Anemone Fish

Anemonefish also known as the Clown Fish, most known fish species on a coral reef

Anemonefish-Pomacentridae. This is probably the most known fish species on a coral reef. Anemone fish are very bad swimmers and hardly swim more than two meters away from their anemone. If in danger, they will hide between the poisonous tentacles of their symbiotic host. The poison of the anemone does not harm them because they grow up in the anemone and build up their immunity. It is only the Clarks anemone fish that are known to be immune from birth. The anemone fish protects the anemone from polyp-feeders like butterfly fish, who try to feed on the anemone's tentacles. This process of symbiosis is a very common way of life on coral reefs.

Every anemone has its own big dominant female that is in charge and she suppresses the growth of the other anemone fish living with her. If this dominant female dies or disappears, the first in male in rank will change sex and become the new dominant female. Anemone fish are one of the few species who take care of their own eggs. The female will stick the eggs on a place next to the anemone, which they have cleaned before. After about a week, the larvae will hatch during night and travel with the current. Two or three weeks later they will settle themselves on a matching anemone. The Amphipron family feed on a certain algae and plankton. There are around a thousand of different anemones, of which only ten species are inhabited by anemone fish.

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All clownfish are born as males!

All clownfish are born as males. When the dominant female of a group dies the largest male will turn itself into a female, this change cannot be reversed back.

• The clownfish is also known as the anemone fish.
• There are 28-30 recognized species of clownfish.
• Clownfish have a symbiotic (long-term mutual benefit) relationship with sea anemone which is a fish-eating plant-like animal that has poisonous tentacles.
• Sea anemones benefit from clownfish who clean them by eating its parasites and dead tentacles, help circulate the water around them, attract potential prey with their bright colors, and provide nutrients from their droppings.
• Clownfish in return benefit from sea anemone, who provide food scraps and who's venomous tentacles protect the clownfish from any attack by other fish.
• The clownfish builds up an immunity to sea anemones lethal sting over time and because of a layer of mucus on the clownfish's skin.
• Clownfish species include yellow, orange, reddish and blackish varieties with most covered in patches or bars of white color.
• The largest clownfish can reach 18 cm (7.1 in), and the smallest 10 cm (3.9 in).
• All clownfish are born as males. When the dominant female of a group dies the largest male will turn itself into a female, this change cannot be reversed back.
• Clownfish live up to 10 years in the wild but on average up to 6 - 8 years.
• Females lay around 1000 eggs, the male clownfish will guard the eggs.
• Clownfish make up over 40% of the global marine ornamental trade. The fish are either bred in captivity, or captured from the wild.
• The main character in the 2003 animated film Finding Nemo, was a clownfish.

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Panagsama House Reef

Dive map of the House Reef

Panagsama House Reef Moalboal, Cebu Philippines. The dive starts with a steep slope down to 40m there is a wall. Stay at 15m and come slowly up to 10m, there are some caves along the wall, great dive site for night diving, entry's and exit's are straight from the beach.

Irish together with her PADI Open Water students

Marine Life. Most likely you will see thousands of Sardines being hunted by Tunas and Jacks. You will see local fishermen in their small outrigger canoe fishing with hand lines. On the sandy platform right in front of Neptune Diving Adventure dive shop you can see the special Twin spot Goby or the poisonous Scorpionfish Demon Stinger and a Mandarin Shrimp on the pool. In the shallow, many Sergeant majors, Moorish idol, small parrotfish, puffer fish and turtles. In the month of May when the water is rich with plankton there is a chance to see whale sharks! Coral growth is decent, with some Bucket sponges and wire corals, the delicate sea whip. During the night dive you see for sure some basket stars, burrowing sea cucumbers and sponge crabs.

District: Basdiot, Moalboal
Distance: 0km
Travel Time: 0 min by banca boat,beach entry
GPS Coordinates: N.09° 57.013′ E.123° 21.903′
Composition: Slope / wall.
Snorkeling: Excellent
Experience: Open Water Diver
Visibility: 10-20m
Current: 0-2 knots
Interesting depth: 5-15m
Marine life: Rich variety of hard and soft corals and of marine creatures. School of sardines being hunted, turtles, nudibranchs, batfish and whale shark.

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Coleman Shrimps

A pair of Coleman Shrimp at the center for a fire urchin found at the Neptune House Reef between 8m-12m.

Also known as Crustaceans, Carid Shrimps, Commensal Shrimp, Fire Urchin Shrimp, Sea Urchin Shrimp and Toxic Urchin Shrimp.

Found usually in pairs exclusively on the fire urchin -Asthenosoma varium, which in turn is known as the toxic sea urchin. The larger one is the female. The host urchin's spines do not harm the shrimp, but they usually clear an area on the urchin where they perch.

They feed on parasites, algae and plankton. 

• Length - 2cm
• Depth - 5-30m
• Widespread West Pacific

In the creepy and ugly world of much diving and critters Coleman Shrimps (Periclimenes colemani) make a big exception. 

They are very attractive with nice colours, a beautiful pattern and a host that couldn’t be more colourful: The Coleman Shrimp is a commensal shrimp and lives on the Variable Fire Urchin (Asthenosoma varium). While you can also find other hitchhikers on these urchins (like Zebra Crabs, Yellow Squat Lobsters, Fire Urchin Shells, juvenile Fish and others) the Coleman Shrimp exclusively chooses the Variable Fire Urchin. 

