Marine animals of Indonesia: species list

Blacktip Reef Shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus). The blacktip reef shark has dark tips on several fins, especially the first dorsal fin; it differs from the whitetip reef shark.

Bluespotted Fantail Ray (Taeniura lymma). The bluespotted fantail ray inhabits Indo-Pacific reefs; blue spots should be checked with disc and tail shape to separate similar maskrays.

Bluespotted Maskray (Neotrygon caeruleopunctata). The bluespotted maskray belongs to a taxonomically revised Neotrygon complex; blue spots alone do not establish species identity without form and locality.

Brown-banded Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium punctatum). The brownbanded bamboo shark is an Indo-Pacific bottom-dweller; banding is particularly noticeable in young animals and changes with age.

The clown anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris) is an orange, white-barred reef fish that lives among sea anemone tentacles across most of Indonesia.

The crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster) is a venomous, spiny, coral-eating starfish whose population outbreaks can devastate coral reefs.

A seagrass-eating marine mammal dependent on healthy coastal waters. Dugong life connects seagrass meadows, sheltered bays, and human activity in shallow seas.

The giant clam (Tridacna gigas) is the world's largest bivalve, living on shallow coral reefs; it is now very rare across most of Indonesia.

The greater blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata) is a small octopus with blue rings whose bite carries tetrodotoxin and can kill a person.

A marine reptile connecting seagrass meadows, coastal waters, and nesting beaches. Global recovery does not remove the threats turtles face at individual sites.

A pointed-beaked turtle closely associated with coral reefs. Shell trade, accidental capture, and habitat loss connect human choices with its future.

The humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) is the largest wrasse, a hump-headed reef fish threatened by the live reef fish trade.

The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) is a coastal dolphin with a spotted belly that is fully protected in Indonesia.

The Indonesian coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis) is a rare, deep-water lobe-finned fish known from Sulawesi to Papua, first recognised in 1997.

Indonesian Speckled Carpetshark (Hemiscyllium freycineti). The Indonesian speckled carpetshark is known from shallow Raja Ampat waters; older accounts included populations now assigned to other species.

The Java stingaree (Urolophus javanicus) is a small ray known from a single 1862 Jakarta specimen, declared extinct by the IUCN in December 2023.

The leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) is the world's largest turtle, with a leathery shell; in Indonesia it nests mainly in Tambrauw, Southwest Papua.

The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) is a big-headed sea turtle that is very rare in Indonesian waters and fully protected by law.

Moluccan Bluespotted Maskray (Neotrygon moluccensis). The Moluccan bluespotted maskray is a narrowly defined Neotrygon; generic blue-spotted ray records cannot automatically be assigned to it.

Oceanic Manta Ray (Mobula birostris). The giant oceanic manta ray differs from Indonesia's reef manta; size, habitat and body characters should be considered together rather than the word 'manta' alone.

A relatively small turtle that travels through open seas and returns to beaches to nest. Not every population performs its famous mass-nesting behaviour.

Oriental Bluespotted Maskray (Neotrygon orientale). The Oriental bluespotted maskray is reported from Indonesia and nearby countries; sources use orientale and orientalis spellings, so taxonomy should be cited.

A large ray that filters zooplankton and uses coastal and reef areas. Learn its identity, feeding behaviour, and why observation needs to leave it space.

The scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) is a hammer-headed shark with a notched snout, found across Indonesian seas and listed as Critically Endangered.

The spotted seahorse (Hippocampus kuda) is a small horse-headed fish whose males carry the young; it lives in seagrass and estuaries and is widely traded.

Tasselled Wobbegong (Eucrossorhinus dasypogon). The tasselled wobbegong blends into shallow reef bottoms near New Guinea and northern Australia; branched head fringes add to its camouflage.

The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) is a large striped shark that eats almost anything and is among the sharks most often involved in bites on people.

The largest living fish, with distinctive spots and filter-feeding behaviour. Its protection involves ocean movements, boats, fisheries, and tourism.

Whitetip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus). The whitetip reef shark often rests near the reef bottom; white tips on the dorsal and tail fins separate it from blacktip reef sharks.