Marine Fishes of Andamanand where to meet them

How to spot it

• Bright orange body with three white bars.
• Each white bar has a thin black edge.
• The middle bar bulges forward towards the head.
• Fins have black edges.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Always inside a large sea anemone, in calm, shallow lagoons and on coral reefs. In the Andamans it usually lives in the Magnificent Sea Anemone, sometimes in the Giant Carpet Anemone. The survey found it at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), North Bay, Wandoor, Chidiyatapu and many other sites, and it lives on Neil (Shaheed Dweep) too.

Food and habits

One anemone holds one group. In the Andaman survey that meant a breeding pair and 1-3 young fish. All clownfish start life as males, and the biggest fish in the group is the female. The pair lays eggs on a rock next to the anemone, and the male guards and fans them.

Easy to confuse with

• Orange Clownfish (Amphiprion percula): Almost the same fish, with thicker black edges on the white bars. It lives far to the east, and its records from India are doubtful.

How to spot it

• Dark brown to black body with an orange-yellow snout, belly and fins.
• Two wide white bars on the head and body.
• A third, narrow white bar at the base of the tail.
• Yellow tail.
• Young fish in the Andamans are yellow all over with three white bars.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Lagoons and outer reef slopes. In the Andamans it usually lived in the Adhesive Sea Anemone, often at 8-10 m with the anemone buried in muddy sand. Recorded at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), Neil (Shaheed Dweep), North Bay, Chidiyatapu, North and Middle Andaman, and the Nicobars.

Food and habits

A pair shares one anemone with their young, and the female is the biggest. It eats plankton, algae and small animals. Eggs are laid on a rock beside the anemone, where the male stays to guard and fan them. One has been recorded living 11 years.

Easy to confuse with

• Sebae Anemonefish: Has only two white bars, and the second one slants backwards. Clark's has a third, narrow bar at the tail base.

How to spot it

• Deep red to maroon or brown body.
• Three narrow pale bars, which can be broken.
• A large spine below the eye, pointing back across the cheek.
• The female is much bigger than the male.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Lagoon and outer reefs, mostly in sheltered water near the coast. In the Andamans it lived among coral rubble and rocks in very shallow water, usually in the Bubble-tip Anemone. Recorded at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), North Bay and Chidiyatapu.

Food and habits

A pair lives in one anemone and feeds on plankton and algae. The male looks after the eggs, guarding and fanning them.

Easy to confuse with

• Other clownfish: Only this one has the big spine across the cheek and a deep maroon body.

How to spot it

• Young fish: jet black with a white spot on the forehead and one on each side.
• Adults: black to grey with dark-edged scales.
• In adults the forehead spot disappears and the side spots get smaller or fade.
• Deep, round body.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Coral and rocky reefs, in small to large groups. Young fish shelter in large sea anemones, among sea urchin spines or in small coral heads. Photos from the Andamans come from Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep).

Food and habits

Adults feed on algae and plankton in the water above the reef. Courting males make quick up-and-down "signal jumps", and later guard and fan the eggs.

How to spot it

• Silvery white with a blue-green back.
• Five narrow black bars. The last one is on the base of the tail.
• Often a yellow patch on the upper body, brighter when it is guarding eggs.
• Forked tail with no black stripes.

Where to see it in the Andamans

The top of outer reef slopes and rocky reefs near the shore. Divers and snorkellers have photographed it at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep).

Food and habits

Groups feed on plankton, algae and small animals. Pairs lay eggs on rocks, and the male stays to guard and fan them.

Easy to confuse with

• Scissortail Sergeant: Has a black stripe along each lobe of the tail and no yellow on the back.
• Bengal Sergeant: Has seven black bars and a rounded tail with a white edge. Usually alone or in pairs in very shallow water.

How to spot it

• Bright lemon-yellow all over, including the fins and tail.
• A small blue spot on the gill cover.
• A small black spot at the base of the side fin.
• Usually in small groups just above branching coral.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Clear lagoons and outer reefs among branching corals, often in large numbers on shallow coral patches. It has been photographed at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep).

Food and habits

It eats algae and plankton and stays in the water just above the coral. Males guard and fan the eggs.

Easy to confuse with

• Andaman Damsel: Described as a new species in 2020 and found in the Andaman Islands. Its upper body is pale lavender to bluish grey, and it has a dark eye-spot on the back fin. The Lemon Damsel is yellow all over with no eye-spot.

How to spot it

• Dusky yellow to greenish-grey body.
• Fine blue lines on the head, across the eye.
• A dark eye-spot at the base of the rear part of the back fin.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Reef flats where the waves surge, on algae, rubble and beach-rock, alone or in small groups. It has been photographed at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and at Lakshmanpur on Neil (Shaheed Dweep).

Food and habits

It feeds mainly on algae and keeps low among the rubble and rocks. The male guards the eggs and fans them.

