Muck-diving and Macro-diving Underwater Critters

This is the underwater critter list and online field guide of over 130 macro species that I used for Anilao, Philippine, Bali and Lembeh, Indonesia for macro underwater photography. It is list of the most sought after underwater photo subjects in the Indo-Pacific region.

We found 90% or more of these critters in Anilao, and almost all are also found in Lembeh, Sulawesi. This is also a great macro subject list for Mabul, Dumaguete, Ambon, Bali, Papau New Guinea or any other muck diving area in the Indo-pacific region.

Photos by Scott Gietler unless otherwised mentioned.

Worms

Bobbit worm, Eunice aphroditois

Fire Worm

Nudibranchs & Molluscs

Phyllodesmium rudmani, Xenia mimic nudibranch

Marionia species

Ceratosoma alleni, photo by Mike Bartick

Solar-powered nudibranch. Photo by Larry Polster

Solar-powered nudibranch, Phyllodesmium longicirrum. Anilao. Photo by Mike Bartick.

Swimming Clam, Bali

Electric Clam, photo by Marli Wakeling

Shrimps and Crabs

Peacock mantis shrimp, gorlock mantis shrimp

Bumblebee shrimp, very rare! (great find Peri!)

 Colmani shrimp, lives in pairs on fire urchins

Harlequin shrimp. Feeds on blue starfish.

Anemone shrimp

bubble coral shrimp

jumping shrimp, Thor amboinensis. Often waves its tail, sits outside anemones. Also called "Sexy shrimp"

Imperial shrimp, found on sea cucumbers and Spanish Dancers.

Crinoid shrimps, always found on a similar host featherstar

Donald duck shrimp, Leander plumosus

Tiger shrimp, Bali

Hairy squat lobster (purple), Lauriea siagiani. Lives on Barrel sponges.

Squat lobster (crinoid crab)

Xeno crab, found on wire coral

porcelain crab

Soft coral crab

Humpback prawn,  Metapenaeopsis lamellata. I call it the evil shrimp.

Sawblade Shrimp, Tozeuma species. By Jeff de Guzman

Saron shrimp

Red Army Shrimp (Bali), Rhynchoinetes durbanensis

Harlequin crab

Orangutan crab

Slipper lobster, photo by Mike Bartick

Wire-coral shrimp

Zebra crab on fire urchin, Lembeh. Photo by Larry Polster

Boxer Crab, photo by Mike Bartick

Squid, Octopus, Cuttlefish

Common Reef squid

Bobtail squid

Pygmy (mimic) cuttlefish

Flamboyant cuttlefish

broadclub cuttlefish

Pygmy cuttlefish

large cuttlefish

Wonderpus octopus

Coconut octopus

Mototi octopus, photo by Mike Bartick

Blue-ringed octopus, photo by Mike Bartick

Another Blue-ringed octopus, from Raja Ampat. Photo by Kevin Lee

Mimic octopus

Juvenile Fish

juvenile longfin batfish

Juvenile harlequn sweetlips

juvenile harlequin sweetlips, older stage

juvenile oriental sweetlips

juvenile spotted boxfish or pufferfish, very tiny

Juvenile Rockmover Wrasse from Kona, Hawaii. Photo by Jeff Laity.

juvenile catfish

juvenile lionfish

juvenile pinnate batfish

juvenile barrimundi

juvenile ribbon eel. Juveniles are black, adult males blue, old females yellow.

juvenile emporer angelfish

Fish

Frogfish

Hairy frogfish, a version of the Striated frogfish, Antennarius striatus. Photo by Brent Durand

Frogfish, photo by Larry Polster

Juvenile painted frogfish

Painted frogfish, Antennarius pictus, photo by Jeffrey de Guzman. Species often develop large scab like patches on body. This species has the ability to change almost any color including white, black, red, pink, orange, yellow and brown.

Juvenile warty frogfish

Warty frogfish.

Warty frogfish, Antennarius maculatus. Photos by Jeffrey de Guzman. Juveniles frequently yellow with red-brown saddle and orange borders of rear dorsal and tail fins. Often in open sand.

Antennarius randalli, Randall's Frogfish - Dark Phase. Photos by Jeffrey de Guzman

Antennarius coccineus, Freckled Frogfish.Photo by Jeffrey de Guzman.

Seahorses

Pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus bargibanti

yellow (thorny) seahorse

Giant seahorse of Anilao

Another Giant Seahorse of Anilao

Yellow pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus denise

Pipehorse, related to pipefish and seahorses

New lembeh pipedragon, Kyonemichthys rumengani. Photo by Marli Wakeling. Looks like a stick or algae.

Pipefish

coral banded pipefish

Sand pipefish

Common pipefish (photo coming soon)

robust ghost pipefish

Ornate ghost (harlequin) pipefish

Juvenile ornate ghost pipefish, colors not defined yet

Halimeda ghost pipefish

Mushroom coral pipefish, Siokunichthys nigrolineatus

Rhinopias

Check out Mike Bartick's great Rhinopia article

Rhinopia eschmeyeri

Rhinopia frondosa, Weedy Rhinopia

Rhinopia aphanes, Lacey Rhinopia. Photo by Larry Polster

Photogenic Fish

Snake Eel

Crocodile snake eel (bites!)

Napolean snake eel

Garden eel, very shy

Garden eels, hard to approach

Male ribbon eel

female ribbon eel, lembeh. Rarely seen, the female is the last color stage of the Ribbon eel. Photo by Larry Polster.

Wire coral goby

Fire dartfish

Mimic Filefish, mimics a Toby. 

Jawfish

Razorfish (shrimpfish)

Banggai Cardinalfish

Pajama cardinalfish, photo by Bill Van Antwerp

 

Urchin clingfish, photo by Mike Bartick

Convict blennies

Cometfish, juvenile

Leafy filefish

Soft coral filefish, photo by Mike Bartick

Green algae filefish, found in shallow harbors

Scrawled filefish

Trunkfish

Spotted blue Boxfish

Yellow boxfish

Mandarin fish

Camoflauged bottom-dwelling fish

Fingered Dragonet  from Anilao, Dactylopus dactylopus

Stargazer

Common Lionfish

Leaf scorpionfish

Twin spot lionfish,photo by Marli Wakeling

Shortfin lionfish, Dendrochirus brachypterus. Rare yellow variation. Photo by Mark Strickland

Crocodile flathead

Stonefish face, photo by Mike bartick

Sanddiver, male displaying with 2 females of his harem

Pegasus sea moth, photo by Kevin Lee

Flying gurnard

Cuckatoo waspfish, Lembeh. Photo by Larry Polster

Devil scorpionfish

Ambon scorpionfish

Male ambon scorpionfish, lembeh. Photo by Larry Polster.

Sea snakes, not to be confused with the similar Banded snake eel

Further reading:

• Best dive destinations for underwater photography

• Best Muck Diving regions for underwater photography

• Settings for macro photography

• Super-macro underwater photography

• Underwater composition

• Photographing marine life behaviour

• Fish photography guide

• Marine Taxonomy Chart

• Bartick's Critter Column: January Critter Season

• Top 5 Critters in the Indo Pacific