To the Red Sea no rivers flow into, apparently, that’s why it remains the warmest and saltiest of all. It also has crystal clear water, due to the fact that there is no additional influx of sand, silt and other river pollutants. Almost the entire sea coast is located in the tropical zone.

Even in the coldest time of the year, the water temperature in it remains at twenty degrees, and in the summer months it rises to twenty-seven.

The flora and fauna are very diverse and unique. Comfortable climatic conditions and a rich underwater world have made it one of the most popular tourist destinations today. Diving And exciting fishing in the Red Sea will leave vivid impressions for a long time.

Currently found and described about one and a half thousand different species of fish, living in the warm and clean waters of the Red Sea. They have the most varied, sometimes unusual shapes and colors. Moreover, many of them are endemic and cannot be found in other bodies of water. In addition, scientists believe that only a little more than half of the inhabitants of the fish kingdom are known, and many deep-sea fish that exist in this sea remain unexplored.

To admire the most beautiful underwater world of the Red Sea, all you have to do is fly to Egypt. Find out how long it is to fly to this country.

Catalog with photos and descriptions

To the most popular and safe For humans, the species include the following:

• Parrot fish. It owes its name to a growth on its jaw that resembles the beak of a parrot. Its color is always bright and multi-colored, and its wide body reaches an average length of fifty centimeters. She does not attack humans, but you should not provoke her, since she has very powerful jaws and a bite with them can be quite painful;
• Antais. This is a very small schooling fish that lives in coral reefs. The length of its bright reddish, orange or green body ranges from seven to fifteen centimeters. A flock can contain up to five hundred specimens at a time;
• Black-spotted Grunt(black-spotted sweetlip). This large fish, yellowish in color with graceful black spots, received its name for the specific grinding sound it makes and its large, thick lips. Loves to be photographed with drivers;
• Fish Napoleon(Maori wrasse). This is the most beloved inhabitant of the Red Sea by drivers. Despite its impressive size (up to two meters in length), it is a very friendly and trusting fish with thick lips and a peculiar growth in the frontal part. This appearance gives her even more good nature;

The Napoleon fish is so highly intelligent that it itself swims up to a person to get acquainted and play.



• Butterfly fish(mothfish). The body of these fish, from fifteen to thirty centimeters long, in shape and brightness of color, actually resembles multi-colored butterflies. All their types are absolutely safe for humans;
• Bistriped amphiprion. The fish is very active and harmless to humans, although it can be aggressive towards some marine life. She is not at all afraid of swimmers, who love to photograph her because of her bright and unusual coloring. Its bright orange body is decorated with vertical stripes of white, which are outlined in black.

The most dangerous and poisonous inhabitants

In addition to harmless and peaceful fish, there are a large number of dangerous and poisonous species in the Red Sea:






Dangerous fish in the waters of Sharm el-Sheikh

In the sea waters near Sharm el-Sheikh you can find many species of dangerous fish living in the Red Sea. Therefore, those who are little familiar with its underwater world are recommended to purchase and study the relevant literature. In addition to the types described above, by visiting, you may encounter the following:




A current discharge can only be obtained by touching the stingray with your hand or by accidentally stepping on it. There have been no recorded deaths from contact with an electric stingray.

Hurghada - the most insidious species

It is a great place for fishing. But at the same time, everyone fishing tour accompanied by an experienced instructor, since you can get damaged from dangerous fish not only when swimming, but also when catching such species as:




Despite the fact that there are a large number of poisonous dangerous fish in the Red Sea, in most cases, with the right behavior, collisions with them can be avoided. To do this you need to comply simple recommendations:

1. Don't swim away from the coast;
2. Stay away approach unfamiliar fish and do not try to touch them with your hands;
3. Don't swim at night time;
4. Don't go into the water, having open wounds so as not to attract aggressive species with the smell of blood.

Edible fish

From the huge variety of edible fish of the Red Sea, commercial value have the following:

You are unlikely to take fish as a souvenir, but hibiscus tea - easily! Read in what else you can bring from Egypt.