Easy to confuse with

• Surge Demoiselle: Almost the same. Its eye-spot sits further back, on the base of the tail.

How to spot it

• Small, pale blue to apple-green body.
• No black spot at the base of the side fin.
• In large groups hovering over branching coral.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Above thickets of branching Acropora coral in sheltered places such as reef flats and lagoons. Young fish stay close to one coral head. In the Andamans there are few photo records, both from Havelock (Swaraj Dweep).

Food and habits

The group picks plankton from the water above the coral. When something comes near, they all drop into the branches for shelter.

Easy to confuse with

• Black-axil Chromis: Has a black spot at the base of the side fin. The Blue-green Chromis has none.

How to spot it

• Adult: many yellow and blue stripes along the body, and a yellow tail.
• Adult: light blue face with a dark blue mask over the eyes.
• Adult: a blackish band behind the head, edged in blue.
• Young fish: dark blue with white and pale blue rings that close into full circles towards the tail.
• Adults in the Andamans, as elsewhere in the Indian Ocean, lack the long thread on the back fin that Pacific adults have.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Adults keep to ledges and caves on coral-rich lagoon, channel and outer reefs. The young hide under ledges and in holes on shallower reefs. A survey of butterflyfish and angelfish at 75 island sites rated it common. There are photos of it from Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep).

Food and habits

It feeds on sponges, sea squirts and other animals that grow on rock. Most often you will see a pair.

Easy to confuse with

• Semicircle Angelfish: The young of both are dark blue with white lines. In the Emperor the lines close into full rings near the tail. In the Semicircle they stay as open half-circles.

How to spot it

• Adult: greenish-brown to yellowish body speckled with many small blue spots, darker towards the head and tail.
• Adult: blue edges on the fins, and long trailing tips on the back and belly fins.
• Young fish: blue-black with thin white lines that curve into half-circles towards the tail.
• The young change to adult colours at about 8-16 cm.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Coastal reefs with plenty of coral and hiding places, and also wrecks. The young stay in shallow, sheltered water. The 75-site island survey rated it uncommon. It has been photographed at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep).

Food and habits

It feeds on sponges, sea squirts and algae, alone or in pairs. Young fish are shy and hard to get close to.

Easy to confuse with

• Emperor Angelfish: Emperor young have white lines that close into full rings near the tail. Semicircle young have open half-circles.

How to spot it

• White body with many thin dark lines running up and down.
• Two bold black wedge-shaped saddles on the back.
• A black bar through the eye and a black patch at the base of the tail.
• Yellow back, belly and tail fins, with the yellow spreading onto the rear of the body.

Where to see it in the Andamans

The reef edge and upper slope, usually where there is some current. Young fish hide among corals. Divers and snorkellers have photographed it at the Lighthouse dive site and Beach No. 2 on Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), on Neil (Shaheed Dweep) and at Jolly Buoy.

Food and habits

Coral polyps, worms, small crabs and other small animals make up its food. It moves around in pairs or small groups.

Easy to confuse with

• Pacific Double-saddle Butterflyfish: Its sister species looks much the same, but it lives from the Cocos-Keeling Islands east into the Pacific. A double-saddled butterflyfish in the Andamans is this one.

How to spot it

• Pale orange to yellowish oval body with thin, slanting purplish stripes.
• Yellow tail base and a mostly yellow belly fin.
• A bluish tinge on the upper back and rear of the body.
• A black band with yellow edges through the eye.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Coral-rich lagoons and partly sheltered outer reefs. Small young fish hide among corals. The 75-site survey rated it common, and a 2018-19 fisheries survey listed it at reefs around Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), Neil (Shaheed Dweep), North Bay and Wandoor.

Food and habits

Its food is live coral polyps, Pocillopora corals most of all. A pair stays together and chases away other butterflyfish.

Easy to confuse with

• Oval Butterflyfish: Its Pacific twin, with a white (not yellow) tail base and a mostly dark belly fin. Rare in the Andamans.

How to spot it

• Dark brown to blackish body with pale-centred scales, giving a net-like look.
• A bold white bar behind the eye, a dark bar over the eye and a smaller white bar in front.
• Bright red tail base, then a black band.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Coral reefs, usually the reef edge and upper slope. A survey of 75 sites across the islands rated it common. The photo records are from Havelock (Swaraj Dweep).

Food and habits

It eats coral polyps. Adults keep to pairs or groups.

How to spot it

• Silvery-white body with slanting grey lines that meet in a criss-cross pattern.
• A broad black bar through the eye.
• The lower rear of the body and the rear fins are largely black.
• Some yellow on the tail and belly fin.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Rich coral reefs, and also rubble and rocky areas. A survey of 75 island reefs found it common. It has been photographed at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep).

Food and habits

It feeds on algae and coral polyps. Adults live in pairs and young fish alone, each keeping to its own home area.

