The Half-Banded Seaperch is easy to identify from the Banded Seaperch for that reason: It's band margins are indistinct and half-formed whereas the Banded Seaperch has very defined margins, almost always with four complete bands. They are a bit more social than the Banded version and there are often a few found in the same section of the reef.
Horned Blenny always look confused. They sit there in their little holes and try to make sense of the world. These Blenny will venture out for a quick swim occasionally, but most of the time they just like to sit and think.
Just how the naming guy ever came up with cowfish is beyond me. He took one look at its horns and immediately thought that fish looks like a cow. Genius.Cowfish aren’t even good to eat, as their name suggests. They are covered in armour plating and their horns are designed to snap off in the throat.
Hulafish are one of the most common fish in Sydney. They seem to be everywhere, brightening up even the brackish waterways.
Lizardfish have one of the best smiles underwater - they just love showing off their nice white teeth. They are quite easy to approach as they like to think of themselves as masters of disguise. Although they're quite easy to spot, they'll stay completely still as you get closer and closer.
There is a Maori Wrasse on the Great Barrier Reef; it's two metres long and weighs nearly two hundred kilos. It's huge. It is very different from the Maori Wrasse we get in Sydney - these are tiny by comparison. Although they are different species they share the same name. Our local Maori Wrasse is also known as a Butchers Prick, but we thought Maori Wrasse was a lot less rude.
The words mosaic and leatherjacket don't normally go well together, but it does seem to work underwater.
Most fish have several common names and Old Wives are no exception - they're also known as Angelfish, Moonlighter, Zebrafish and our personal favourite Bastard Dory. I don't think the naming guy was having a particularly good day when he came up with that one.
The Painted Stinkfish is yet another fish with a very bizarre name. We have no problem with the word 'Painted' as their pattern would look great on any wall, but we've no idea why they're called 'Stinkfish'. They don't stink any more than other fish.
It may be just a bizarre coincidence, but pineapple fish actually look like pineapples. Unfortunately as camouflage goes, this is not one of nature’s best and they have to spend their days lurking in the shadows to avoid being eaten. That's probably why they look so angry.