fishes text index | photo index
Phylum Chordata > Subphylum Vertebrate > fishes
Photo index of fishes on Singapore shores
Typical fish-shaped: small < 5cm



Saddled shrimp-goby
Cryptocentrus maudae

Mangrove
bumblebee goby

Brachygobius kabiliensis

Juvenile mullet
Family Mugilidae

Whitespot
Aplocheilus panchax
 
About 1.5cm. Black with 5 or more white saddles. Lives with a snapping shrimp. Sometimes seen on some of our shores. About 1.5 cm. Black and yellow bands. Sometimes seen in our mangroves. 1-2cm, up to 4cm. Body cylindrical with broad flat head. Two dorsal fins far apart. Silvery with stripes and spots. Often seen on many of our shores. Up to 6cm. Slender silvery with a shiny white spot at the top of its head. Sometimes seen in our mangrove streams, also in fresh water.  

Chequered cardinalfish
Ostorhinchus
margaritophorus

Candystripe cardinalfish
Ostorhinchus
endekataenia

Banded perch
Terapon theraps

Cresent perch
Terapon jarbua

Three-spot damselfish
Pomacentrus tripunctatus
3-4cm long. White and reddish stripes on sides forming chequered pattern. In pools near seagrasses and coral rubble. Sometimes seen on some of our shores. 5-7cm. 6 red or brown lines on a pale body with a large black spot at the base of the tail fin. Coral rubble and reefs. Sometimes seen on our Southern shores. 2-3cm. Juvenile with black-and-white stripes on body and tail. Sometimes seen near reefs. 2-3cm. Juvenile with three curved blackish stripes on the sides and a striped tail fin. Near reefs. Sometimes seen on some of our shores. 2-3cm. Juvenile with electric blue stripes on nose and ringed dark spot on dorsal fin and base of tail. Living reefs. Sometimes seen on our Northern shores.

Brown shore goby
Drombus triangularis

Shadow goby
Acentrogobius
nebulosus

Green-shouldered goby
Acentrogobius
caninus

Black-spotted
lagoon goby

Istigobius goldmanni

Java fatnose goby
Pseudogobius javanicus
3-5cm. 'Chubby face', small eyes. Sometimes seen on some of our shores. 4-6cm. Large eyes, three dark brown blotches on the side of the body. Mangroves, seagrass, coral rubble, also near reefs. Commonly seen on many of our shores. 4-6cm. Large eyes, three dark brown blotches on the side of the body. Mangroves, seagrass, coral rubble, also near reefs. Commonly seen on many of our shores. 4-5cm. Pale body with pairs of close-set round black spots along the body. Reefs and rubble. Seen on many of our shores. 3-4cm, to 6cm. Bulbous snout, slender body densely mottled, black bar under first dorsal fin, black blotch at rear of first dorsal fin. Commonly seen in our mangroves.

Grey knight-goby
Stigmatogobius
sadanundio

Silverside
Atherinomorus
duodecimalis

Sand whiting
Family Sillaganidae
   
To about 6cm. Pearly grey with 3-4 rows of small round black spots on the sides. Sometimes seen in our mangroves. 3-6cm. Streamlined body, silvery. Near living reefs. Commonly seen on our many of our shores. 6-8cm, grows to 30cm. Long, slender silvery with large eyes; small, sharp mouth. Sandy areas near reefs. Commonly seen on many of our shores.    

Orbicular cardinalfish
Sphaeramia
orbicularis

Black cardinalfish
Apogonichthyoides melas
     
6cm, to 11cm. Dark bar across middle of body. Near reefs. Sometimes seen on our Southern shores. 2-4cm, to 10cm long. Dark coloured with and rounded fins. Distinguished by a pale-edged dark spot at the base of the second dorsal fin. Sometimes seen near reefs.      

Bengal sergeant
Abudefduf
bengalensis

Yellow-banded damsel Dischistodus fasciatus

Yellow-banded damsel Dischistodus fasciatus

Yellow-banded damsel Dischistodus fasciatus

Honey-head damselfish
Dischistodus prosopotaenia
4-6cm, to 14cm. With 6-7 black narrow bars across a yellowish body. Tail no horizontal bars and has rounded lobes. Coral rubble near reefs. Sometimes seen on our Southern shores. 4-6cm, to 11cm. With 4 thick yellow bars and 5 thick black bars across the body. Juveniles look very different from adults. Near living reefs. Sometimes seen on our Southern shores.     2cm, to 20cm. Juveniles with a white body, two broad honey brown bars and a large gold-margined black spot on the dorsal fin. Living reefs. Sometimes seen on our Southern shores.



photo index of
fishes on this site
all fishes

typical fish-shape

  small < 5cm
medium 5-10cm
large > 10cm

globular
box, stone-like

flattened fishes
flattened downwards
  sting rays
others

disk-shaped
flattened sideways


long
  eel-, worm-like
stick-like

others

  mudskippers
odd shaped
living w others
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