Easy to confuse with

• Vagabond Butterflyfish: Same criss-cross lines, but only a narrow black band crosses the rear, with yellow behind it. In the Indian Vagabond the lower rear of the body and the rear fins are largely black.

How to spot it

• Whitish body with two sets of thin, slanting dark lines that meet in a criss-cross pattern.
• A black bar through the eye.
• A black band across the rear of the body, with yellow behind it, and another black bar across the tail.
• Young fish have a black spot near the rear of the back fin.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Reef flats, lagoons and outer reefs, including murky water and places where fresh water runs off the land. The 75-site island survey rated it common, and there are photos from Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep).

Food and habits

It eats algae, coral polyps, small crabs and worms. Pairs stay together and defend a feeding area against other pairs, but often swim along with other kinds of fish.

Easy to confuse with

• Indian Vagabond Butterflyfish: Same criss-cross lines, but the lower rear of the body and the rear fins are largely black.

How to spot it

• A dark brown mask over the mouth and eyes that reaches back to the front of the back fin.
• Whitish body with chocolate-brown areas, including an upside-down V on the lower side.
• Short white feathery tips on the front of the back fin, not a long pennant.
• A small horn between the eyes and a bump on the forehead.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Coral-rich lagoons and outer reefs, often on shallow reef crests with some surge, mostly above 15 m. The 75-site survey rated it common. It has been photographed at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep).

Food and habits

It eats small animals and coral, in pairs or groups. In some places, such as the Maldives, it gathers in large numbers.

Easy to confuse with

• Longfin Bannerfish: White with two clean black bands, yellow rear fins and a long white pennant. No brown mask.

How to spot it

• White body with two broad, slanting black bands.
• The front of the back fin is drawn out into a long white pennant.
• Yellow rear back fin, tail and side fins.
• A black band joining the eyes.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Deep sheltered lagoons and channels, and the deeper parts of outer reef slopes. The 75-site survey rated it uncommon. It has been photographed at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep).

Food and habits

It picks plankton from the water a few metres above the reef, and also eats coral polyps and small animals. Adults swim in pairs, young fish usually alone.

Easy to confuse with

• Moorish Idol: Has a long tube-like snout, a yellow patch on the snout and a black tail. Bannerfish have a short snout and a yellow tail.
• Schooling Bannerfish: Almost the same colours, but a shorter snout. Usually seen in big schools well above the reef.

How to spot it

• Very flat, disc-shaped body with a long tube-like snout.
• White with two broad black bands and a yellow patch on the rear.
• A yellow saddle on the snout.
• A long white whip-like streamer from the back fin.
• Black tail with a white edge.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Murky inner lagoons, reef flats and clear outer reefs. The Andaman photo records come from Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep).

Food and habits

It feeds on small animals that grow on the reef. In one study, sponges made up about 70% of its food. Usually seen in twos or threes, sometimes in big groups.

Easy to confuse with

• Longfin Bannerfish: A short snout, not a tube, and a yellow tail. No yellow patch on the snout.

How to spot it

• Adult: very round, flat, silvery to yellowish body.
• A dark bar through the eye and another just behind the head.
• Back and belly fins with dark rear edges.
• Young fish: reddish-brown with black blotches, shaped like a dead leaf.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Sheltered coastal water down to deeper, silty areas. Young fish live among mangroves and in sheltered lagoons. A leaf-like young one has been photographed in the shallows at Beach No. 5 on Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), and adults on Neil (Shaheed Dweep).

Food and habits

It eats algae, small animals and small fish. Adults swim alone, in small groups or sometimes in big schools.

Easy to confuse with

• Longfin Batfish: Usually has a black blotch on the belly, inside a dark bar. The Round Batfish has no belly blotch.

How to spot it

• Green to blue body with short red to purple lines on the scales.
• Pink to violet bands on the head.
• A big yellow crescent in the tail.
• Blue side fins with a large pink to purple patch.
• Big males turn blue on the head.

Where to see it in the Andamans

The upper parts of lagoon and coastal reefs, usually over ledges and coral heads. Andaman photos of it come from Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep).

Food and habits

It eats small animals that live on the reef, and fish eggs. You may see it alone or in a group.

Easy to confuse with

• Green Moon Wrasse: The Moon Wrasse has blue side fins with a purple centre.

How to spot it

• Checkerboard of dark marks on a pale body, with finer spots lower down.
• One or two yellow saddles on the back.
• Females and smaller fish: yellow head with pink lines.
• Males: greener, with a bluer tail.
• Small young fish: black and white bands with yellow around the head.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Sand patches in lagoons and on outer reefs to at least 30 m. Young fish stay at the bottom of surge channels. It has been photographed at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep).

Food and habits

It searches sand and rubble for hard-shelled food such as small shellfish, crabs and sea urchins. Pairs form when breeding.

