A growing Muraka Farm field guide to the animals, corals and other organisms that make Dharavandhoo's house reef a living ecosystem.
Dharavandhoo is surrounded by coral reef habitat that supports reef fish, turtles, sharks, rays, invertebrates and diverse coral communities. This guide is designed for students, snorkellers, divers, researchers and anyone who wants to understand the reef beyond simply seeing it.
Muraka Farm will continue expanding this page as field observations and photographs are verified. Where species-level identification is uncertain, we use the most reliable taxonomic level rather than over-identifying from a photograph.
Search by common name, scientific name or identifying feature, or filter by marine group.
Local reef guideEretmochelys imbricata
Closely associated with coral reefs and recognized by its narrow, hawk-like beak and overlapping shell scutes.
Chelonia mydas
A large marine turtle often seen feeding around reef and lagoon habitats, especially where algae and seagrass are available.
Carcharhinus melanopterus
A slender reef shark strongly associated with shallow tropical reefs and lagoons.
Triaenodon obesus
A reef-associated shark that can rest on the seabed during the day and becomes more active while hunting at night.
Aetobatus ocellatus
An elegant ray with broad pointed wings, a long tail and a dark upper surface patterned with pale spots.
Acanthurus leucosternon
A distinctive Indian Ocean surgeonfish and an important grazer on shallow coral reefs.
Zanclus cornutus
An unmistakable reef fish with strong black, white and yellow bands and an extended dorsal filament.
Pomacanthus imperator
A large, highly patterned angelfish. Adults have horizontal yellow and blue bands with a dark mask across the eye.
Gymnothorax javanicus
One of the largest reef morays, usually encountered with its head protruding from coral or rocky crevices.
Genus-level guideAcropora spp.
A diverse reef-building coral genus that includes branching, table and other growth forms. Species-level identification often requires close skeletal examination.
Genus-level guidePocillopora spp.
Branching corals often recognized by small wart-like structures called verrucae on the colony surface.
Tridacna maxima
A brightly mantled reef clam that lives partly embedded in hard reef substrate and hosts photosynthetic symbionts.
Try another search term or select a different marine group.
Do not touch or stand on coral. Even brief contact can damage living tissue.
Give animals space. Do not chase, surround or block their movement.
Photograph, don't collect. Images and field notes are more valuable when the animal remains where it belongs.
Send Muraka Farm a clear image with the date and approximate reef location. Verified observations can help expand this public biodiversity guide.
