Destinations  /  The Coral Triangle  /  Lembeh Strait
Destination

Lembeh Strait

Indonesia

A narrow channel of black volcanic sand between mainland Sulawesi and Lembeh island. Sheltered water, short boat rides and a high density of cryptic species.

Season
Year-round, peak Jul–Oct
Water
23–29 °C
Visibility
5–20 m
Typical depth
5–30 m
Species recorded
789 of 1316
Sites
89 named
Lembeh Strait
Simon Buxton

What the diving is like

The Lembeh Strait is a channel about sixteen kilometres long and between one and two kilometres wide, running between the mainland of North Sulawesi and the island of Lembeh. Both shores shelve into fine black volcanic sand, and it is the sand the destination is known for. A typical site is an even slope with very little relief: dark sand and silt, a weed patch, a stand of whip coral, a tyre, a length of rope. The animals are on and around that sparse structure rather than spread across the open bottom, which is why the diving is slow. Fifty minutes often covers a few tens of metres of ground, and much of that time is spent stationary while one patch is worked over. It suits photographers and people who like looking closely; it is not scenic diving and it does not reward covering distance. The strait is not all sand. Of the named sites below, about a third are black sand and the rest are coral, mixed rubble and coral, a few walls, two of white sand and one wreck. The channel is narrow and steep-sided, so boat rides between sites are short and the water inside it is sheltered in most weather. Current runs with the tide and strengthens on the flood.

The shape of a day

Three dives in a day is the usual shape, with a night dive for anyone who wants one. Boat rides are measured in minutes rather than hours, so the interval between dives is spent ashore rather than under way. The diving is arranged around spotting: small groups, long stops, and a guide who will stay with one animal while the rest of the group is somewhere else. Night dives are shallow, most of them inside fifteen metres. Days out of the strait are a different kind of diving again — the outer, eastern side of the island, or the reefs off the islands to the north — and both mean a longer crossing and wide angle rather than macro.

Getting there

Sam Ratulangi at Manado is the airport, about an hour from the strait by road, with a short boat crossing on top of that to reach the island shore. Non-stop international flights are limited to Singapore and Guangzhou and do not run every day of the week; most other routings come through Jakarta, Makassar, Surabaya or Denpasar and finish with a domestic leg into Manado. That domestic leg is where the baggage allowance gets tight, which matters with camera equipment.

When to come

Diving continues all year. The southeast monsoon, roughly June to October, brings cooler, nutrient-rich water into the shallows on a coastal upwelling, and it is the busier half of the year. The northwest monsoon from December to April is the wet one, and visibility in the strait often improves rather than deteriorates through it, with lighter winds making the exposed sites outside the channel more reliable. May and November are transitions.

Fees and what is not included

What is charged for diving in the strait is a local conservation or harbour levy rather than a national park fee. It is collected locally, in cash, and the amount changes, so it is worth asking what it currently is rather than reading a figure here. The reef parks nearer Manado charge their own daily entry and diving fees, paid on the day.

Named sites

89 sites, described by ground and depth. What is found on each one is not published — naming the exact spot a rare animal sits on is how it gets crowded and moved on. The species recorded at this destination are listed below, and the reasoning is set out in the editorial policy.

  1. Hairball 1

    Black sand · 5–25 m

    Open black slope with almost no structure. The classic muck dive, and the one people either love or cannot see the point of.

  2. TK 2

    Black sand · 5–25 m

    Three adjacent slopes with scattered rubble and weed patches. Consistently productive, and shallow enough for long dives.

  3. Makawide 1

    Coral · 8–30 m

    Healthier coral than most of the strait, sloping into rubble. Where to go when the group wants something other than sand.

  4. Nudi Falls

    Mixed · 5–25 m

    A small wall running into sand, with soft coral and sponge on the rock. One of the few sites here with vertical relief.

  5. Police Pier

    Mixed · 3–18 m

    Jetty pilings over sand. Shallow, sheltered and busy, which makes it a good night dive and a good last dive.

