Alphonse

Alphonse is 250 miles southwest of Mahe in the Amirantes Group (twenty-four islands). It is a sandy, low-lying coral atoll covering about half a square mile, covered with palm trees and surrounding a circular lagoon. The island was named by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama at the end of the 15th century. There are many shipwrecks on its reefs.

island

sea fan sea fans sea fan

coral scene coral head coral scene with freckled hawkfish

Blotched hawkfish, Cirrhitichthys aprinus

pixy hawkfish on coral head

Forster's hawkfish, Paracirrhites forsteri

freckled hawkfish

Spotted hawkfish, Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus

two pixy hawkfish

Lunar fusilier, Caesio lunaris

lunar fusiliers

Blenny

unknown blenny

Coral grouper, Cephalopholis miniata

jewel grouper

Northern Indian anemonefish, Amphiprion sebae

Mauritian anemonefish Mauritian anemonefish

Blacktip grouper, Epinphelus fasciatus

blacktip grouper

Scythe triggerfish, Sufflamen cf bursa

scythe triggerfish (dark phase)

Four-saddle grouper, Epinephelus spilotoceps

four-saddle grouper

One-spot snapper, Lutjanus monostigma

blacktail snapper

Indian doublebar goatfish, Parupeneus trifasciatus

Indian doublebar goatfish

Giant moray, Gymnothorax javanicus

giant moray eel

Flathead scorpionfish, Scorpaenopsis oxycephalus

bearded scorpionfish

Long-nose unicornfish, Naso brevirostris

spotted unicornfish (night colors)

Common cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus, on grouper, Epinphelus sp.

white-spotted grouper at cleaning station

Combtooth blenny, Essenius dentex

unknown goby

Longfin batfish, Platax teira

longfin batfish

African lionfish, Pterois mombasae

spotted lionfish

Striped large-eye bream, Gnathodentex aureolineatus

school of striped large-eye breams school of striped large-eye breams

Blue-striped snappers, Lutjanus kasmira

bluestripe snappers

Banded boxer shrimp, Stenopus hispidus

banded coral shrimp

Crab

crab

Tiger cowries, Cypraea tigris

cowrie cowrie

Damselfish, Neoglyphidodon sp.

black damselfish

Damselfish, Plectroglyphidodon sp.

Johnston damselfish

Striped butterflyfish, Chaetodon fasciatus

raccoon butterflyfish

Meyer's butterflyfish, Chaetodon meyersi

Meyer's butterflyfish

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Last modified 5 November 2019