Popular dishes from the Red Sea inhabitants

Many types of edible Red Sea fish have very good taste and texture of the meat. In addition to the fact that they are simply fried, stewed and canned, they are also used to prepare quite complex dishes, as they go well with most vegetables and fruits, rice, pasta, as well as garlic and a wide variety of herbs.

Popular dishes using sea fish include: sesame-breaded tuna steaks; sea ​​bass stuffed with mushrooms; dorado baked in salt; marlin in Hawaiian.

Over millions of years of existence, the ancient sea is filled with underwater inhabitants in huge quantities. One and a half thousand fish have been studied and described by humans, but this is less than half of the inhabitants of the mysterious body of water.

Not a single river flows into the warm sea. This factor contributes to the preservation of clean water and the development of a special living world. Red Sea fish unique. Many species are not found in other bodies of water.

Popular and safe fish

A visit by tourists to popular resorts is not complete without scuba diving and sea fishing. Famous representatives of the water depths will leave a vivid impression:

Parrot fish

The name corresponds to its bright appearance: multi-colored coloring and a growth on the forehead like a bird’s beak. Blue-green, yellow, orange-red in color, large fish (up to 50 cm in length) are safe.

Fish-Napoleon

The growth on the head, similar to the emperor’s cocked hat, gave the species its name. The impressive size of the Maori wrasse (up to 2 meters long) is combined with a good nature and trusting character. The fish is so sociable that it itself swims up to the drivers to get to know each other better.

Napoleon fish is often called sponge fish

Antais

A schooling fish of very small size (7-15 cm). The inhabitants of coral reefs have bright colors of orange, green, and red. Up to 500 fish can gather in a school.

Bistriped amphiprion

The bright, unusual coloring with stripes outlined in black on an orange background attracts photographers. The fish live in pairs in sea anemones and are not at all afraid of scuba divers.

The tentacles of sea anemones, which are poisonous to others, do not harm the settlers, covered with protective mucus, as if protecting them. Amphiprions are sometimes called. They behave bravely near their shelter.

Clown fish seek protection in sea anemones, which are poisonous to other aquatic life.

Butterfly fish

The beauty is easy to recognize by its tall, strongly flattened oval body with a long dorsal fin and bright black and yellow color. Due to their diurnal lifestyle at shallow depths, they have been well studied by masked divers.

They live with small flocks and pairs. There are color options of blue-orange, black-silver, red-yellow.

Black-spotted Grunt

For her wide lips she is nicknamed sweetlip. Names of Red Sea fish often spoken, therefore the color of the fish and the grinding sound when biting through corals determined the name of the inhabitant.

Lethrina

Inhabitants of the sea coastline. They feel great among rocks, reefs, rich in vegetation. Greenish-brownish color with dark spots on the sides. The fins and interorbital space are red-pink. Body length up to 50 cm.

Imperial Angel

It’s hard not to notice the fish even among other beauties of the warm sea. Decorated with frontal and ocular stripes. Color from yellow-blue-white range in variations of shades and patterns. A variety of solid and interrupted stripes, spots, specks, transitions and mergers.

The directions of the pattern are also varied: circular, diagonal, vertical, transverse, wavy. Despite all the individuality of the fish's outfits, they are recognizable in their grace.

The imperial angel has a variety of colors

Plataxes

Young sickle-shaped fish grow up to 70 cm in length. The body is flattened on the sides. The color is bright orange or yellow with three black stripes. Curious by nature, not shy, they swim quite close to the drivers. Stay in groups. With age, the color becomes uniformly silvery as the stripes blur. The size of the fins decreases.

Lantern fish

The luminous organs most often are the eyes. The emission of greenish light comes from the lower eyelid, sometimes from the tail or abdominal part. Small fish, up to 11 cm, live in caves at depths of up to 25 m. They hide from divers. Light attracts prey to them and serves as a contact for their species.

