Season reopening: First cruise, wonderful memories!

22/10/2021

North Andaman : 15th to 19th of October 2021

That's it! Surin and Similan have reopened on October 15th and that's the date we set sail for our first cruise of the season around the Surin Islands and the Similan Islands National Parks

Flat seas, great visibility, reefs covered with glassfish. What a treat!
We had the pleasure of welcoming 12 friendly divers, some courageous pioneering tourists coming all the way from France and England for their holidays, others expatriates based in Thailand. Most of them already shared the joys of a cruise with us in the past and it was a pleasure to welcome them back onboard.
What did I like most on this trip? It was particularly nice to be the first to dive Richelieu Rock this season (and all alone on the dive site !!!!

We saw beautiful schools of fish around the pinnacles: fusilier, trevali and barracuda where dancing in the blue. In surin, we found a nice colony of Pikachu nudibranchs (we foresee a very good season for nudibranchs, macro amateurs, grab your camera!)
Colorful parrot fish, curious sea krait, ghost pipefish, scorpion fish, cuttlefish, moray eels ... Nature looked like it enjoyed the break from divers and offered us a beautiful premier show.

Other notable on this cruise: 2 clusters of clown fish eggs well guarded by their loving daddy, the female, once she has laid eggs, spends a most of her time feeding to recover and only has the secondary role.
We also saw on a night dive a ribbon worm next to a razorfish it just killed! While it is not the sexiest critter on the reef, it was the first time for all dive guides onboard (all with 10-20 years experience in the area), so it is rare enough to report it!

Did you know: while this one was not particularly long, ribbon worms can grow longer than a blue whale making them the longest marine species in the ocean! Despite their dull appearance, ribbon worms are fearsome predators stabbing their prey with immobilizing toxins and digestive juices before swallowing their whole!

We also launched our Blackwater diving line and tried the ultra powerful torches we bought for it! Among our best photos of this very special night dive: a baby golden triggerfish and a christmassy little squid.
The Smiling Seahorse is now offering Blackwater Dives on every cruise, so don't hesitate to contact us if you want to try it out!

Some photos from this season’s refurbishment, crew and boat are ready for new adventures in the Andaman Sea!

We also had this great news last night: Thailand is reopening its borders without quarantine for 46 countries on November 1st, including France, the rest of Europe and the United States :) more details here.
Quiet dive sites, tropical seas and no quarantine? What are you waiting for to book?

Did this story make you want to go with us?

Check our schedules here

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Common bannerfish vs schooling bannerfish vs moorish idol

29/9/2021

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Banner fish and Moorish idol are common but oh so pretty tropical fish living in the Andaman Sea and other warm oceans. But did you know there are two kind of bannerfish and how to tell one from the other?

Common bannerfish vs schooling bannerfish vs moorish idol

Fish identification : Longfin bannerfish VS schooling bannerfish VS Morrish Idol…

1. The Moorish Idol, Zanclus cornutus

The Moorish idol (aka Zanclus cornutus) is the easiest to tell appart; with its classic shape and long pointed nose was featured in the Pixar movie Finding Nemo. With its exotic appearance and mystical name, it inspires a feeling of warm and relaxed tropical reefs.

They were originally classified as a type of butterflyfish. Fossils of similar extinct species have been found and the species now has her own family, the Moorish idols are the only surviving member of the Zanclidae family…

The Chaetodontidae are very colourful fishes that are popular with divers and aquarists. The family consists of ten genera with about 120 species. They mostly inhabit coral reefs but some have become adapted to temperate and deep waters.

The Moorish Idol, Zanclus cornutus

Distinctive features: The body of Moorish idols is circular in shape and very narrow in width. The dorsal spines are elongated backwards in a filament that lengthens as the fish ages and lags behind while swimming. It has a protruding tube like a nose that puckers up at the end.
The mouth has a yellow saddle above and bristle-shaped teeth. The main colour of the body is white with alternating bands of black and pale-yellow bars. The eyes are set high away from the mouth and in adults there are bumps above the eye.

Where do moorish idols live?