How to spot it

• Slim body with a pointed snout and the mouth at the very tip.
• A black stripe runs from the snout through the eye and gets wider towards the tail.
• Grey to white in front, turning blue towards the tail.
• Young fish are black with a bright blue line along the back.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Coral-rich lagoons, reef flats and outer reefs. Divers and snorkellers have photographed it at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep).

Food and habits

It eats tiny parasites and mucus from other fish. A cleaning station is run by a pair, a group of young fish, or one male with several females. It greets visitors with a bobbing, dancing swim, and sometimes comes up to divers. If the male disappears, the top female turns into a male within 14-18 days.

Easy to confuse with

• False Cleanerfish: A blenny that copies the cleaner almost perfectly, but its mouth is under the snout, not at the tip. Instead of cleaning, it bites off bits of skin and fin.

How to spot it

• Very large wrasse. Adults grow a big hump on the forehead and have thick lips.
• Body olive to green, with a dark bar on each scale.
• Head blue-green with wavy yellowish lines. Two black lines run back from the eye.
• Young fish are pale, almost white, with black lines spreading out from the eye.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Steep outer reef slopes, channels and lagoon reefs. Young fish stay in coral-rich lagoons and seagrass. In the Andamans divers have photographed it at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), Neil (Shaheed Dweep) and Fusilier Channel. It usually moves around alone or in pairs.

Food and habits

It eats shellfish, fish, sea urchins, crabs and other small animals. By day it swims around the reef, and at night it rests in caves and under ledges. It is harmless to divers.

Protection

It is listed in CITES Appendix II, so international trade is controlled. In India it appears in Schedule IV of the Wild Life (Protection) Act (the list of CITES species), not in Schedule I or II.

Easy to confuse with

• Bumphead Parrotfish: Also humped, but plain dark green with a pale beak instead of thick lips, and usually in groups.

How to spot it

• Very large parrotfish, up to 1.3 m long, with a steep forehead.
• Adults have a big bump on the forehead, which starts to show at about 25 cm.
• Adults are dark green all over. The pale, beak-like teeth often show.
• Young fish are brownish green with rows of small white spots.
• Usually seen in small groups, not alone.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Young fish live in lagoons. Adults keep to clear outer reefs, down to at least 30 m. The island survey recorded it at Neil (Shaheed Dweep), John Lawrence, Rutland, Cinque and other islands. It was more common where the reef had a lot of live coral, and inside protected areas.

Food and habits

It feeds on algae, live coral and shellfish, and sometimes rams the reef with its head to break coral. At night it sleeps in caves and wrecks, often in groups in shallow water, which makes it easy for night spearfishers to catch. Andaman and Nicobar fishers who had caught it said it was taken by chance, with hand spears or harpoons, not hunted on purpose.

Easy to confuse with

• Humphead Wrasse: The wrasse also has a hump, but it has thick lips instead of a beak, and wavy yellow lines on its blue-green head.

How to spot it

• Male: two-tone body, dark green or brownish on the head and front half, lighter green behind.
• Male: steep, angled snout and a tail with long upper and lower tips.
• Female: reddish-brown to grey with small black spots, dark lines and white flecks.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Reefs facing the open sea, over rock or coral, including boulder slopes. Big adults stay higher up on deep slopes. It has been photographed at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Chidiyatapu.

Food and habits

It scrapes algae off rock and dead coral with its beak. Look for it alone or in pairs, and sometimes in big groups on boulder slopes.

Easy to confuse with

• Swarthy Parrotfish: The female Swarthy is red on the head and belly with wavy black and white stripes. The Redlip female is reddish-brown to grey with small black spots.

How to spot it

• Male: dusky green-brown, reddish in front, with a red upper lip.
• Male: a bright yellow-green spot with a dark edge at the top of the gill cover, just behind the eye.
• Female: red head, belly and fins, with wavy black and white stripes on the sides and dark green bands around the mouth and eye.
• Both: an orange back fin with a blue edge.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Coral-rich parts of clear lagoons, channels and outer reef slopes. Young fish stay in small groups on shallow reefs near the shore. Divers and snorkellers have photographed it at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), Neil (Shaheed Dweep) and Port Blair.

Food and habits

It scrapes algae off the reef. A male keeps a small group of females and spawns with them one at a time.

Easy to confuse with

• Redlip Parrotfish: The Redlip female is reddish-brown to grey with small black spots and white flecks, without the wavy stripes and green face bands of the Swarthy female.

How to spot it

• Orange-red to reddish-brown body.
• Covered in bright blue spots, smaller than its eye, on the head, body and fins.
• Tail and rear fins have a thin blue edge.
• Sometimes shows faint, slanting olive bars.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Clear water on coral reefs, more often on open, exposed reefs than in sheltered bays. Divers have photographed it off Havelock (Swaraj Dweep).

Food and habits

About 80% of its food is fish, mostly the small orange Scalefin Anthias that hover over the reef. One male lives with 2-12 females, and the group holds a territory together.