Aggressive inhabitants

The depths of the sea can be dangerous. The inhabitants of the sea do not all attack when they meet, but you should not provoke their attack. For example, an open wound and the smell of blood always attract predators. Following simple rules can ensure safe exploration of the Red Sea:

• do not touch fish with your hands;
• avoid night bathing.

Insidious behavior when meeting or an unexpected attack by fish can result in serious injuries and risk to human life.

Poisonous fish

Surgeon fish

The tail fins have sharp spines for protection. In the normal state they are hidden in special recesses. When danger arises, the spikes move apart like cutting scalpels.

The length of the fish reaches 1 meter. An attempt to pet a bright beauty, blue, pink-brown or lemon, can result in a retaliatory strike and a deep wound.

Stone fish

The deceit lies in the inconspicuous appearance. Warty growths and gray coloring give a repulsive appearance. Buried in the seabed, the fish blend in with the surface in color and shape. An unexpected prick from the spines of the dorsal fin is so dangerous that without medical help a person dies within a few hours.

Excruciating pain, clouding of consciousness, vascular disorders, and irregular heart rhythms follow after a poisonous lesion. Treatment is possible, but it is difficult and long.

Stone fish perfectly camouflages itself as the seabed

Lionfish or zebra fish

It is notable for its exotic-looking ribbon-shaped fins with poisonous spines. Infection with thorns causes a convulsive reaction, loss of consciousness, and respiratory spasms. Brownish-red scales with alternating stripes resemble a fan. Many marine inhabitants cautiously keep their distance.

There is a strong poison on the edges of the lionfish's fins.

Stingrays (electric and stingray)

Despite their strong damaging effect, stingrays are not aggressive. Careless handling of occupants may result in

• to an electrical discharge, which can result in paralysis or cardiac arrest;
• pricked by a poisonous thorn - the wound is very painful and difficult to heal.

No deaths have been recorded after encounters, but no one wants to step on a stingray.

Sea Dragon

By appearance, the inhabitant can be confused with the famous bull. But dark spots and stripes reveal one of the most unpredictable predators. It hunts prey both at depths of up to 20 m and in shallow coastal waters. There have been cases when people simply stepped on a dragon buried in the sand.

An inconspicuous fish, up to 50 cm long with an elongated body, attacks with lightning speed. The eyes are set high - this helps in hunting. The spread fan of the dorsal fin is a warning, but it is not always noticed. All needles are toxic. Additional spines are located on the gill covers.

Even dead fish can poison with a poisonous injection within 2-3 hours. Therefore, it poses a particular danger to fishermen. In a fish caught with a fishing rod, the spines are pressed down, but in the hands it will show its cunning. As a result of the poisonous injection, edema and paralysis develop, and there is a risk of death due to heart failure.

Arotron stellata

Large fish, growing up to 1.5 m, can be invisible in the water surface due to their small dot color and slow movement. The main feature is the ability to inflate into a ball.

This is facilitated by a special chamber near the stomach, where water is collected at the moment of danger. Skin without elasticity. The bloated appearance scares off enemies.

The poison tetradotoxin accumulates in the body of the arotron, so consumption is not recommended. The bites are painful. Durable tooth plates grind shellfish and coral.

Poisonous fish of the Red Sea often exceed the paralyzing power of terrestrial reptiles.

Dangerous fish

Needlefish

The body of a narrow hexagonal shape is elongated up to 1 meter in length. The color varies from light green, gray to reddish-brown. With its long jaws, the fish can easily bite through a human body. Meeting her is dangerous.

Tiger shark

The cunning of the species is the unpredictable appearance of man-eating fish in the port, on the beach area, in the bay. Large predators, from two to seven meters long, are decorated with tiger stripes on the sides. The color on a gray background disappears with age. The peculiarity is the ability to hunt even in complete darkness.

The tiger shark is one of the first places in attacks on people

Barracuda

In appearance it resembles a river fish with small scales, up to 2 meters long. The barracuda's large mouth with knife-like teeth grabs prey tightly and can cripple a person's limbs, mistaking them for fish in muddy water.

