…

Opulent Osaka Part 4: A BlueHarbor tribute, and the man behind the brand

We’ve come to our last and final installation of our four part Osaka travelogue. If you’ve been following parts 1, 2 and 3, we hope you’ve enjoyed it, and thank you for exploring some of Osaka’s most opulent reef keepers…

Opulent Osaka part 3: Dr. Shimokobe’s deluge of deepwater treasures

We’ve arrived at our third installation of our Osaka recount and if you’re still following, then thank you, and we hope you’ve enjoyed parts 1 and 2. We visited one of our favourite aquarist in Osaka, and we’ve featured his…

Opulent Osaka Part 1: Makoto Matsuoka’s decade old Prognathodes collection

We just got back from a three day trip to Osaka and if you’re a fish lover, you’re going to want to keep your eyes peeled and attention focused on this page for the next week at least. Japan as…

Tiny conspicuous angelfish is so small it’s practically post-larval

There’s something so fascinating about seeing pictures of baby marine angelfish, regardless of how dull or bright these tiny fish are, it’s awesome to see the transformation from juvenile to adult. We’re all aware of how dramatically species within the Pomacanthus and Holacanthus can change…