Khaled Fahmy

Good evening my dear friends ..
Striped eel cat fish ( Plotosus lineatus ) .. Reach up to 32 cm. at depth 1 - 30 m .. Most of world`s 2000 Cat Fish species occur in fresh water . Only two families contain marine species . It is found in inshore habitats including estuaries and tide pools . Juveniles occur in dense schools over sand and sea grass , adults live solitarily and hide by day . At night they prey on crustaceans , molluscs and fish ..
One should avoid handling these Cat Fish , as their stout pectoral and dorsal fin spines are highly venomous and have strong barbs on their edges that make removal from a wound difficult ..
Stings are extremely painful and can be fatal . Heat ( water or air from hair dryer , as hot as the stung person can tolerate ) has to be applied to the wound as soon as possible to destroy the toxic proteins .. Moray garden dive site ..

Good evening my dear friends ..
Box fish ( Ostracion cubicus ) .. Reach up to 45 cm. at depth 1 - 45 m. Large adults are variable in color , ranging from ochre to purplish brown , the round spots on the carapace of the smaller female phase being faint or absent , the fins have small black spots , the head is adorned with a bump anteriorly on the snout . Females are yellow and have many regularly rounded , black-rimmed white spots on the carapace . Small juveniles are cube-shaped becoming more elongate with age . Their coloration is yellow with round black spots nearly as large as the pupil . The caudal fin increases in size with age and the caudal peduncle becomes long and thick . A solitary species , always seeking shelter under overhangs in the reef .. The Canyon dive site ..

Good evening my dear friends ..
Yellowtail tang ( Zebrasoma xanthurum ) .. Reach up to 25 cm. at depth 2 - 20 m. An unmistakable species found in coastal coral-rich areas . Singly , often in pairs , sometimes forming large aggregations . Larval stage can be pelagic for a long time . The Islands dive site ..

Good evening my dear friends ..
Arabian angel fish ( Pomacanthus maculosus ) .. Reach up to 50 cm. at depth 2 - 60 m. The species is often seen solitary and inhabits fringing reefs with rich coral growth , but also muddy areas . It was observed leaving the coral reef to feed in nearby beds of sea grass as well . Due to its distribution from the northern tip of Aqaba Gulf to the western tip of the Arabian Gulf this species deserves its popular name Arabian Angel Fish . Moray garden dive site ..

Good evening my dear friends .. I wish you all a happy new year ..
The remoras sometimes called suckerfish are a family ( Echeneidae ) of ray-finned fish in the order Perciformes . They grow to 7–75 cm long . Their distinctive first dorsal fins take the form of a modified oval, sucker-like organ with slat-like structures that open and close to create suction and take a firm hold against the skin of larger marine animals . The disk is made up of stout , flexible membranes that can be raised and lowered to generate suction . By sliding backward , the remora can increase the suction , or it can release itself by swimming forward . Remoras sometimes attach to small boats , and have been observed attaching to divers as well . They swim well on their own , with a sinuous , or curved , motion . Remora front dorsal fins have evolved to enable them to adhere by suction to smooth surfaces and they spend their lives clinging to a host animal such as a whale , turtle , shark or ray . It is probably a mutualistic arrangement as the remora can move around on the host , removing ectoparasites and loose flakes of skin , while benefiting from the protection provided by the host and the constant flow of water across its gills . Although it was initially believed that remoras fed off particulate matter from the host's meals , this has been shown to be false , in reality , their diets are composed primarily of host f***s . Remoras are tropical open-ocean dwellers , but are occasionally found in temperate or coastal waters if they have attached to large fish that have wandered into these areas . In the mid-Atlantic Ocean , spawning usually takes place in June and July , in the Mediterranean Sea , it occurs in August and September . The sucking disc begins to show when the young fish are about 1 cm long . When the remora reaches about 3 cm , the disc is fully formed and the remora can then attach to other animals . The remora's lower jaw projects beyond the upper , and the animal lacks a swim bladder . The relationship between a remora and its host is most often taken to be one of commensalism , specifically phoresy .. Light house dive site ..

Good evening my dear friends ..
Potato grouper ( Epinephelus tukula ) .. Reach up to 200 cm. at depth 3—80 meters . The potato grouper is one of the largest bass in the world that lives in the coral reef . It is easily identified by its light-colored body with black spots . It derives its name from its spots, which resemble the eyes of a potato . It aggressively defends its territory against other fish . Considered to be exceedingly territorial and very aggressive towards intruders . Feeds on reef fishes , skates , crabs , and spiny lobsters .. The islands dive site ..