It does not show aggression towards humans, but hunts together with sharks, which creates an additional threat. Connoisseurs classify certain species as edible fish with valuable meat.

The risk of eating the “unknown” barracuda delicacy is severe poisoning with many symptoms, which complicates diagnosis. Disruption of the body systems: respiratory, nervous, circulatory - leads to death.

Moray

Varieties can be from 15 cm to 3 m long. The serpentine body without scales gracefully moves at the very bottom among stones and crevices. The dorsal fin extends from the head to the tail.

The color is varied. There are individuals both plain and spotted, striped in yellowish-gray tones. Huge mouth with two jaws. After an attack, the teeth of a moray eel can only be unclenched with outside help. A torn bite does not heal for a long time, although the fish is not poisonous.

Bluefin ballistode

It is especially dangerous in the summer months, when nesting season begins. A meeting with a person will certainly end in an attack by a predator. At other times, the ballistod is calm and does not react to large objects. Stays near coral reefs.

The color is spotted or striped, with bright streaks on a dark greenish background. Powerful teeth, up to 7 cm in size, split the shells of crustaceans and grind limestones. The bites are not poisonous, but the wounds inflicted are always very severe. The fish is considered unpredictable and one of the most dangerous on the reefs.

Spotted flathead (crocodile fish)

Favorite habitats are in coral reefs. The size of the fish reaches 70-90 cm. The large head with a wide mouth gives it a resemblance to a crocodile. The body is covered with sandy or dirty green scales.

It swims little, mostly buries itself in the bottom sand and remains motionless for several hours. With sudden jerks he catches unwary fish. The mouth is small, so it hunts only small prey.

The flathead is a fearsome species, covered with spines that protect it from other predators. When meeting a person, he does not show aggression. Spotted flathead should not be touched. The danger is in causing accidental wounds from the dirty spines of a bottom-dwelling crocodile. They lead to inflammation if the affected area is not thoroughly treated.

Red Sea Tylosur

The predator can be seen at shallow depths while hunting for small fish. Large individuals, up to 1.5 meters, are similar to barracudas, but their jaws are longer. A special feature of tylosurs is the ability to jump out of the water and, bending, fly over the waves for a considerable distance.

With their tail they seem to push off the water, accelerating to jump into a school of fish that cannot see the hunter. Fishermen have often become victims when they fall under the toothy snout of a powerful tylosur.

Dangerous fish of the Red Sea have not been fully studied. The unique qualities of the inhabitants, who have survived in the natural reserve for millions of years, fascinate with the diversity and unpredictability of their manifestations. The richness of the underwater world continues to amaze tourists and researchers with its evolutionary beauty.

If any fish deserves to be a symbol of coral reefs, then this is certainly it. They belong to the large family of bristletooths ( Chaetodontidae), read as "chaetodontid", which includes about 150 species of small coral fishes, divided into 11 genera and closely related to the larger angelfishes (Pomacanthidae), from which they differ in the absence of a characteristic spine in the lower part of the gill cover.

All species of the family are characterized by a small, pointed mouth on a long snout with small bristle-like teeth, revealing their feeding method. Brush-shaped teeth characterize the entire family (Chaetodontidae, from the Greek “chaite” - brush, mane and “odus” - tooth).

Almost all species have clearly defined dorsal and anal fins.

Dorsal butterfly fish has from 6 to 16 hard spiny rays and from 15 to 30 soft, and the anal rays are 3-5 and 14-23, respectively. The caudal fin has 15 branched rays.

The soft-rayed (posterior) part of the dorsal fin is often symmetrical to the anal fin and characterizes butterfly fish as a skilled and graceful swimmer.

The body of bristletooths is covered with small scales extending onto the dorsal and anal fins.

