Bearded Scorpionfish (Scorpaenopsis barbatus)
Image Copyright Hanah Weerkamp
Observed: Koh Chang Reefs, 2015
Observed By: Hanah Weerkamp
The scorpionfish family includes many of the world’s most venomous species of fish. These animals are usually heavily disguised as with the camouflaged, rock-coloured bearded scorionfish. They are opportunistic hunters using their camouflage to get close to prey and then striking rapidly.
Of particular danger to humans are their venomous dorsal spines and they add a practical reason to not put your feet down on the reef – although you wouldn’t want to do that anyway for risk of damaging corals and other delicate organisms.
Scorpionfish Wikipedia
Spotted Hermit Crab (Dardanus megistos)
Image Copyright BB Divers
Image copyright BB Divers
Observed: Koh Chang Reefs, 2015
Observed By: BB Divers
The hermit crab is a great opportunist. Let’s face it it’s hard work being a crab. Your shell doesn’t grow and you do – so then you have to lose the old shell and wait around for ages while your new one hardens. and in the meantime you’re not protected from all the feasting beasts of the reef.
Why not just nick one?
So the hermit crab just grabs one of the many uninhabited mollusc shells that lie around and moves in. When it gets too small simply move to a new shell. Too easy!
Spotted Hermit Crab Wikipedia
Rusty Gorgonian (Alyconacea)
Image Copyright BB Divers
Observed: Koh Chang Reefs, 2015
Observed By: BB Divers
The rusty gorgonian is a brightly coloured member of the same coral family as the sea whips and sea fans. These corals grow in long and delicate filaments.They are a popular aquaruim coral.
Apparently there are over 500 species of Gorgonians, and whilst this one looks very much like the rusty one but I wouldn’t bet my house on it!
Gorgonians Wikipedia
Robust Staghorn Coral (Acropora robusta)
Image Copyright BB Divers
Observed: Koh Chang Reefs, 2015
Observed By: BB Divers
Another case of clear, almost tautological species naming is the Robust staghorn coral. This is a coral that looks very much like a stag’s horns, and a robust stag at that.
It is a species of stony coral that is common throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Its main predator is that great enemy to corals and reefs the crown-of-thorns sea star, boo hiss.
Robust Staghorn Coral at What’s That Fish
Magnificent Sea Anemone (Heteractis magnifica)
Image Copyright Jonathan Milnes
Image Copyright Jonathan Milnes
Observed: Koh Chang Reefs, 2015
Observed By: Jonathan Milnes
It’s probably stating the obvious but the Magnificent Sea Anemone is, well, magnificent.
It is a huge and brilliantly purple coloured anemone that can have a diameter of up to one metre.
As with many species of anemone the magnificent sea anemone has symbiotic relationships with anemonefish – which protect the anemones from predation in return for the protective environment of the anemone’s stinging tentacles. This species hosts twelve different species of anemonefish.
Magnificent sea Anemone Wikipedia
Other Koh Chang Corals and Anemones
Giant Gorgonian Fan Coral (Annella mollis)
Image Copyright BB Divers
Observed: Koh Chang Reefs, 2015
Observed By: BB Divers
Giant Gorgonian Fan Coral is a striking and very attractive species of fan coral that has a distictive network of branch-like filaments that are typically red in colour.
They live on tropical reefs to depths of up to 40 metres and can grow up to 2 metres in width.
Annella Mollis Florent’s Guide to the Tropical Reefs
Delicate Sea Whip (Junceella fragilis)
Image Copyright BB Divers
Observed: Koh Chang Reefs, 2015
Observed By: BB Divers
The Delicate Sea Whip is much different to the more robust reef-building coral species. The living polyps of this species instead extand outward in long fragile-looking filaments. they live on tropical reefs to depths of up to 50 metres and can frow up to 2 metres in length.
Delicate Sea Whip Atlas of Living Australia
Compact Coral (Diploastrea-heliopara)
Image Copyright Jonathan Milnes
Image Copyright Jonathan Milnes
Observed: Koh Chang Reefs, 2015
Observed By: Jonathan Milnes
It seems that corals have all kinds of vernacular names. This one is know as Compact Coral, Honeycomb Coral and Diploastrea Brain Coral. Pick one you like and go with it.
It is an intricately patterned hard coral that is widespread throughout tropical waters all across the Indo-West Pacific, including the Gulf of Thailand.
Compact Coral Wikipedia
Solid Table Coral (Acropora hyacynthus)
Image Copyright Jonathan Milnes
Image Copyright Jonathan Milnes
Observed: Koh Chang Reefs, 2015
Observed By: Jonathan Milnes
Acropora is a genus of small polyp-corals that include table corals such as this Solid table coral as well as elkhorn and staghorn corals.
These are some of the major reef-building corals since they create huge calcium carbonate structures that support the very thin living coral exterior.
Acropora Wikipedia
Siberian Blue Robin (Luscinia cyane)
Last Observed: December 2015 – Koh Chang
Last Observed By: สุธนัย ครุพานิช
The Siberian Blue Robin is a small bird that is a member of the Old World Flycatcher family. As the name suggests it is a seasonal migratory species that spends winter in Southeast asia and Indonesia before travelling to eastern asia and Japan – a long journey for such a small bird.
It is plentiful in number and feeds on insects.
Siberian Blue Robin Wikipedia
Image Copyright Suthanai Krupanich
Image Copyright Suthanai Krupanich