Often seen alone, Moorish idols also form pairs or occasionally small schools, especially juveniles. They are diurnal fish, sticking to the bottom of the reef at night, adopting a drab coloration. Generally, Moorish idols prefer flat reefs and shallow waters.
Their habitats are East Africa, the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf and the Ducie Islands; Hawaii, southern Japan, and all of Micronesia; they are also found from the southern Gulf of California to the south Peru.

There are two types of bannerfish in the Indian Ocean

Bannerfish, are members of the butterflyfish family (Chaetodontidae). While both types can be encountered when diving Thailand or Myanmar, we see the schooling bannerfish more often then the "common" bannerfish. They are very difficult to tell one from the other but usually if they are schooling they are Heniochus diphreutes while if they are alone or no more than three individuals, they are usually Heniochus acuminatus.

2. The schooling bannerfish, Heniochus diphreute

Heniochus diphreutes, is the gregarious kind and very rarely seen alone hence why it is commonly called Schooling bannerfish. Some divers also name him false moorish idol.

The schooling bannerfish, Heniochus diphreutes

Distinctive features: The first 3 rays of the dorsal fin are very small and black color. They are followed by a very long 4th ray (the same length as the body), white, which forms a "whip".
The body is white with 2 large vertical black bands. The first begins in front of the dorsal fin, crosses the insertion zone of the pectorals and continues until the end of the pelvic and on the anterior margin of the anal. This black area overflows on the base of the whip. The second black band goes from the base of the dorsal, just behind the whip, and goes down to the anal fin, which it covers only in its posterior part, reaching its tip.
A black area connects the 2 eyes through the forehead. A black spot is also present on the muzzle, which is pointed and ended in a small mouth.
The base of the pectoral fins is black then the rays are yellow. The dorsal behind the whip and the caudal are yellow. The pelvic muscles are pointed.

schooling bannerfish

Heniochus Diphreutes

Where do schooling bannerfish live?

The schooling bannerfish is widespread throughout the tropical, subtropical and temperate waters of the Indo-Pacific from the eastern coast of Africa, Red Sea, Polynesia and Hawaii and from south Japan to Kermadec Islands (New Zealand).
The schooling bannerfish prefers external reef slopes and channels. It has a large depth range and is usually observed at 5–30 m depth, but may reach 210 meters deep in some places.

3. Heniochus acuminatus, aka long fin bannerfish

The Heniochus acuminatus, commonly known as the longfin bannerfish, reef bannerfish, pennant coralfish, or coachman, usually live alone, in pairs or in small group.

Long fin bannerfish and Moorish idol in the background

Longfin bannerfish (front) and Moorish idol (in the background)

Where do longfin bannerfish live?

The common bannerfish is present in tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific basin, from the eastern coasts of Africa, the Red Sea included, to Polynesia and from southern Japan to the south of the Great Barrier Reef.
The longfin bannerfish appreciates the relatively deep waters of lagoons, channels and sheltered outer reef slopes 15 to 75 meters deep.

Distinctive features: The first rays of its dorsal fin stretch into a long white filament.
The body is white with two black vertical stripes. The head is white, the eyes are black and connected to each other by a black band. The muzzle, spotted with black, stretches forward with a small terminal protractile mouth. When they are young, they don't have a white area on the back.

Juvenile common bannerfish have barely no white between the yellow tail and the first dark band.

Here is an infographic to allow you to better see the differences between these 3 fish

The common bannerfish fish (h. diphreutes) can easily be confused with its congener the gregarious bannerfish (h. acumulatus).
The most visible differences are: a longer muzzle for the common bannerfish, no yellow scales on its body, a rounder breast and yellow pectoral fins. On closer inspection, we will also recognize them at the tip of their anal fin. Check the common bannerfish the tip is two-colored, in the gregaire bannerfish the tip is white (the demarcation of black is a little higher)

Pennant fish (common bannerfish), schooling bannerfish, Morrish Idol... How to differentiate them?

Reed also...

The hawksbill turtle: the critically endangered sea turtle
Scorpion fish identification: stonefish vs devil vs scorpionfish
The cuttlefish : fish, alien or something else?

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The hawksbill turtle: the critically endangered sea turtle

22/9/2021

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The hawksbill turtles, presentation of an endangered species...