Easy to confuse with

• Peacock Grouper: Dark brown, not orange-red, with black-edged blue spots and often pale bars on the rear of the body.

How to spot it

• Dark brown body covered in small blue spots with black edges.
• Often 5-6 pale bars on the rear of the body.
• Often a big pale patch on the chest.
• Rounded tail.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Many kinds of coral reef, from tide pools down to 40 m, but it prefers 1-10 m. Young fish hide in shallow coral thickets. It has been photographed at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), Neil (Shaheed Dweep) and Chidiyatapu.

Food and habits

Most of its food is fish. It lives in groups of up to 12 with one male, and each female holds her own small territory inside the group's area. In the Red Sea it has been seen feeding mostly early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

Easy to confuse with

• Coral Grouper: Orange-red instead of dark brown, with no pale bars or pale chest patch.

How to spot it

• Huge, heavy body with a small eye and a rounded tail.
• Adults are dark brown with faint mottling. The fins have many small black spots.
• Small young fish are yellow with three big black patches.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Reefs, caves and wrecks, from shallow water down to about 100 m. Big adults often stay at one cave or wreck for a long time. The only Andaman dive photo found for this guide is from Johnny's Gorge off Havelock (Swaraj Dweep).

Food and habits

It eats spiny lobsters, crabs and fish, and has been known to take small sharks, rays and young sea turtles. Young fish hide well and are rarely seen.

Protection

The Giant Grouper is in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, the highest level of protection in India. It is the only grouper on that list. Catching, keeping or selling it is against the law.

Easy to confuse with

• Brown-marbled Grouper: Much smaller, pale yellow-brown with big dark blotches, and a small black saddle on top of the tail base.

How to spot it

• Whitish body with a checkerboard pattern on the upper half.
• 5-6 brown stripes along the side, two of them on the lower half.
• A big black spot at the base of the tail.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Coral reefs, lagoons and outer reef slopes. Small young fish stay on shallow, sheltered reef flats. There are photos of it from Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), Neil (Shaheed Dweep) and Chidiyatapu.

Food and habits

It feeds on smaller fish and crustaceans, alone or in a group.

Easy to confuse with

• Two-spot Snapper: Dark brown back with one broad white stripe and two white spots below the back fin. No checkerboard and no black tail spot.

How to spot it

• Bright yellow on the upper two-thirds, white below.
• Four blue stripes along the side.
• Yellow fins.
• Sometimes a small black spot below the middle of the back fin.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Coral reefs, from shallow lagoons to outer slopes. Young fish live in seagrass near small reefs. It has been photographed off Beach No. 2 on Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and at Chidiyatapu.

Food and habits

By day it hangs in large groups around coral heads, caves and wrecks. It eats fish, shrimps, crabs, squid and octopus, and also small floating animals. It lives up to about 6 years.

Easy to confuse with

• Five-lined Snapper: Five blue stripes instead of four, and a round black spot about the size of its eye below the back fin.

How to spot it

• Adults: 6-12 broad black stripes on a pale body.
• Yellow lines on the forehead and snout, and a yellow eye.
• Thick lips that get bigger with age.
• Yellow fins with black spots.
• Young fish: black blotches on a white body and black side fins. The blotches turn into stripes as the fish grows.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Coral reefs and rocky reefs near the shore. Young fish live alone in clear, shallow, sheltered lagoons. In the Andamans it has been photographed at Neil (Shaheed Dweep) and Chidiyatapu.

Food and habits

It rests during the day and feeds at night on small animals on the sea floor.

How to spot it

• Adult: dark grey head and back, separated from the white body by a slanting white band with black edges.
• Adult: a white blotch under the rear of the back fin.
• Adult: three yellow stripes on top of the head.
• Young fish: black and yellow stripes on the upper half, white below.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Most reef habitats. Young fish stay near the shore, in lagoons or rubble. There are photos of it from Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Chidiyatapu.

Food and habits

It eats small fish and small animals that live on the sea floor, in pairs or sometimes alone. Fish start life as females and some later change to males.

How to spot it

• Upper body with blue and yellow stripes edged in black. On the head they run at a slant.
• Lower body pale lavender to bluish white.
• Yellow-orange belly fins.
• Dark, crescent-shaped tail with a long blade-like spine on each side of the tail base.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Shallow gutters and surge zones on reefs that face the open sea, mostly 1-3 m deep. Young fish hide in shallow rubble. It has been photographed at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), Neil (Shaheed Dweep) and Chidiyatapu.

Food and habits

It grazes on algae and is almost always moving. Big males hold feeding territories with a group of females. Adults often swim in groups, while young fish live alone and hide.

How to spot it

• Grey-brown body with no horn on the forehead.
• A curved yellow band from the corner of the mouth to the eye, with a black snout in front of it.
• Yellow back fin with a black band at its base.
• Two bony plates on each side of the tail base, each with an orange-yellow spot.
• Adult males grow a long streamer from each tip of the tail.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Reef flats and rocky bottoms near the coast, about 5-30 m deep. On Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) it has been photographed at Govind Nagar and Radhanagar, and it has also been photographed on Neil (Shaheed Dweep) and at Chidiyatapu.