Most species of bristletooths belong to the genus Chaetodon, whose representatives form the image of a typical tropical coral reef. They inhabit primarily the warm waters of the tropical zone of the Indo-Pacific, but thanks to currents they sometimes swim into fairly distant, cool waters, where they can live throughout the warm season.

Overwhelming majority butterfly fish- inhabitants of coral reefs and adjacent waters (up to 18 meters deep). The Indian Phantom Kabooba is one of the few found at depths below 25 meters on the outer open reefs, as are several other species that inhabit deep temperate waters.

Quite a lot of different butterfly fish developed the coral reefs of the Red and Arabian Seas. While in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean there are only 4 species and 12 species are found in the Atlantic.

Butterfly fish They prefer a dense carpet of hard coral skeletons, where they feel comfortable and display behavior typical of their species.

Butterfly fish in natural conditions

It is known that most corals with symbiotic algae live in shallow waters. Of course, zooxanthelous corals are also found at great depths, but there they grow less densely and do not form a dense covering, and their size at depth is much smaller than in shallow water.

There is not enough light for the active development of most zooxanthelous corals at depths of more than 20 meters.

Life without corals for butterfly fish is equivalent to the life of a city dweller who suddenly finds himself in the desert or steppe. The lack of a suitable environment where they could camouflage themselves using their coloring causes long-term stress for the latter, since in open space they become vulnerable to predators. Variegated coral reefs with varied structures distract the attention of the attacker and find them among the corals butterfly fish It's very difficult for him. In addition, various cracks, grottoes, crevices and caves give a potential victim the opportunity to get lost and become invisible within a few seconds. If there are no corals nearby, then butterfly fish is experiencing severe stress.

As mentioned above, they are found, for the most part, at shallow depths. It is with such a variety of colors and elegant designs that penetrating light is important, since only in the light all this beauty is fully manifested and can serve as a means of communication between species. Butterfly fish those living at greater depths tend to display larger, more contrasting body patterns.

Depending on the species and habitat, they can live either alone or in pairs, in small groups and even in large flocks. In the first case, they often demonstrate territorial behavior characteristic of diurnal fish, actively defending their rather extensive territory from invasion by representatives of their own and related species.

They got their common name for their bright colors and interesting shape, reminiscent of the most beautiful representatives of the insect kingdom. The resemblance to a butterfly is immediately striking: the fish has a tall, laterally flattened, round or oval body with noticeable symmetry. Butterfly fish, like real tropical daytime butterflies, can be considered one of the most colorful and brightly colored animals living on our planet.
An amazing variety of colors combined with intricate patterns of spots and stripes gives butterfly fish resemblance to the drawings of futurist artists.
The color palette of these fish usually includes yellow, black and white; some species have shades of red and blue.

Behind the bright pigmentation lies not panache, but a desire to survive. Against the multi-colored background of a coral reef, fish with a monochrome color would be too noticeable. Therefore, many types butterfly fish have a dismembering coloration, when the alternation of dark stripes with light ones and the presence of large spots on the body, often of irregular shape, distort the contour of their body beyond recognition. The predator, seeing in front of him only bright spots that do not in any way resemble prey, swims past.

Often eyes butterfly fish disguised as a drawing, hiding their actual location (for example, Chaetodon ornatissimus, S. kleinii, S. melannotus, S. ocellatus, Forcipiger flauissimus and many others). Apparently, an “eyeless” animal is less interesting to a predator than one with eyes.

Along with this, quite often in the back of the body there is a clearly defined spot that acts as a false eye (for example, in Chaetodon capistratus). This element of coloring serves to disorient the predator, not allowing it to predict in advance the direction of movement of its potential prey. Hoping to catch prey, it rushes to the side where the false eye is located, while the prey itself swims away in another direction. It is quite possible that the false eye can also serve for intraspecific communication, but this function has not yet been studied enough.

At night the colors are bright butterfly fish fade and the color becomes dark and mottled.

Diet of butterfly fish

Butterfly fish ideally suited for searching for food in narrow crevices and cracks of rocks and corals.