While critically endangered, The Hawksbill Turtles are the most frequently encountered turtles on our cruises, today let's learn about hawk-billed turtle or Eretmochelys imbricata...

All Sea Turtles, are cold-blooded creatures, belonging to the reptile family, just like snakes, crocodiles or dinosaurs!

1. Where can you see Hawkbill turtles?
2. How to tell Hawkbill turtles from the others?
3. What do Hawksbill turtles eat?
4. Hawksbill turtle reproduction
5. Is the hawksbill turtle threatened?

Where can you see Hawkbill turtles?

Hawk-billed turtle, the only representative of the genus Eretmochelys, lives in the subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It is therefore quite possible to cross it in the Andaman Sea, in the midst of coral reefs. In Thailand, they can be seen both in the North Andaman (Surin and Similan islands) and South Andaman.

Hawksbill turtles are amongst the smallest of the seven species of sea turtles. They measures between 76 and 89 cm and weighs an average of 40 to 69 kg.
As a migratory species, they have a wide range of habitats, from the open ocean to lagoons and even mangroves in estuaries. In the early stages of their lives, like other young sea turtles, they live a pelagic life, staying at sea until they mature enough to settle down.

Adult hawksbill turtles are mainly found in tropical coral reefs.

How to tell Hawkbill turtles from the others?

Hawksbill turtles and green turtles, are both commonly seen in the Andaman Sea and hard to tell them apart at first sight. Here are a few tips to differentiate them:

Hawkbill turtle VS green turtle: Sea turtle identification infographic

How to identify the Hawksbill turtle

Sea Turtle's face identification: Hawksbill VS Green turtle

Hawksbill turtles have a beak, while green turtles have a round face.

The hawksbill turtle has a hooked beak

The green turtle's beak is rounded

sea turtle identification, hawksbill head

Hawksbill turtle have 2 pairs of prefrontal scales

On top of their head, Hawkbills turtles have four little square in between their eye while green turtle have two. These squares are called prefrontale scales.

sea turtle identification, green turtle head

Green turtles have one pair of frontal scales

identify hawsbill turtle from the top of the head

Hawksbill turtles's nostrils are turned up

Green turtles's nostrils are a lot more forward

The turtle's nose is also a good differentiation factor: those of Hawksbills looks upward, on top of their beak while green turtle's nose is forward, on the front of their face. When looking at a tutle from the front you would see the green's nostrils a lot more.

Sea Turtle's Shell identification: Hawksbill VS Green turtle

The carapace of the sea turtles are also a good way to tell them appart. The shape of the green turtle is rounder with squales next to each other and a soft edge, while the hawksbill turtle is more hear-shaped with squales overlapping each other and the edge is serrated, like a saw.

Green turtle's shell has a soft edge and squales do not overlap

baby hawksbill on the left VS baby green turtle on the right

Hawksbill turtle shell has a serrated edge and squales overlap

Beautiful Hawkbill turtle by Franck Fogarolo

The carapace colour doesn't help identification but this carapace is serrated, means it is a Hawksbill

Sea Turtle's Flippers identification: Hawksbill VS Green turtle

It is not often easy to spot but Hawksbill turtles forelimbs have two claws on each fin, while green turtles only display one.

The second claw is fairly small though and hard to notice.

Hawksbill turtles front flippers identification

Hawksbill turtles have two claws on their front flippers

Hawksbill turtle VS Green turtle identification: belly shot

Green turtle Belly

Hawksbill turtle belly

If you have a photo of a turtle from bellow and you are trying to find out if it is a green or a Hawkbill turtle, the shape will be your best friend.
The Hawksbill turtle has a longer neck, and serrated carapace (looks closely in between the two back flipper) you may also see its beak!

What do Hawksbill turtles eat?

The hawksbill turtle is one of the few animals known to feed on sponges and is the only known spongivorous reptile. This diet make them very important to avoid sponges overtaking the reef.

Turtles do not have teeth, but a powerful jaw and a hooked beak allowing it to “tear” its prey.

