mer d'Oman - List of fishes

The blue-green Chromis is a fish that lives in large schools above dense coral areas. At the slightest alarm, this swift fish takes refuge in the colonies of branching corals. The Blue-green Chromis is common throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

The goldtail damselfish is a tropical fish native to the Indian Ocean and the southern tropical zone of the Pacific Ocean. Like many of its kind, this species lives in small aggregations among the branches of "stag horn" corals.

The Coral Hawkfish most often rests in or under the corals to ambush its prey, mainly crustaceans and small fish. In this species, territorial males form a harem of females. Reproduction occurs in the water column, with eggs and larvae developing in ocean currents and becoming part of the zooplankton.

Ctenochaetus striatus, elegantly named the "striated surgeonfish", is found in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the lagoons of La Réunion and Mauritius. In Tahiti, during the full moon, this fish displays a natural spectacle: large schools form, and after a brief moment of stillness, each individual breaks away to release eggs or sperm.

The common name of this species refers to the patterns observed in young individuals. Adults typically live among the arms of branching corals, while juveniles more often reside among the tentacles of anemones. These fish are omnivores with a carnivorous tendency.

The long-spine porcupinefish is a pufferfish found in the majority of tropical and subtropical marine areas around the globe. Juveniles can be found in small groups. As they age, this species becomes more solitary. Specialized in hunting mollusks and small crustaceans, this fish exhibits a seemingly clumsy swimming behavior.

The dorsal fin of the fish, turned into suction cup allows it to cling to other animals. It sticks mostly to the body of the animal, but also in the mouth or near the gills of some "hosts" (mantas, sharks ...). it often eats its host food leftovers.

The Malabar grouper is a fish native to the Indo-Pacific region. Adults can reach considerable sizes, with recorded catches of individuals over 150 cm and 50 kg. Sought after for the quality of its flesh, this species is captured through various methods such as line fishing, trawling, longlining, traps, and even harpooning. In Hong Kong, it is sold as an ornamental fish. The species has nearly disappeared from several historical regions and is currently heavily overexploited in the waters of the Andaman Islands.

This butterflyfish is easily recognized by its elongated snout, which is useful for capturing aquatic microorganisms among corals. It also uses it to peck at the feet of echinoderms, the pedicellariae of sea urchins, and the tentacles of marine worms.

The tiger shark is the third largest shark in the world. It is recognizable by its distinctive stripes along its sides, and by its short, flat snout. Tiger sharks are opportunistic hunters, known for their "bite-and-see" exploratory behavior to assess the nutritional value of their prey. These sharks generally prefer shallow waters, but can sometimes be found at greater depths.

Gymnothorax favagineus, commonly known as the tessellate moray, is a marine fish from the moray eel family. It gets its common name from the pattern it displays, reminiscent of the fur of the feline of the same name. Reaching over three meters, it is one of the largest species of moray eels in the Indo-Pacific region, second only to the giant moray eel Gymnothorax javanicus.

The checkerboard wrasse inhabits the slopes and sandy expanses of lagoons and coral reefs. Its diet primarily consists of prey with tough shells. It can be observed at depths of up to around 30 meters

This eel-like fish digs a tunnel in the sand leaving only the front of it body out. The garden eels live in a colony of several hundred individuals, where ocean currents carry the plankton on which they feed. At the slightest sign of danger, garden eels entirely hide in its shelter.