South East Asian Seas - List of fishes

This dartfish is easily recognizable by its two-tone blue and black body. Like its counterparts, adults live in pairs in burrows they dig in the substrate.

The dark-banded fusilier is recognizable by its vibrant colors, with a pale pink to red underside and a green-blue upper part. This diurnal fish forms large schools in the coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Its primary diet consists mainly of plankton.

The large pectoral fins of this fish serve as a fish net to capture prey. Its color (alternating dark and light bands) indicate to predators that it is poisonous: there are poison glands in the skin covering its spines. It can cause serious or fatal accidents.

The whale shark, the largest living shark in the world, frequents tropical and subtropical waters, excluding the Mediterranean Sea. Despite its massive size, it is harmless to humans. Its population has declined due to fishing, and its conservation remains a challenge. These sharks move slowly and feed on plankton, small fish, crustaceans, and squid. They undertake seasonal migrations, and some populations are relatively isolated. Concerns have been raised about the impacts of tourism on their behavior.

The two-lined monocle bream is widespread in the coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific region. Adults often live in pairs and primarily hunt at night. Juveniles mimic the striped poison-fang blenny and adopt similar behavior to evade predators.

The eye of this fish is masked by a black band that disrupts the visual perception of it body by predators. It has venomous spines on the dorsal and pectoral fins. It is easy to maintain in captivity but they need hiding places for shelter.

By day, these fish form a small group and remain free from branched corals. At night, the group dislocates and specimens go down near the bottom for food. During the incubation period, the eggs are kept in the mouth of the male. The latter fasts until they hatch.

The scalloped hammerhead shark, a semi-oceanic hammerhead, is found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide. This species is easily recognizable by its curved flat head and black tips on the pectoral fins. These sharks feed on fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans, taking advantage of their flat head to make tight turns while hunting. Although potentially dangerous and aggressive towards intruders, attacks on humans are rare. Conversely, despite its wide distribution, this species is threatened with extinction.