Hawksbill turtle eating sponge on the reef

Hawksbill turtles are omnivorous, beside sponges, they can also feed on anemones and jellyfish, mollusks or sea urchins. Most of these are toxic but do not make them ill, it is however believed that their meat is poisonous to humans.

Small reminder: Turtles do not have teeth, but a powerful jaw and a hooked beak allowing it to “tear” its prey.

Hawksbill turtle reproduction

Like most sea turtles, Hawksbill live a solitary life meeting only for reproduction. This turtle mates and returns to the beach where it was born, every two or three years, to lay eggs...

The hawksbill turtle digs a hole in the sand at night where it lays more than a hundred eggs.
After about two months, these eggs will hatch. The little ones will then have to try to get back to the ocean quickly, at they risk of being eaten by birds or crabs!
Did you know? The temperature of the nest during the 60 days incubation will determine the sex of the litter! Cooler sand leads to more males hatching and vice versa.

Is the hawksbill turtle threatened?

Yes ! The hawk-billed turtle is now critically endangered. They are believed to be the most endangered of the seven species of sea turtle, with only approximately 8,000 nesting females left globally. Its beautiful carapace has been used by jewellers and for home decoration for thousands of years. Ghost fishing, by catch and sea trash are also a major treat to these gorgeous animals.

It is estimated that millions of hawksbill turtles died in the 20th century due to carapace trade. Additionally, hawk-billed turtle eggs are still eaten across the globe, and turtles themselves are killed for their flesh.

Plastic bag floating in the sea...

Not only do we destroy the reefs they feed on, but they cannot find a quiet beach to lay their eggs anymore and many sea turtles dye eating plastic.

It is estimated that one in two turtles has already eaten plastic, a plastic bag that floats in water can be easily identified as a jellyfish by the turtle but is a lot harder to digest...

You want to know more about Sea turtles?
Read this too

Green turtles have green flesh and other interesting facts about this wonderful sea turtle

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The corals of the Andaman Sea

8/9/2021

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Colourful fishes have always been a favorite to tropical sea divers but have you taken a closer look at the gorgeous coral species that inhabit the Andaman Sea?
Do you know what corals are? How coral grows to form the coral reefs (Planet earth largest living structures) and why they are so important for our planet?
Contrary to common beliefs, corals are animals, not plants and surely neither rocks!
What you see above is actually a group of animal living under the same roof... developing over time like any living thing.

How do coral reefs form?

Coral reefs release eggs and spermatozoa (gametes).
After fertilisation (meeting of a male and female gamete), a ciliated larva called planula is formed.
The larva will attach itself to a place favourable to its development and form a flat disc.
A polyp will form and then bud (each polyp secretes a hard exoskeleton, made up of calcium carbonate, as well as an internal limestone skeleton that remains in place even after the death of the animal), to give what we know today like coral.

The successive budding of the polyps makes it possible to continuously enlarge the coral colony which, over time, forms the reefs.

The reefs are therefore made up of colonies of polyp corals held together by calcium carbonates. Note that polyps alone could not live and reproduce without their symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae algae. While the algae provides the animal with the necessary nutrients, the polyp releases carbon dioxide which allows the algae to develop and also to carry out photosynthesis which will give colour to corals in particular.

Here are the stages of the coral reef’s life cycle

Coral reef’s life cycle - coralworldvi.com

There are hundreds of species of corals! Most live in tropical seas with optimal conditions for their development: lots of light and a temperature between 25 and 30 ° C.

But then, how to differentiate coral species?

can you spot the stone fish on this nice coral reef?

The magnificent colours of the corals that we, divers, are lucky enough to admire, their shape or even their size allow them to be distinguished in particular.

Red, brown, yellow, green, blue, purple or even fluorescent ... the colour combinations of corals are infinite! Colours can often help divers distinguish one coral from another, but their shape is a better tell tail.

There are two main types of corals: Hard coral and Soft Coral

Hard coral species of the Andaman Sea

Hard coral are made of a rigid calcium carbonate (polyps' exoskeleton made out of limestone) and appear very much like rocks. When a polyp dies, their skeleton remains and new polyps grown on top of the last ones enlarging the coral one life at a time. Hence hard coral grows very slowly.
There are several categories of hard corals encountered in the Andaman Sea, each of these with many sub-categories and species.