Food and habits

It feeds on algae from the sea floor and moves around in small groups on reef flats.

Easy to confuse with

• Orangespine Unicornfish (Naso lituratus): Its Pacific twin. Indian records of it are treated as mistakes, so a fish with this look in the Andamans is the Elegant Unicornfish. The yellow back fin is the field mark.

How to spot it

• Dusky blue above and silver below, covered in golden-orange spots.
• Golden lines and spots on the head.
• A bright yellow spot, about the size of its eye, under the end of the back fin.
• Deep, flat body. Usually in groups of 10-15.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Murky reefs near the shore and among mangroves. It can live in water that is less salty. Young fish settle in seagrass near river mouths. In the Andamans it has been photographed at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Chidiyatapu.

Food and habits

It grazes on algae and stays in a group all its life. Unlike most rabbitfish, which feed by day, it is reported to be active at night.

Easy to confuse with

• Golden-lined Spinefoot: Has the same yellow spot near the tail, but its body has golden lines instead of spots.

How to spot it

• Very large, deep-bodied triggerfish with a big head.
• A deep groove in front of the eye.
• A dark area around the lips that runs back from the mouth like a moustache.
• Rows of small forward-curving spines on the side of the tail base.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Lagoons, outer reefs and sheltered reef slopes. Young fish stay near patches of branching coral or rubble on shallow sand. It has been photographed many times at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), including off Radhanagar Beach, and at Neil (Shaheed Dweep) near the jetty.

Food and habits

It eats sea urchins, coral, crabs, shellfish and tube worms. To reach hidden food it flips rocks and bites off pieces of coral. Usually alone or in pairs. Pairs lay eggs in a nest on the sea floor, and the female guards it.

Easy to confuse with

• Yellowmargin Triggerfish: Brown with a crosshatch pattern, an orange snout and cheeks and yellow to orange fin edges. No dark moustache.

How to spot it

• Dark brown body with a bluish chin and belly.
• A narrow pale bar (yellow-orange or white) behind the eye.
• Yellow-brown tail with a white edge.
• Young fish are dark brown above and white below.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Reefs near the coast to outer reefs, from silty lagoons to clear walls. Divers and snorkellers have photographed it at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), Neil (Shaheed Dweep) and Sound Island in Middle Andaman.

Food and habits

It eats algae, crabs, sponges, small animals and small fish. It lives alone and holds a territory: a male defends an area where a female lives.

Easy to confuse with

• Scythe Triggerfish: Grey to brown with a white chin and belly and a curved, scythe-shaped mark below the eye. No white-edged yellow tail.

How to spot it

• Dark green-brown body covered in curved, slanting orange lines.
• Narrow blue and orange stripes from the mouth to below the side fin.
• A large round black blotch on the tail base.
• Orange fins.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Coral-rich parts of lagoons and outer reefs, from just below the surge zone to at least 50 m. Photo records come from Beach No. 2 on Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), from Neil (Shaheed Dweep) and from Chidiyatapu.

Food and habits

It feeds on a wide range of things from the sea floor: algae, sea urchins, starfish, small fish, shellfish and sponges. It holds a territory. The eggs are laid in a shallow pit in sand or rubble, guarded by one or two adults, and hatch at night.

How to spot it

• Round white to grey body with a few large, scattered black spots.
• Thick black lips and a short snout.
• A black patch at the base of the side fin.
• Skin covered in tiny prickles.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Coastal reefs to outer reef crests and slopes with plenty of sponges and corals. A 2011-13 survey listed it as common across the islands. It has been photographed off Beach No. 2 and Radhanagar Beach on Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and on Neil (Shaheed Dweep).

Food and habits

It nibbles the tips of branching coral and also eats crabs, shellfish, sponges, sea squirts and algae. It is seen alone or, as an adult, in a pair.

Easy to confuse with

• Starry Puffer: Pale grey and covered in many small black spots. The Blackspotted Puffer has only a few big spots.
• White-spotted Puffer: Grey with white spots, a white ring around the eye and a white-edged black ring around the side fin base.

How to spot it

• Box-shaped body inside a hard shell.
• Young fish: bright yellow with black spots.
• Adults: dull mustard to yellow-brown, with dark-ringed bluish spots.
• Big adults turn bluish with yellow lines between the plates.
• A small bump on the tip of the snout.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Lagoons and partly sheltered outer reefs. Small young fish hide in narrow cracks and among branching coral. A 2011-13 survey counted only 3 at 75 sites, but it hides well, and snorkellers and divers have photographed it a number of times off Havelock (Swaraj Dweep).

