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Wildlife of Maldives - 2013

Maldives February  15th to 24th 2013

This was my third visit to the Maldives.  This trip organized by Naturetrek was primarily aimed at the Whales, Dolphins and Reef Fish of the waters around the Maldivian Atolls.  Our guides were Jenny Wilsher from Naturetrek and Dr R Charles Anderson a world expert on Marine Biology.

       To see general photographs of the trip please use this link MALDIVES

Reef Fish Species 
The order used is as shown in 'Reef Fishes of the Maldives' by Dr. R Charles Anderson.  I have endeavored to be as accurate as I can but identifying juveniles and those fish which can change their colours several times during their lives is not easy.

Manta Ray Manta birostris



Flutemouth Fistularia commersonii



Splendid Soldierfish  Myripristis botche



Violet Soldierfish Myripristis violacea



Blackfin Squirrelfish Neoniphon opercularis

Spotfin Squirrelfish Neoniphon sammara



Sabre Squirrelfish  Sargocentron spiniferum


Silverspot Squirrelfish  Sargocentron caudimaculatum



Black-spot Squirrelfish  Sargocentron melanospilos



White-line Lionfish  Pterois radiata



Slender Grouper Anyperodon leucogammicus


 Peacock Rock Cod  Cephalopholis argus


 Four-saddle Grouper  Epinephelous spilotoceps


 Crescent-tail Bigeye  Priacanthus hamrur


 Kashmir Snapper  Lutjanus kasmira


 Blackspot Snapper  Lutjanus fulviflamma



 Two-spot Snapper  Lutjanus biguttatus



 Lunar Fusilier  Caesio lunaris



 Oriental Sweetlips  Plectorhinchus vittatus
Bigeye Bream  Monotaxis grandoculis



 Spotted Butterflyfish  Chaetodon guttatissimus



 Indian Vagabond Butterflyfish  Chaetodon decussatus



 Threadfin Butterflyfish  Caetodon auriga



 Collared Butterflyfish  Chaetodon collare



 Double-saddled Butterflyfish  Chaetodon falcula


 Racoon Butterflyfish  Chaetodon lunula



 Madagascar Butterflyfish  Chatodon madagaskariensis



 Meyer's Butterflyfish  Chaetodon meyeri



 Oval Butterflyfish  Chaetodon trifasciatus



 Triangular Butterflyfish  Chaetodon  triangulum



 Yellowhead Butterflyfish  Chaetodon xanthocephalus



 Longnose Butterflyfish  Forcipiger longirostris



 Forcepsfish  Forcipiger flavissimus



 Black Pyramid Butterflyfish  Hemitaurichthys zoster



 Indian Bannerfish  Heniochus pleurotaenia



 Schooling Bannerfish  Heniochus diphreutes



 Regal Angelfish  Pygoplites diacanthus



 Sergeant Major  Abudefduf vaigiensis



 Maldive Anemonefish  Amphiprion nigripes



 Blackaxil Chromis  Chromis atripectoralis



 Golden Chromis  Chromis ternatensis



 Blue-green Chromis  Chromis viridis



 Surge Damselfish  Chrysiptera brownriggii



 Humbug Dascyllus  Dascyllus aruanus



 Batu Wrasse  Coris batuensis



 Bird Wrasse  Gomphosus caerulateus



 Checkerboard Wrasse  Halichoeres hortulanus



 Cleaner Wrasse  Labroides dimidiatus



 Bicolour Cleaner Wrasse  Labroides bicolor



 Barred Thicklip Wrasse  Hemigymnus fasciatus
Blackeye Thicklip Wrasse  Hemigymnus melapterus



 Rockmover Wrasse  Novaculichthys taeniourus



 Six-barred Wrasse  Thalassoma hardwicke



 Roundhead Parrotfish  Chlorous strongylocephalus



 Captain Parrotfish  Chlorurus enneacanthus



 Bridled Parrotfish  Scarus frenatus



 Dusky Parrotfish  Scarus niger



 Yellowbar Parrotfish  Scarus scaber



Green-nose Parrotfish  Scarus viridifucatus



Forktail Rabbitfish  Siganus argenteus



 Moorish Idol  Zanclus cornutus



 Powder-blue Surgeonfish  Acanthurus leucosternon



 Lined Surgeonfish  Acanthurus lineatus



 Eye-stripe Surgeonfish  Acanthurus nigricauda



 Convict Surgeonfish  Acanthurus triostegus



 Goldring Bristletooth Surgeonfish  Ctenochaetus truncatus



 Lined Bristletooth Surgeonfish  Ctenochaetus striatus



 Spotted Unicornfish  Naso brevirostris



 Sleek Unicornfish  Naso hexacanthus



 Orangespine Unicornfish  Naso elegans



 Clown Triggerfish  Balistoides conspicillum



 Orange-striped Triggerfish  Balistapus undulatus



 Titan Triggerfish  Balistoides viridescens



 Picasso Triggerfish  Rhinecanthus aculeatus



 Indian Triggerfish  Melichthys indicus



 Half-moon Triggerfish  Sufflamen chrysopterus



 Saddled Sharpnose Puffer  Canthigaster valentini



Other Wildlife Species 


 Blue Whale  Balaenoptera musculus



 Dwarf Sperm Whale  Kogia sima

   !!! Honest!

 Pygmy Killer Whale  Feresa attenuata



 False Killer Whale  Pseudorca crassidens



 Spinner Dolphin   Stenella longirostris



Pan-tropical  Spotted Dolphin   Stenella attenuata



Short-finned Pilot Whale  Globicephala macrorhynchus



 Fruit Bat   Pteropus giganteus ssp maldivarum



 Common Spiny Lizard   Coletes versicolor



Birds 

 Grey Heron  Ardea cinerea



 White-breasted Waterhen  Amaurornis phoenicurus



 Common Sandpiper   Actitis hypoleucos



 Brown Noddy   Anous stolidus



 Lesser Crested Tern   Thalasseus bengalensis



 Maldivian House Crow   Corvus splendens maledivicus



 Common Rosella   Platycercus elegans