Branching corals

Branching corals are made up of a multitude of branches often used as nurseries to keep the baby fish out of harmway.

Elkhorn & Staghorn Coral:

Elkhorn / Stahorn Corals resemble branched elk horns (Elkhorn corals) or deer (staghorn corals) which tend to protrude vertically with a large number of side branches.

Elkhorn / Stahorn Corals

Encrusting corals

Encrusting coral

Encrusting corals form a crust on a substrate by spreading over their surface and thus create a thin coloured layer.
This is the perfect place for christmas tree worms and encrusting shells to settle.

Foliose corals:

Growing outward and only attached to the reef from their center "trunk", Foliose corals are often compared to heads of lettuce.

Massive corals

With a very slow growth (from 0.5 to 4.5 cm / year), these round-shaped corals bummies constitute "the pillars" of most reefs, in the Andaman Sea and beyond! They can reach massive sizes like the multi million years bummies depicted bellow from the Burma Banks.

Massive corals

platygyr brain coral mussidae

Mushroom Corals

Mushroom corals are fairly solitary corals. They can be found on the sand and do not attach to other corals. Made up of a single polyp, mushroom coral can reach 25 cm in diameter.

Mushroom corals

Table corals

Table corals:

Table corals are easily recognisable thanks to their horizontal structure which gives them great stability and perfect hiding places for other animals of the Andaman Sea and a particularily appreciated nursery for butterfly fishes.

Bubble corals

Often mistaken for eggs, pollyps ressembles bubbles during the days which deflates at night to let the polyps feed. Despite their soft appearance, bubble corals have a "stony" structure and are hence classified as hard corals.

Bubble Coral, or Plerogyra sinuosa

Orange Cup coral

Another nocturnal coral with fleshy appearance, the orange cup coral is indeed a hard coral. It is classified as ahermatypic, because it doesn't contribute to building the reef.
In fact it is a pretty invasive specie which spread quickly favouring on rocky walls and chasing away sponges and hydroids.
The polyps retract during the day and "blooms" at night covering the wall with beautiful yellow
"flowers".
Next time you see them, make sure to look closely for the pretty yellow snails that feed from them.

Sun corals or orange cup coral

Cup corals are one of the most colourful hard coral specie on the Andaman Sea.

Soft Corals species in the Andaman Sea

Soft corals are easiest identified from hard coral because they do not have a hard skeleton. They also have 8 arms per polyp.

Carnation corals

Carnation corals are soft corals that love curants, their amazing vibrant colours make them some of the favorites for underwater photographers.

Richelieu Rock is famous for the purple coloured carnation coral that covers the best dive site in Thailand.

red whip coral in the front, bushy Carnation soft Coral behind and giant seafan in orange

Seafans

The Andaman Sea was gifted with several types of seafans, tall web-like fan structures in various colours. The most impressive is probably the Giant seafans (Anella mollis) which can reach 2 meters in diameter!

Giant seafan in the Andaman Sea

Why are corals important?

Not only are coral stunningly beautiful and giving the Andaman Sea its colours but they are so much more important than for background imagery!
1- coral feed small critters and fish that feed the bigger ones, no coral= no more fish!
2- 500 million people make a living from coral reefs: from fisheries to tourism
3- coral reefs can reduce waves by 95% and could save the coastline from the damaging effects of tsunamis and storms
4- Coral reefs are also the lung of our planet! Generating half of our planet's oxygen and absorbing about a third of the carbon dioxide generated from fossil fuels usage.

Coral reefs are in danger! Help us make them last longer!

Coral reefs have already been reduced by more than 50% and our generation might be the last one to witness one of our planet's greatest treasure before it disappear.

OUR ACTIONS now will determine if our children will see it too.