Food and habits

It eats mainly algae, plus worms, small crabs, shellfish and sponges. It lives alone, though a male keeps a group of 2-4 females.

Easy to confuse with

• Spotted Boxfish: Dark brown back with white spots, and males have blue sides with orange spots. In the island survey it was seen only at Camorta in the Nicobars.

How to spot it

• Adults: brassy head and upper body with a blue sheen and many small blue-black spots.
• Electric-blue rear fins and tail.
• A row of hard, bony scales along the rear part of the side line.
• Young fish are plain silver-grey with yellow side fins and no spots.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Around reefs, near the coast and in open water. Young fish visit shallow sandy shores. It has been photographed at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Fusilier Channel, and a marine biologist photographed a school at Cinque Island in 2014.

Food and habits

It eats mostly other fish, and some crabs and shrimps. Divers have nothing to fear from it.

Easy to confuse with

• Giant Trevally: Much bigger and heavier, silver-grey to black with plain grey to black fins. No electric-blue fins and no small spots.

How to spot it

• Very large, heavy trevally.
• Silver-grey to black above, paler below.
• Fins usually plain grey to black.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Clear lagoons and outer reefs over sand and rock. Young fish live in estuaries. In the Andamans it has been photographed at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Narcondam Island.

Food and habits

It feeds on crabs, spiny lobsters and fish, mostly at night. It spawns on shallow outer reefs and offshore banks. It is no danger to divers.

Easy to confuse with

• Bluefin Trevally: Smaller, with electric-blue fins and a brassy body covered in small blue-black spots.

How to spot it

• Long silver body with many dark bars that cross the side line.
• The bars slant on the upper body and turn almost straight down on the lower body.
• Tail fin mostly black.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Near lagoon and outer reefs with current. A marine biologist photographed a school of about 40 at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) in 2011, and divers photographed one there again in 2025. Barracudas are hard to tell apart in photos, so these may include the similar Sawtooth Barracuda.

Food and habits

It eats fish. The daytime schools probably spread out at night to hunt.

Easy to confuse with

• Great Barracuda: Bigger and usually alone. Its bars stay above the side line, and its black tail has white tips.
• Pickhandle Barracuda: Same bars, but the tail is mostly yellowish, not black.
• Sawtooth Barracuda: Also lives in the Andamans and forms schools, with V-shaped bars and a blackish tail. Very hard to tell apart underwater.

How to spot it

• Upper third of the body and the whole tail bright yellow.
• Middle third blue.
• Lower third white.
• Slim, streamlined body.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Deep lagoons and outer reefs, mainly around coral reefs. It has been photographed off the east coast of Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and on Neil (Shaheed Dweep).

Food and habits

It feeds on tiny floating animals in large schools in open water. Its small eggs drift in the open sea.

Easy to confuse with

• Yellow and Blueback Fusilier (Caesio teres): Also found in the Andamans. The yellow starts just before the back fin and slants down to cover the whole rear of the body, not just a band along the upper back.
• Lunar Fusilier: All bluish with a blue tail, and black tips on the tail lobes.

How to spot it

• Small shark with a short, rounded snout.
• Every fin has a clear black tip.
• The black tip of the first back fin has a pale band below it.
• Yellow-brown above, white below, with a dark band along the side.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Shallow water close to the shore on coral reefs and reef flats, near drop-offs, and in mangroves, moving in and out with the tide. In the Andamans it is known from museum and checklist records and a few recent photos from South Andaman.

Food and habits

It eats mostly fish, and also crabs, squid and octopus. It may be alone or in a small group. Females give birth to 2-4 live pups.

Protection

Listed in CITES Appendix II (with the whole requiem shark family, since November 2023), which controls international trade.

Easy to confuse with

• Whitetip Reef Shark: White tips, not black, on the first back fin and the top of the tail.
• Grey Reef Shark: A wide black edge along the back of the tail, but its back fins do not have black tips.

How to spot it

• Small, slim shark with a very short, broad snout.
• Clear white tips on the first back fin and the top of the tail.
• Second back fin almost as big as the first.
• Grey above, lighter below, sometimes with dark spots.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Lagoons and outer reefs. By day it rests in caves, under ledges, on sand patches or in channels. Divers still photograph it off Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) now and then, including on the north-east coast.

Food and habits

It hunts fish, octopus, spiny lobsters and crabs on the bottom, mostly at night. Females give birth to 1-5 live pups.

Protection

Listed in CITES Appendix II (with the whole requiem shark family, since November 2023), which controls international trade.

Easy to confuse with

• Blacktip Reef Shark: Black tips, not white, on all fins.
• Grey Reef Shark: A wide black edge along the back of the tail, and never a white tip on the top of the tail.

How to spot it

• Huge shark with a broad, flat head and a very wide mouth at the front.
• A checkerboard of pale spots and stripes on a grey, bluish or green-brown back.
• Ridges along the body.

