Harlequin Filefish

Harlequin Filefish

They are often offered for sale in the aquarium trade, but few survive long in captivity.They are difficult to maintain in an aquarium unless provided with live corals. They must be kept in species-specific tanks, or tanks with very passive tankmates such as seahorses or pipefish. They have been successfully bred in captivity.

A cute little Harlequin filefish at the Cairns aquarium.

Copyright
David Clode
Location
Cairns Aquarium, Cairns City, Australia
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Comical Cownose Ray

Comical Cownose Ray

The cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonasus) is a species of eagle ray found throughout a large part of the western Atlantic and Caribbean, from New England, United States to southern Brazil (East Atlantic populations are now generally considered a separate species, R. marginata). Cownose rays grow rapidly, and male rays often reach about 35 inches (89 cm) in width and weigh 26 pounds (12 kg). Females typically reach 28 inches (71 cm) in width and weigh 36 pounds (16 kg).
Cownose rays appear naturally in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Western Atlantic Ocean. Within the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, the cownose ray can often be found in Mauritania, Senegal, and Guinea. In the Western Atlantic Ocean they are located from Southern New England to Northern Florida in the United States, as well as throughout the Gulf of Mexico, Trinidad, Venezuela, and Brazil.

They live in Brackish and marine habitats and can be found at depth up to 22 meters. They are gregarious and migrate extremely long distances, often traveling in schools.

These unusual rays have a comical look to them. This one seemed to pose for me, and seemed to want to be photographed.

Copyright
David Clode
Location
Cairns Aquarium, Cairns City, Australia
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Copperband Butterfly Fish

Copperband butterflyfish

These fish are easily identified by the yellow banding and long snout. The young fish are similar in appearance to adult fish. Butterflyfish grow up to 20 cm in length.The fish appears taller than its length because of its compressed, deep-bodied form with a long dorsal and posterior fins as well as its vertical yellow stripes on a white background. The snout is long and slender, and the dark eye of the fish is less conspicuous than the dark eye-spot on the dorsal fin. The base of the tail features a dark band that runs perpendicular to the tail. Butterflyfish may be distinguished from the similar C. marginalis by their color pattern and number of dorsal fin rays.
Copperband butterflyfish are found at depths of 1−25 metres either alone or in pairs. These fish form monogamous pairs during breeding. They are usually found on coral reefs or rocky shorelines, and also in estuaries and silty inner reefs. This species is territorial and oviparous.

A beautiful butterfly fish that lives on coral reefs. Also called a Beaked Coralfish.

Copyright
David Clode
Location
Cairns Aquarium, Cairns City, Australia
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