The Smiling Seahorse is commited to ocean preservation, when you go diving, make sure to chose and eco friendly operator to reduce your ecological footprint.

due to accelerating global warming, more and more corals no longer regenerate and see the entire reef die small little by little!

coral bleaching due to ocean warming is one of the many treats to coral reefs

The Smiling Seahorse's promises

to abides by Green fins principles
to encourage environmentally responsible diving practices
to reduce/ reuse/ recycle as much as we can, especially plastics
to offer reef friendly amenities: such as our refillable organic, reef-safe Soap, Shampoo and hair conditioner.
to ask all our employees to help in ocean conservation efforts
To support marine science research and clean up projects

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The wonderful garden eels: FAQ

27/8/2021

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Do you know garden eels? They are strange tropical fishes with serpentiform bodies and puffy faces with big eyes making them, overall … super cute.
They live in large colonies oscillating like whip coral in the currents and disappear like a mirage when you approach.
We will try in this blogpost to answer the question we most often get about these fish, in the form of a garden eel FAQ...

1. Who are the garden eels?
2. Why are they called “garden eels”?
3. Where do garden eels live?
4. How do they move?
5. What do garden eels feed on?
6. How do garden eel reproduce?
7. Are garden eels dangerous?
8. How do you take photo of garden eels?

Who are the garden eels?

Garden eels, together with congers make up the congridae family. The wonderful garden eel is a medium-sized fish, up to a maximum length of 40 cm. Its body has a circular shape with a diameter of about 10 mm. They dig a burrow with their tail, which they coat with mucus to avoid collapse.

Why are they called “garden eels”?

These small eels live in burrows on the sea floor and get their name from their practice of putting their heads off their burrows while most of their bodies remain hidden. As they tend to live in groups of up to a few hundred individuals, the many eel heads "growing" from the bottom of the sea resembles a plant garden.

Where do garden eels live?

Most eels live in the warm parts of the tropical oceans including the Andaman Sea. They can be observed from afar pocking out of "eel pits" in colonies on the sandy plains and slopes that border the coral reefs. They prefer areas swept by currents which bring them more nutrients. They burrow themselves in the sand, mud (or more rarely among the rocks). Unlike most eel species who are nocturnal, garden eels feed during the day and will retreat in their burrow at night.

How do garden eels move?

Although garden eels can swim freely, they prefer to bury themselves in the sand... once they are big enough to dig a hole and settle down they never leave home. The exception is during the mating season when they might come out to dig a new burrow closer to their partner...

What do garden eels feed on?

Feeding on zooplankton, garden eels catch their food drifting in the ocean current, they don't need to go far but just like plants growing higher to get more sunlight, they need to protrude from the floor to get more preys. And they do this all day! All garden eels in the colony facing the current ready for the next meal.

How do garden eel reproduce?

During mating, garden eels intertwine their upper halves, their tails remaining in their individual burrows.

Garden eels usually only leave their original burrows to get closer to their partners during the spawning season. If two males end up too close to each other, they can fight for the territory and neighboring females. During mating, garden eels intertwine their upper halves, their tails remaining in their individual burrows. Two eels can stay this way for hours during a single mating. Garden eels are pelagic spawners; they release fertilized eggs into the open water, which then float close to the surface with the current. When eggs hatch, juveniles swim freely (and get be seen on black water dives) until they grow large enough to create their own burrows.

(photo left from Pete Atkinson)

Are garden eels dangerous?

No, Garden eels are not dangerous. Their mouth is too small to bite you, they only eat zooplankton, remember? They have no venom, no spines, and very small tooth.
In fact, these little creatures are very shy and disappear underground when divers approach.

How do you take photo of garden eels?

Because they are so shy, it is very tricky to take photos of Garden eels. Some photographers had successful shots by holding their breath long enough… other use a remote control to get the close-up shots.
The photo below is from Pete Atkinson. When asked how he did it he answered: Habituation, patience and breath-holding: I lay on the sand and inched my way closer over about 30 mins. I would hold my breath whenever they appeared so I didn't scare them. Eventually they were so familiar with me being there they came out far enough for a few pictures. I was using a 105mm micro lens on a Nikon F4, with flash. When I breathed out they disappeared into their holes. You might be able to do this more easily with a rebreather…

Field of garden eels swaying with currents

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Enter the circus of the amazing clownfish family !