The basis of everyone's diet butterfly fish made up of various invertebrates. As a rule, these are small benthic zooplankton (mainly crustaceans and larvae of some invertebrates swimming in the bottom layer), small polyps and tentacles of large polyps of coelenterates (corals, sea anemones...) and their mucus, as well as small worms and fish eggs. In addition, the diet of many butterfly fish includes filamentous algae.

Some species, particularly the dark bristle-toothed gimitauricht and the schooling kaboob, feed primarily on plankton and often form large schools above the surface of reefs.

There are menus that are extremely narrowly specialized. As a result of food competition with other species inhabiting the coral reef, they have developed a unique ability to feed on special invertebrates that are not in demand by other fish. For example, some types butterfly fish feed almost exclusively on polyps of corals of the genus Pocillopora, others are only attracted Goniasterea or Asropora…

Reproduction of butterfly fish in nature

Sexual dimorphism in appearance butterfly fish poorly expressed or completely absent. They reach sexual maturity at the beginning of the second year of life.

Presumably, all are hermaphrodites, that is, they change from males to females. Sex change, depending on the species, occurs at a certain period of fish development or as a result of social pressure, namely the dominance of some individuals over others. Both options can proceed in parallel. There is a possibility that the sex change is due to the fish reaching a certain age.

Individuals of the opposite sex of most species butterfly fish form married couples. Some species stay in flocks all the time or unite in such schools during the spawning period.

Educated married couples can be permanent and remain throughout life ( Chaetodon ephippium, C.unimaculatus…) or temporary ( Chaetodon lunula, C.ornatissimus, C.reticulatus…).

Some types butterfly fish(from zooplanktonophages), such as Hemitauricthys polylepis, H. zoster or Heniochus diphreutes, constantly keep in large schools.

In tropical waters they spawn throughout the year and only in some species spawning is seasonal ( Chaetodon miliaris- in Hawaii - from December to April).

Like most other fish that inhabit coral reefs, butterflyfish are pelagophiles, meaning they spawn in the water, usually near the surface.

In species that do not have permanent married couples, a courtship process occurs during the day, which usually involves one female and several males, and sometimes a group of fish of different sexes. In the late afternoon, often at high tide, a pair forms, and as dusk approaches, spawning occurs. Circling, the fish rise to the surface where the females lay eggs, and the following males fertilize them. Producers do not care for eggs and larvae (in the vast majority of species).

The eggs of bristletoothed fish are pelagic and small (diameter less than 1 mm). The eggs are equipped with a fat drop, due to which they float in the water column; after about 24 hours, transparent larvae 2-3 mm long hatch from them. The larvae have a characteristic bony helmet on the head, often with sharp serrations, this spiny larva is known as the "hookfish" stage (tholichthys). They float passively in streams of water. In different species, the larval stage lasts from 19 to 57 days. The largest larva - more than 6-7 mm long - is found in the yellow tweezer butterfly . After which they turn into fry. Having reached a size of 10 mm, they descend to shallow coral reefs, where they soon acquire adult plumage.

In some species butterfly fish, usually very close systematically, cases of the formation of sterile hybrids have been noted.

To date, reproduction butterfly fish not observed in amateur aquarium conditions.

Taxonomy of butterfly fish

Aquarists conditionally divide the bristletooth family into three groups: “real”, tweezer fish and pennant butterflies, although, from a systematic point of view, all of them are “real” butterfly fish. But, since this conventional division has become entrenched in the aquarium industry, we will adhere to it.

Real butterfly fish

Genus Amphichaetodon
Genus Amphichaetodon includes two types: And A. meibae. Anatomically, both striped fish are similar to representatives of the genera Chelmonops(shape of the muzzle) and Chaetodon(body structure). They are found in subtropical and sometimes even temperate zones in the western and eastern Pacific Ocean. They are of no interest to tropical reef aquarists.

