Vardhan Patankar
( Nemateleotris magnifica )
They inhabit coral reefs and most often sited at depths between 6-70m. Usually found just above the bottom of the sea floor.
They are quite small, reaching a maximum length of 9 cm as an adult. They have a bright yellow head which is accompanied by a white colour in the center which merged into a red-orange tail. They have a long fin on the top that they move to communicate with others of their kind.
They are usually seeing facing the current where they wait for small invertebrates to feed on such as small planktonic particles and crutaceans that flow in with the current.
Joydeep Sarkar
( Valenciennea puellaris )
They occur in lagoons and outer reef areas where there is a high amount of sand present. Found at depths between 10-30 .
They have a pale brown colour with a blue edged orange stripe along the sides and also a series of orange lines or dasheson the upper sides of their body. You can also see rows of blue lines on their head. These species have a maximum length of 20 cm.
They mainly feed on planktonic particles that they sift through the sand, as well as on dead fish or other invertebrates that fall onto the sea floor.
Vardhan Patankar
( Cirripectes castaneus )
Found at depths between 0-32 m in and around coral reefs in areas where there is rubble and rock.
Male and females of the species display different characteristics, the males are more dark brown with red lines on the head and red bars along the sides of the body. They also have a black blotch on the fins on their sides. The females on the other hand are greyish in colour with a pattern resembling that of a honeycomb on the head and body. They can reach a maximum size of 13 cm and are usually idle until approached and may instantly hide themselves by swimming away in a crevice or hole.
Algae is the main part of their diet.
Phalguni Ranjan
( Valenciennea sexguttata )
Found in shallow waters near lagoons at depths between 3-25 m. Usually spotted in areas where there is sand and rocks so that they are able to burrow.
These gobbies have a light grey-silvery body with around six shiny green-blue spots on the cheek area, coining their name. These gobbies can grow up to about a length of 15 cm and like most other gobbies sift through sand and builds burrows under rocks where they usually reside. When spotted, they are usually in pairs seen in and around the burrows built.
They feed on small plantonic particles that they sift through the sand along with small worms and crustaceans.
Phalguni Ranjan
( Helcogramma striatum )
Inhabit areas around coral reefs where this a moderate amount of current. You are likely to spot them in small groups on sponges or on coral. Found at depths between 0-30 m.
A small fish only reaching to a maximum length of about 4 cm, the body of the fish is thin and is shaped like a cynlinder. The lower half of the fish is white in colour while the rest of the fish is red with white stripes covering the whole body. They also exhibit white dots or spots on the head between the eyes. Triplefins are referred to so because of their three fins on the top of their body.
They feed on organic matter moving through the current that comes into their vicinity while they are resting atop coral or sponges. Hence, why they prefer areas with moderate current activity.
Phalguni Ranjan
( Enneapterygius fasciatus )
You can spot them at depths of about 15 m in and coral reefs, usually spotted resting on the corals themselves or on rocks around corals.
The banded triplefin like others of its kind have three fins on the top of their body, they have dark bars on the area where their tail meet the body. The rest of their body also has vertical markings or dark bars giving them a sort of banded look, hence deeming their name! These are quite small fish with a maximum length of about 3 cm.
They feed on small crustaceasn, worms and gastropods.