6/8/2021

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The Clown fish is an Anemone fish, a specialized type of damselfish.
The first magic trick that the clownfish is able to perform is its venom immunity: they have a special symbiosis relationship with their host anemone. Together, they realize, for your greatest pleasure, what is called a “symbiosis relationship”. Since the eggs are laid directly under its skirt, anemone fishes are immune to anemone's stingy tentacles from day 1. It is a mutually beneficial relationship in which the anemone can feed from the fish dejection while the fish gets shelter from lurking predators.

But the highlight of the show is probably its "transgender ability". All clownfish are born male with one female surrounded by a harem of smaller males. When the female leaves the group or dies, the larger male fish will become a female. Spoiler for the next episode: Nemo will never be able to have a little sister.

True Clownfish (Amphiprion percula) and False Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

False clown fish are actually the most common and well known clownfish and believe it or not but Nemo, the pixar animation's star, is not the real deal, he is a false Clownfish!
It is actually very difficult to differentiate the true from the False Clownfish, both are bright orange with white bands separated by black lines (which are slightly thinner in the false clownfish).
Both species can be found in the Andaman Sea of Thailand.

True clowfish

False Clown fish = Nemo

Saddle anemonefish, aka Tomato Clownfish - Amphiprion ephippium

Tomato clown fishes have an orange-red color and A. frenatus have a white vertical stripe behind the eye when they are young. The band disappears when they age and only black specks remain when they turn to females. There are several types of Tomato clownfish. Amphiprion ephippium, commonly known as Saddle anemonefish, is a medium-sized (5-10cm) anemonefish from the Tomato complex more common whendiving Myanmar.

Female tomato clownfish

Clark's Clownfish - Amphiprion clarkii

Clarks anemonefish are very distinct in look to the other anemonefish. They are a lot darker in colour with two white lines contrasted by an orange face, tail and fins.
I love clarks because they usually hover quite high over their anemone which make them easy to spot and also because they often live with anemone crabs.

Skunk Clownfish - Amphiprion akallopisos

Also quite easy to identify, the Skunk Clownfish is one of the smallest anemonefish (11cm) with a white band all along its back.

Where can you see Clownfishes and anemonefishes

Habitat :Clownfish are found in the Pacific and the Andaman Sea. Different clownfish favour different anemone types. Tomato clownfish like the pretty orange bubble tip anemone while it is more common to find the clark anemonefish in the shorter carpet like anemone.

What do clownfish eat?

Clownfish are omnivorous. They feed mainly on filamentous algae, planktonic copepods and benthic crustaceans.

Reproduction
When a female is ready to mate, the male will perform a courtship and the female will deposit 400 to 1,000 eggs on the rock next or under their anemone host. The male will immediately pass over the patch to fertilize the eggs and the couple will then protect them until they hatch, in about 6 to 11 days. Babies clownfish will then drift with the current until they are big enough to swim and find an anemone to settle in.

clark's anemonefish mama tending to her offsprings

Clownfish babies still in their eggs

Did you like this article ? Share It !
And fee free to read some more fun facts about the Andaman Sea inhabitants on our blog !

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The cuttlefish : fish, alien or something else?

26/7/2021

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The cuttlefish : fish, alien or something else?

What kind of fish is the Cuttlefish

The cuttlefish is actually not a fish at all! Together with the Octopus, Squids or Nautilus, they are invertebrate animals belonging to the Cephalopod family. Not to be confused with the Squid, which lives in the open water, the cuttlefish is a resident on a coral reef.

With millions of pixels like cells, Cuttlefish are the chameleons of the sea :

Their skin is breathtakingly complex, providing them with very useful benefits in nature. Indeed, they can change the appearance of their skin like : color, contrast, and even texture in less than a second both to hunt or not be hunted!

Thanks to the chromatophores (pigment cells reflecting light) present in its skin, the cuttlefish can either hide or display bright colours to attract its prey at arms reach. Cuttlefish protect themselves from enemies by hiding in plain sight pretending to be a rock or blending in perfectly with a patch of sand.

Are cuttlefish dangerous ?