Genus Chaetodon
No other genus reflects the typical features of the family Chaetodontidae, How Chaetodon. When divers or aquarists talk about butterfly fish, then one thing is always implied: an elegant pair of fish, the beauty of which can only be compared with the corals, among which they swim and feast on their polyps. This stereotypical image is not unfounded, since Chaetodon There are 90 species, most of them bristletoothed.

Most butterfly fish of the genus Chaetodon Not suitable for marine aquariums as they specialize in eating coral polyps. The only exceptions are very large aquariums with enough corals to feed on without causing visible damage to these sedentary invertebrates. It is often recommended in various publications to keep these species in purely fish aquariums, where there are no corals.

From the practice of keeping fish that specialize in eating corals, we can conclude that most butterfly fish without corals it simply cannot survive.

However, there are exceptions: under certain conditions, aquariums can contain, first of all, ,S. kleinii, S. madagascariensh And S. xanthurus. But the most popular representative of the genus, of course, S. semilarvatiis, chic butterfly fish, past which, in the Red Sea, not a single diver will swim. And although this fish eats various corals (primarily soft ones), in large aquariums it can still please its owner for a long time, if the latter considers the damage caused by the fish as a tribute to its extraordinary beauty.

Genus Coradion
Copper or orange stripes of three species of the genus Coradion strongly reminiscent Chelmon spp.. and various species of other genera. Striped pattern in the family butterfly fish- a common occurrence. Representatives of the genus Coradion They are common in the coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific, where they live exclusively in pairs and feed on small crustaceans inhabiting the ground. It would seem that these fish are simply created for the aquarium, but they are quite shy, susceptible to infectious diseases and have difficulty switching to natural food substitutes.

Genus Hemitaurichthys
The genus consists of four species found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Two of them, known as pyramid butterflies, are interesting - N. polylepis And H. zoster, which can confidently be classified as one of the few representatives of the family whose “suitability” for the aquarium has been repeatedly proven in practice. In nature, fish of both species gather in large schools on the outskirts of reefs to hunt for zooplankton floating in the water column. Successful long-term maintenance of these fish is practiced in the famous public aquarium of the city of Nancy. This species prefers to stay not near reefs, but near the silted bottom.

Genus Parachaetodon
Parachaetodon ocellatus, the only species of the genus, looks a bit like the tweezerfish Chelmon rostratus, only with a short snout. But, according to taxonomy, it is much closer to the genus Chaetodon, from whose species it is distinguished only by a rounded dorsal fin.

Genus Johnrandallia
Due to its distribution range (from the Gulf of California to the Galapagos Islands) in which there is a specific temperature regime, the genus is monotypic (that is, consisting of one species) Johnrandallia It is of no interest to tropical marine aquarists. It is worth mentioning only the peculiarities of the behavior of the species J. nigrirostris he works as a cleaner, creating at the same time real “stations” for cleaning, which we know about from the cleaner wrasse of the genus Labroides. Offering this kind of service to other fish is not fundamentally unusual for butterfly fish: juveniles of many species clean their neighbors on the reef, but J. nigrirostris unique in that he, the only one in the family, continues to do this into adulthood.

Tweezer fish

Genus Chelmon
Genus Chelmon very small, there are only three species. In the eyes of divers and aquarists, they are all tweezer fish. The long-nosed beauty is most often kept in aquariums S. rostratus. S. marginalis- a very similar species found in the waters of Australia and Papua New Guinea, differs purely in appearance only by the absence of an orange stripe in the middle of the body. This feature, as well as its limited habitat, made this species exclusive: and what is exclusive is what many people really want to have, and that is why this fish is very expensive. The opposite situation is observed around S. mudleri, the third species of this genus: it is also found around Northern Australia, very much like both of its relatives, but has a shorter snout and has unattractive brown stripes, in short, the “ugly duckling”.

All tweezer fish of the genus Chelmon Well suited for aquarium keeping, the main thing is not to expose these fragile animals to much stress and feed them well. They do not bother corals (whether leatherback, soft or hard corals), they do not bother most sea anemones, and only small tube worms and (rarely) tridacnids are on their menu. Particularly popular among aquarists S. rosfratos for his “love” for glass roses that are harmful to the aquarium.

