Reef Stories
Dottybacks &
Hawkfish
Dottybacks & Hawkfish
Fish Index
Fish
Sharks & Rays
Anenome Fish
Anthias
Angelfish
Batfish
Barracuda & Travallies
Box-, File-& Pufferfiish
Blennies
Butterflyfish
Cardinalfish
Dartfish
Dragonets
Dottybacks
Eels
Flatfish
Frogfish
Gobies
Ghost Pipefish
Hawkfish
Jawfish
Sand-Divers
Scorpionfish
Seahorses
Snappers
Surgeonfish
Sweetlips
Triggerfish
Wrasse
Hawkfish and Dottybacks are fairly small, colourful fish with the largest species reaching som 22cm, though 10cm is more common. Species of both groups typically have small territories restricted to part of a coral block or around sponges.
If the reef structure is damaged, then the habitat for these species disappears, and the reef looses yet another facet of its richness.
Zwergbarsche, Büschelbarsche
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Dottybacks
Dottybacks can only be described as being full of character! They are shy and insatiably curious at the same time. They swim in out of holes and cracks in their revier, peeking cautiously round corners to see what is there. If a diver stays very still they will venture forward and try to stare the diver down, almost saying "go away, you're scaring my pray away"!
They are very colourful, and due to the way they breed, they tend to have restricted distribultions. Some species have many colour forms with restricted distributions, while others like Pseudochromis fuscus are even varioable in a single location. New species are found fairly often, and a number, like the Lubbockichthys in the first gallery image are awaiting description.
Hawkfish
Hawkfish sit in a vantage position on a coral or sponge. Their eyes continuously move back and forth, and up and down looking for prey and danger.
The Longnose Hawkfish is a favourite of divers, It typically sits on sea fans or black coral on a branch giving it a good view, dashing out to snap up prey, and then returning to it's roost. If you see one of these in a sea fan, you can be certain that there are no pygmy sea-horses as they've all been eaten.
Help Save Reefs!
The organisations that work to protect coral reefs and our oceans need as much support as they can get. Check out:
If you are a diver, and especially if you are an underwater photographer, donate. If you do nothing, there will be nothing to dive on and nothing to photograph.
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Dottybacks
Dottybacks
Dottybacks can only be described as being full of character! They are shy and insatiably curious at the same time. They swim in out of holes and cracks in their revier, peeking cautiously round corners to see what is there. If a diver stays very still they will venture forward and try to stare the diver down, almost saying "go away, you're scaring my pray away"!
They are very colourful, and due to the way they breed, they tend to have restricted distribultions. Some species have many colour forms with restricted distributions, while others like Pseudochromis fuscus are even varioable in a single location. New species are found fairly often, and a number, like the Lubbockichthys in the first gallery image are awaiting description.
Hawkfish
Hawkfish
Hawkfish sit in a vantage position on a coral or sponge. Their eyes continuously move back and forth, and up and down looking for prey and danger.
The Longnose Hawkfish is a favourite of divers, It typically sits on sea fans or black coral on a branch giving it a good view, dashing out to snap up prey, and then returning to it's roost. If you see one of these in a sea fan, you can be certain that there are no pygmy sea-horses as they've all been eaten.