Cuttlefish are totally harmless to Humans and usually quite inquisitive and friendly. Not common in Thailand, the Flamboyant cuttlefish (Metasepia Pfefferi), is the only poisonous cuttlefish. But they do not sting or bite so you would have to eat it to endanger yourself...
When they hunt or seek to attract a breeding partner, they live up to their name and their skin takes on the colours of a flame testifying of their toxicity.

The most common cuttlefish we encounter when diving in the Andaman sea are Pharaoh cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonis) an inquisitive dive buddy!

2 males Pharaoh cuttlefish fighting for a female

Cheeky Cuttlefish playing lady-boy !

Surprisingly there are a lot more males than female cuttlefish (up to 11 males per female!). Which means mating is a highly competitive game for the males and the strongest individuals are ready to fight for it.

Smaller males have developed smarter techniques to get a chance…. When the male cuttlefish is wooing a lady, he often "cheats" by painting typical female patterns on one side of his body, seen by a rival male and sexy male colours on the side facing the female.

That trick cuts the aggressive behaviour of its larger rival (who only sees two females in front of him) and increases the chance for the cheeky cuttlefish to mate.

Just like Octopus can open jars, cuttlefish have proved their intelligence with this delayed gratification, if given the choice between a dead shrimp now or a live shrimp (their preference) in a minute, they will wait a minute for their favorite choice! We could say that they have more self control than most kids !

A cuttlefish in the pink soft coral reef

3 more cool cuttlefish fun facts for the road :

1- Cuttlefish are fully developed before they have hatched and can even react and change color in reaction to something they see beyond their eggshell !

2- Cuttlefish have copper based blood making it green instead of the iron based red blood making up most other earth inhabitants

3- The color Sepia, comes from cuttlefish ! The sepia colored ink they send when they are scared was used as a writing ink before

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And fee free to read some more fun facts about the Andaman Sea inhabitants on our blog !

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North Andaman : 15th to 19th of October 2021

That's it! Surin and Similan have reopened on October 15th and that's the date we set sail for our first cruise of the season around the Surin Islands and the Similan Islands National Parks

Did this story make you want to go with us?

Fish identification : Longfin bannerfish VS schooling bannerfish VS Morrish Idol…​

​1. The Moorish Idol, Zanclus cornutus

There are two types of bannerfish in the Indian Ocean

2. The schooling bannerfish, Heniochus diphreute

​3. Heniochus acuminatus, aka long fin bannerfish

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Sea Turtle's Shell identification:​ ​Hawksbill VS Green turtle

Sea Turtle's Flippers identification:​ ​Hawksbill VS Green turtle

Hawksbill turtle VS Green turtle identification: belly shot

You want to know more about Sea turtles? Read this too ​Green turtles have green flesh and other interesting facts about this wonderful sea turtle

How do coral reefs form?

But then, how to differentiate coral species?

Hard coral species of the Andaman Sea

Branching corals

Elkhorn & Staghorn Coral:

Encrusting coral

Foliose corals:

Massive corals

Mushroom Corals

Table corals:

Bubble corals

Orange Cup coral

Soft Corals species in the Andaman Sea

Carnation corals

Seafans

Why are corals important?

Coral reefs are in danger! Help us make them last longer!

True Clownfish (Amphiprion percula) and False Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

Saddle anemonefish, aka Tomato Clownfish - Amphiprion ephippium

Clark's Clownfish - Amphiprion clarkii

Skunk Clownfish - Amphiprion akallopisos

Where can you see Clownfishes and anemonefishes

What do clownfish eat?

What kind of fish is the Cuttlefish

With millions of pixels like cells, Cuttlefish are the chameleons of the sea :

3 more cool cuttlefish fun facts for the road :

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Fish identification : Longfin bannerfish VS schooling bannerfish VS Morrish Idol…

1. The Moorish Idol, Zanclus cornutus

3. Heniochus acuminatus, aka long fin bannerfish

Sea Turtle's face identification: Hawksbill VS Green turtle

Sea Turtle's Shell identification: Hawksbill VS Green turtle

Sea Turtle's Flippers identification: Hawksbill VS Green turtle

You want to know more about Sea turtles?
Read this too

Green turtles have green flesh and other interesting facts about this wonderful sea turtle