The Shrimps grow to about 2cm in size and can easily by identified by their lange brown-red spot pattern on a yellow background. They mostly live in couples and cut the spines of the urchin on a small area on which they live an feed. Very often one or both shrimps have a bump on the side of their carapace – these are not eggs but Isopods … internal parasites that attach to the gills of the shrimp.

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Warty or Clown Frogfish

A warty or clown frog fish at Neptune House Reef found between 10m-12m. Photo by Johnny Gabales

The warty frogfish or clown frogfish (Antennarius maculatus) is a marine fish belonging to the family Antennariidae.

The warty frogfish grows up to 15 cm (5.9 in) long. Like other members of its family, it has a globulous, extensible body, and its soft skin is covered with small dermal spinules. The skin is covered with numerous small, wart-like protuberances. Its large prognathous mouth allows it to consume prey its same size. The coloring of its body is extremely variable because it tends to match its living environment.

Frogfishes have the capacity to change coloration and pigment pattern in a few weeks. However, the dominant coloration goes from white to black, passing through a whole range of related nuances such as cream, pink, yellow, red, and brown, often with dark, circular spots and/or with saddles. 

The frogfish (or anglerfish, angler, fishing frog) is one of my favorite fishes so this website is dedicated entirely to this family of fishes (Antennariidae).

Frogfishes are fascinating animals. They sit well camouflaged and without moving on sponges, wait in front of holes or hide between corals and wait for their prey to approach. One of its dorsal spine is converted into a lure (illicium) with a bait (esca) which looks like a small fish, a worm or a shrimp. This lure is dangled, flicked and moved around in front of the Frogfish's head. If a fish wants to catch this make-believe prey it becomes prey itself - fast as lightning the Frogfish greatly expands its oral cavity thus creating suction pressure inside the mouth and engulfs the animal. This behavior is called aggressive mimicry. With this kind of luring behavior the frogfish is a very successful predator.

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Pescador Island, Moalboal

Pescador Island, Moalboal Topography

Pescador is mentioned as on dive site but you can dive here at least four times, it's a truly great dive site. The dive starts mostly in the south where the boat is sheltered if there is an Amihan wind. Starting from here you can go two ways depending on the current. The slope in the south is 12 m deeper, then it becomes a straight drop off to the depth of 33m and then start sloping down. The walls all around the island are going very deep, please watch your buoyancy, depth gauge and no decompression limit. Half way the dive in the south-east site is a deep rocky slope, here you can see a school of Jacks, the Big eye Trevally. 

At the north-east of the island at 7m is a platform with a great coral garden with an aquarium of fish, great for night diving. Spend most of the dive-time in this area, look in the corals for special things like shrimps, Nudibranchs and frogfishes. Going to the west side you will see at 25m the cathedral. Entering the cathedral and lookin up into the light, will give you on bright sunny day especially if you make the dive in the afternoon, this is known as cathedral or church glowing light effect. There are two smaller openings where you can dive through and one in the roof, there's another hole which you can enter and ascent up to 9m. The cathedral is lowcated on the north-west side of Pescador Island, bring a dive light to look inside the cave.

Pescador Island Side View

Dive Direction. Start in the south, slope/wall on your right shoulder going north/west to the cathedral. Also possible is the other way - start in the south slope on your left shoulder going east in the beginning, later to north-east to the shallow platform.

District: Basdiot, Moalboal 

Distance: 4km from Panagsama Beach 

Travel Time: 11min by banca boat 

GPS Coordinates: 

N.09° 55.302′ E.123° 20.617′ Is south entry point 

N.09° 55.410′ E.123° 20.641′ Is east entry point 

Composition: North and west deep wall, steep slope in the south. The Cathedral in northwest.

Snorkeling: Excellent 

Experience: Open Water Diver 

Visibility: 10-30m 

Current: 0-3 knots 

Interesting depth: 7-20m Marine life: 450 spieces of hard coral, pyramid butterflyfish, tuna, nudibranches, snake eel, frog fish, barracuda and white tipped reef shark.

Topography.
The walls have everything: caves, crevices, overhangs and a large vertical funnel called the "The Cathedral". They are covered in Tubastrea cup corals, colorful soft corals and gorgonian sea fans.

Interesting Finds.
The barrel sponges, Elephant ear Sponges and blue tube sponges are covered in Alabaster Sea Cucumbers. Shoals of sweetlips, surgeonfish, snappers, fusiliers, anthias, catfish, chromis, jacks, damsels and Moorish Idols abound. Royal and Emperor Angelfish, pennantfish, rabbitfish, lizardfish, moray eels, lionfish, scorpion fish, trigger fish, puffer fish, soldier fish, squirrel fish, trumpet fish and cornet fish hover in holes among the corals, Stonefish are common.

There are many different varieties of sea cucumbers, sea stars, nudibranchs, flat worms, anemones and clownfish, while Napoleon Wrasse and small Whitetip Reef Sharks can be seen in deeper water. At times of strong currents pelagic species are common, so you might be lucky and occasionally see a Whale Shark or Manta Ray. Very big Spanish Dancer nudibranchs are found on night dives.

You can comfortably fill four days of good diving here.

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