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The Andaman Sea is home to a large variety of groupers.
Smaller species such as this blacktip grouper
or the slightly larger longfin grouper
look nervous when approached,
but show little effort to make an escape
in comparison to many larger species.
One of the biggest bony fishes in our area is the brown-marbled grouper.
Individuals of over 1m in length
are often observed at Richelieu Rock.
This disused and broken fish trap
provides temporary protection
for one particularly large individual.
The potato grouper, or potato "cod", grows even larger.
Encounters in the Andaman are a rarity,
but Silvertip bank is home to one particularly tame
and curious individual nicknamed "Freddie".
When visiting divers feed sharks here,
Freddie invariably shows up to get a piece of the action.
The expectancy of food is undoubtedly his main motive for approaching divers,
but he does seem to enjoy contact with humans.
On a similar scale to the potato cod is the humphead wrasse:
the largest of all wrasses.
The species can grow up to 2 meters
and as it matures it develops a protruding hump on its forehead.
This individual was seen at Shark Fin Reef.
Another speciality of Shark Fin Reef, and nearby Boulder City,
is the humphead parrotfish.
The protruding lump of bone on the forehead
is used for head-butting rivals during combat.
The teeth are fused together into a parrot-like beak
which is strong enough to bite through even the hardest corals.
Several species of barracuda inhabit the Andaman.
Unlike other species, the great barracuda prefers to stay alone
or in loose associations with other individuals.
Here at Silvertip Bank, one or two great barracudas
are commonly found around the mooring line.
The barracuda possesses enormous speed and a razor sharp set of teeth
which make it one of the reef's top level predators.
The barracuda preys on small fishes
and on occasions shiny jewellery worn by divers has been mistaken as prey,
with unfortunate results for the diver.
This giant trevally is another very fast predator.
Trevallies are often referred to as "jacks",
and like the great barracuda, they prey on small fishes.
These are bluefin trevallies,
thriving on the currents around the giant boulders at Rocky Point.
And these are young golden trevallies
in the depths at Richelieu Rock.
Back down on the reef,
we find the most common of the pufferfish family,
the blackspotted puffer.