  6. Mawali Wreck

    Wreck · 8–30 m

    A Japanese freighter, well grown over and dived as a reef rather than as a wreck. Orientation, length and condition still to be confirmed.

  7. Angels Window

    Coral · 10–30 m

    A pinnacle with a swim-through. Which side and how much current is still to be confirmed. The only site on this list you would call scenic.

  8. Batu Kapal 1,2,3

    Coral · 10–30 m

    Offshore rock pinnacles. Position, exposure and when the crossing is worth making are still to be confirmed.

The other 81, named and not yet written up

Site names are as the operators and guides here use them. Descriptions are drafted and need correcting by someone who dives them. Tell us what is wrong and it will be corrected.

Recorded here

789 of the 1316 species in the index have a confirmed record at Lembeh Strait, ordered by how hard each is to find here.

Anna's chromodoris
Chromodoris annae
Sponge on rubble and rock · 3–30 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Banggai cardinalfish
Pterapogon kauderni
Sea urchins and branching coral · 1–16 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Brittle star
Ophiothrix purpurea
Sponge, sea fans and rubble · 1–40 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Bubble-tip anemone
Entacmaea quadricolor
Coral heads, rubble and reef slopes · 2–25 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Christmas tree worm
Spirobranchus giganteus
Living hard coral · 1–30 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Clark's anemonefish
Amphiprion clarkii
Sea anemones on sand, rubble and reef · 1–40 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Cleaner wrasse
Labroides dimidiatus
Reef edges, rubble and wrecks · 1–40 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Coconut octopus
Amphioctopus marginatus
Open silt flats · 5–30 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Cross's damselfish
Neoglyphidodon crossi
Coral rubble and reef edges · 1–12 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Eightband butterflyfish
Chaetodon octofasciatus
Branching coral on reef slopes and rubble · 2–20 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Gorgonian sea fan
Gorgonacea
Current-exposed slopes and drop-offs · 10–45 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Haddon's carpet anemone
Stichodactyla haddoni
Sand and seagrass · 1–30 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Leopard flounder
Bothus pantherinus
Open sand and silt · 2–30 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Mushroom coral
Fungiidae
Sand and rubble at the foot of slopes · 2–30 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Mysid shrimp
Mysida
Rubble and coral heads · 1–30 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Ocellaris clownfish
Amphiprion ocellaris
Host anemones · 1–15 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Pink anemonefish
Amphiprion perideraion
Sea anemones on reef and rubble · 3–30 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Red lionfish
Pterois volitans
Rubble, coral heads, wrecks and jetty pilings · 1–50 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Saddleback anemonefish
Amphiprion polymnus
Carpet anemones on black sand and silt · 3–30 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Snapping shrimp
Alpheus spp.
Sand and silt burrows · 1–30 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Striped catfish
Plotosus lineatus
Silt and sand near structure · 1–30 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Tomato anemonefish
Amphiprion frenatus
Bubble-tip anemones on reef and rubble · 2–25 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Variegated lizardfish
Synodus variegatus
Sand and rubble · 1–40 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
White-banded cleaner shrimp
Lysmata amboinensis
Ledges, crevices and debris · 1–40 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
White-eyed moray
Gymnothorax thyrsoideus
Rubble, rock and jetty debris · 1–30 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Yellow shrimpgoby
Cryptocentrus cinctus
Silt and fine sand · 1–25 m
1 star of 5, found on most dives
Algae octopus
Abdopus aculeatus
Shallow rubble, seagrass and reef flat · 0–15 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Barred soapfish
Diploprion bifasciatus
Reef edges and rubble; larvae in blackwater · 3–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Barrel sponge
Xestospongia testudinaria
Reef slopes and rubble · 10–45 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Bigfin reef squid
Sepioteuthis lessoniana
Open water over reef and jetties · 0–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Black-ray shrimpgoby
Stonogobiops nematodes
Sand and rubble slopes · 5–40 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Bobtail squid
Euprymna berryi
Fine sand, buried by day · 5–25 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Broadclub cuttlefish
Ascarosepion latimanus
Reef edges and rubble · 1–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Bullock's hypselodoris
