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

pixy hawkfish on coral head Blotched hawkfish, Cirrhitichthys aprinus

freckled hawkfish Forster's hawkfish, Paracirrhites forsteri

two pixy hawkfish Spotted hawkfish, Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus

lunar fusiliers Lunar fusilier, Caesio lunaris

unknown blenny Linear (Lined) Blenny, Ecsenius lineatus

jewel grouper Coral grouper, Cephalopholis miniata

Mauritian anemonefish Mauritian anemonefish Northern Indian anemonefish, Amphiprion sebae

blacktip grouper Blacktip grouper, Epinphelus fasciatus

scythe triggerfish (dark phase) Scythe (boomerang) triggerfish, Sufflamen bursa

four-saddle grouper Four-saddle grouper, Epinephelus spilotoceps

blacktail snapper One-spot snapper, Lutjanus monostigma

Indian doublebar goatfish Indian doublebar goatfish, Parupeneus trifasciatus

giant moray eel Giant moray, Gymnothorax javanicus

bearded scorpionfish Flathead scorpionfish, Scorpaenopsis oxycephalus

spotted unicornfish (night colors) Long-nose unicornfish, Naso brevirostris

white-spotted grouper at cleaning station Common cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus, on whitespotted grouper, Epinphelus coeruleopunctatus

unknown goby Combtooth blenny, Essenius dentex

longfin batfish Longfin batfish, Platax teira

spotted lionfish African lionfish, Pterois mombasae

school of striped large-eye breams school of striped large-eye breams Striped large-eye bream, Gnathodentex aureolineatus

bluestripe snappers Blue-striped snappers, Lutjanus kasmira

banded coral shrimp Banded boxer shrimp, Stenopus hispidus

crab Crab

cowrie cowrie Tiger cowries, Cypraea tigris

black damselfish Threespot dascyllus (Domino Damsel), Dascyllus trimaculatus)

Johnston damselfish Johnston Damselfish, Plectroglyphidodon johnstonianus

raccoon butterflyfish Striped butterflyfish, Chaetodon fasciatus

Meyer's butterflyfish Meyer's butterflyfish, Chaetodon meyersi

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Last modified 12 December 2025