Jewels among the Acropora

Gorontalo’s Hole-in-the-Rock is the only dive site offered by Miguel’s Diving that has dense patches of single specie branching Acropora. Among the branches, at least seven species of cardinalfish hide. These include the large Eight-line cardinalfish (Cheilodipterus alleni), the Five-line cardinalfish (Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus) with its yellow tail blotch with spot, the Banda cardinalfish (Apogon bandanensis) with orange tipped fins, the bearded Twinspot cardinalfish (Apogon biguttata), the beautiful Ochre-striped cardinalfish (Apogon compressus) with its distinctive neon-blue iris, and the hilariously decorated Pajama cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera). Another cardinalfish common at this location has iridescent blue face lines and will require closer inspection to determine which specie it is.

The real surprise is the discovery of three colonies of the elusive Pinkeye goby (Bryaninops natans). Two colonies have at least 20 fish each. Friends say this rare fish can only be found as one small colony in North Sulawesi’s Bunaken Park. Miguel’s Diving staff knows where to find these fish at two different dive sites.