Where to see it in the Andamans

The open ocean, but it sometimes comes close to shore and cruises near outer reef walls. Andaman records are very few.

Food and habits

It filters plankton, small fish and squid from the water, often hanging upright with its head near the surface. It travels very long distances but returns to the same feeding places each year.

Protection

The Whale Shark is in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, the highest level of protection in India. Since March 2026 it is also in CITES Appendix I, which bans commercial international trade.

How to spot it

• Very large ray with a wide, diamond-shaped body and the mouth at the front of the head.
• Black back with white shoulder patches that form a black "Y" across the head.
• White belly with dark spots, including between the gill slits.
• Thin, whip-like tail with no sting.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Coastal reefs, rocky reefs and island groups with lots of plankton. In the Andamans, a 2016 study named Barren Island, the Twins and the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park as the main places mantas and devil rays were seen, but did not say which kind.

Food and habits

It feeds on plankton. By day it often comes to shallow reefs to visit cleaning stations, and it can travel more than 500 km.

Protection

The Reef Manta is in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, the highest level of protection in India. Since March 2026 all manta and devil rays are also in CITES Appendix I, which bans commercial international trade.

Easy to confuse with

• Giant Manta Ray: Has sharp, T-shaped white shoulder patches and no spots between the gill slits.

How to spot it

• Large eagle ray with a dark greenish-grey back covered in white spots.
• A very long, thin tail with stinging spines near the base.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Coastal waters, including river mouths. In the Andamans it has been photographed off the west coast of Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and at Junglighat, Port Blair.

Food and habits

It eats mostly hard-shelled animals from the sea floor, such as hermit crabs, snails, oysters and clams, and also worms, octopus and small fish. Females give birth to live young, usually 4 or fewer.

How to spot it

• Oval body with large, bright blue spots.
• Two blue stripes along the sides of the tail.
• A stout tail with a fin underneath, and usually one sting set well back on the tail.
• Grey-brown to olive or reddish above, white below.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Around coral reefs, sheltering in caves and under ledges. It is on the Andaman and Nicobar fish checklists, but recent photos from the islands are few.

Food and habits

Groups move onto shallow sand to feed on shellfish, worms, shrimps and crabs. It rarely buries itself in the sand.

How to spot it

• Reddish to tan or grey body with many thin dark bars.
• Large, wide fan-like side fins.
• 13 long spines on the back.
• A tentacle above each eye.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Reefs, ledges and wrecks. The Andaman lionfish is Pterois miles, the Indian Ocean species. Divers have photographed it many times around Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep).

Food and habits

It hunts mostly small fish, plus shrimps and crabs, using its big side fins to corner them.

Easy to confuse with

• Broadbarred Firefish: A long, banded tentacle above the eye and dark blotches near the base of the side fins.

How to spot it

• Lumpy, warty fish whose colours match the rocks around it.
• Often covered in algae.
• 12-14 thick spines along the back, each with a venom sac at its base.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Sand or rubble on reef flats and in shallow lagoons, and in small pools at low tide. It has been photographed off Beach No. 2 on Havelock (Swaraj Dweep).

Food and habits

It lives alone and lies still on the bottom. It eats fish and crabs.

Easy to confuse with

• Tassled Scorpionfish: Has tassels of skin on its head and a long snout. Also venomous.

How to spot it

• Colour changes a lot to match the reef.
• Adults have many skin tassels on the head, like a beard.
• A very long snout.
• Young fish are slim with a tall back fin.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Clear outer reef slopes and channels, 1-35 m deep, on mixed rock and coral. It is on the Andaman and Nicobar fish checklists.

Food and habits

It lives alone and sits still on coral and rocky bottoms.

Easy to confuse with

• Stonefish: Lumpier and wartier, without the long snout. Even more venomous.

How to spot it

• Very large, heavy moray.
• Adults have black specks that turn into leopard-like spots behind the head.
• A black patch around the gill opening.
• Young ones are tan with large black spots.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Lagoons and outer reefs, often along deep slopes. Young ones hide on reef flats. It is the moray most often photographed in the islands, including off Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and in Fusilier Channel.

Food and habits

It hunts mostly fish, and sometimes crabs.

Easy to confuse with

• Yellow-edged Moray: Yellowish with dense dark mottling, yellow-green fin edges and reddish eyes.

How to spot it

• Yellow-white body with five brown bars on the head and body.
• Usually thin orange bars between the brown ones.
• Tiny yellow spots on the back fins.
• Sits at the mouth of a burrow in the sand, often with a shrimp nearby.

Where to see it in the Andamans

Sandy areas next to outer reefs and lagoons, usually around 20 m deep. Divers and snorkellers have photographed it at Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep).

Food and habits

Its partner is a pale or marbled snapping shrimp. When danger comes, the goby flicks its fins and the shrimp dives back into the burrow.

Easy to confuse with

• Wheeler's Shrimpgoby: Very similar. Steinitz' has duller brown bars.