Genus Chelmonops
The genus Chelmonops consists of two species ( S. truncates and S. cunosus), which are very similar to fish of the genus Chelmon. but they live in the subtropical waters of Australia and are hardly suitable for aquarium keeping in tropical conditions.

Genus Forcipiger
Two species of the genus Forcipiger inhabit almost all tropical regions of the Indo-Pacific. Both contrastingly colored, yellow and black species have melanistic forms that are very common in some areas. Thanks to their extremely long snouts, these fish have perfected the art of obtaining food from places where no other fish can penetrate. And F. longirostris belong to that small circle of fish of the family that can be kept in aquariums, given their gastronomic habits. They do not eat corals, but they enjoy tube worms, tridacni and anything else for which they can use their long mouth.

Genus Prognathodes
Previously, these fish were classified as genus Chaetodon, but several years ago taxonomists identified nine species into an independent genus - Prognathodes. They are also considered tweezer fish, although their mouth is less elongated than that of representatives of previous genera, and their diet is slightly different. Prognathodes live in the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic, and some of them are found at depths of more than 200 meters.

Pennant butterflies

Genus Heniochus
All eight butterfly fish, which are usually called, are part of the genus Heniochus. Their range is limited to the Indo-Pacific. All species have the same appearance, which is characterized, first of all, by a “pennant” - an elongation of the dorsal fin. But they differ in behavior and way of life: some species are attached to the substrate, others, flocking in large flocks, dare to search for zooplankton in open water.

Some species (and primarily N. acuminatus) regularly appear in pet stores. However, it is difficult to talk about suitability for an aquarium in this case, since, on the one hand, these fish grow up to 20 cm in length, and on the other hand, it is necessary to keep several specimens, as their nature requires. And finally, they lustfully eat corals, although these invertebrates do not constitute the main part of their food: this is hardly compatible with the expectations of most reef aquarium owners. And yet, pennant butterflies are among those butterfly fish, which are best suited for reef aquariums.
However, their interaction with corals leads them to a common denominator: these reef builders serve butterfly fish not only shelter, but also regular food. Living on a reef means eating or being eaten. However, corals suffer from this, perhaps, less than an aquarist trying to break this law in his indoor reef. Keeping these fish, which are tightly connected to coral reefs, in a so-called fish aquarium, and often also in “solitary confinement,” must be abandoned. After all butterfly fish remains butterfly fish, and eating coral should be taken as a given by all those who truly appreciate the mesmerizing beauty of this creature.

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The underwater world of Egypt - fish, animals and corals

The Red Sea is a world of colorful corals and fish

Abu Galum

The national park is located 30 km from Dahab. Tourists can get there by booking a camel excursion. The reserve reveals to visitors the beauty of the desert, which is replete with mountain ranges and geological formations of marine origin.

The highlight of the Sinai Peninsula is the mangrove trees. Their uniqueness lies in their consumption of salt water. These plants release excess salt through their leaves. These are the only tropical mangrove forests in the world that grow at this latitude.

Precautionary measures.

Not every hotel warns tourists about the rules of conduct at the resort. For example, night swimming is strictly prohibited, since the Red Sea is replete with predators that come out to hunt after sunset. Also, many vacationers do not know that they should never touch corals. On the one hand, these animals can have quite sharp edges and injure a person, and on the other hand, dangerous fish, often poisonous, disguise themselves as them.

Feeding and flirting with fish (precisely flirting, since some species are characterized by excessive curiosity and playfulness) is strictly not recommended. And the story of the sea urchin, which was accidentally stepped on, has long become the talk of the town.

When going to Egypt, it’s worth taking extra for an underwater trip. Diving is the most popular pastime for tourists in Egypt. It allows you to see all these underwater beauties in close proximity. In Egypt, it is enough to contact local guides.