Hypselodoris bullockii
Sponge on rubble and rock · 5–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Checkered snapper
Lutjanus decussatus
Coral heads and rubble · 3–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Cockatoo waspfish
Ablabys taenianotus
Open sand · 3–25 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Comb jelly
Ctenophora
Open water over deep drop-offs · 0–25 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Common ghost goby
Pleurosicya mossambica
Sponges, soft corals and clams · 3–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Copperband butterflyfish
Chelmon rostratus
Silty reef, rubble and jetty pilings · 3–25 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Crescent-tail bigeye
Priacanthus hamrur
Overhangs, wrecks and coral heads · 5–45 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Crinoid shrimp
Laomenes amboinensis
Feather stars on rubble and slope · 5–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Crinoid squat lobster
Allogalathea elegans
Feather stars · 3–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Crocodilefish
Cymbacephalus beauforti
Rubble, sand and reef flat · 1–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Devil scorpionfish
Scorpaenopsis diabolus
Rubble and rock on sand · 1–40 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Emperor shrimp
Zenopontonia rex
On sea cucumbers and nudibranchs · 5–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Filamented flasher wrasse
Paracheilinus filamentosus
Rubble slopes and reef edges · 5–35 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Fimbriated moray
Gymnothorax fimbriatus
Sand, rubble and reef margins · 2–45 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Fire goby
Nemateleotris magnifica
Rubble at slope edges · 6–60 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Flamboyant cuttlefish
Ascarosepion pfefferi
Fine sand · 3–18 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Foxface rabbitfish
Siganus vulpinus
Coral reef and rubble · 2–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Giant frogfish
Antennarius commerson
Sponge and wreck structure · 5–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Hair jellyfish
Thysanostoma thysanura
Open water; blackwater at night · 0–25 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Hairy frogfish
Antennarius striatus
Sand and algae · 5–25 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Hairy squat lobster
Lauriea siagiani
Barrel sponges · 10–35 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Harlequin shrimp
Hymenocera picta
Rubble ledges · 3–25 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Longnose butterflyfish
Forcipiger flavissimus
Coral heads and reef slopes · 3–40 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Magnificent sea anemone
Heteractis magnifica
Coral heads and reef slopes · 3–25 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Magnificent shrimpgoby
Mahidolia mystacina
Silty sand and rubble · 3–25 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Mandarinfish
Synchiropus splendidus
Rubble at dusk · 3–15 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Napoleon snake eel
Ophichthus bonaparti
Open sand and silt · 3–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Ornate ghost pipefish
Solenostomus paradoxus
Crinoids and soft coral · 5–25 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Peacock mantis shrimp
Odontodactylus scyllarus
Sand and rubble burrows · 3–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Pink-eye goby
Bryaninops natans
Branching Acropora · 3–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Purple firefish
Nemateleotris decora
Rubble at the base of slopes · 20–60 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Razorfish
Aeoliscus strigatus
Seagrass, urchins and rubble · 1–25 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Red-cheeked anthias
Pseudanthias huchtii
Coral heads and reef slopes · 5–35 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Redfin butterflyfish
Chaetodon lunulatus
Hard coral on reef and reef slopes · 2–20 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Ribbon eel
Rhinomuraena quaesita
Rubble and sand at reef edges · 1–60 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Royal dottyback
Pictichromis paccagnellae
Rubble, coral heads and steep slopes · 5–50 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Salp
Salpida
Blackwater, open water at night · 0–25 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Siphonophore
Siphonophorae
Open water over deep drop-offs · 0–25 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Skunk anemonefish
Amphiprion sandaracinos
Sea anemones on reef and rubble · 3–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Spine-cheek anemonefish
Premnas biaculeatus
Bubble-tip anemones on reef and rubble · 2–20 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Teardrop butterflyfish
Chaetodon unimaculatus
Coral reef, rubble and reef slopes · 3–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Tiger cardinalfish
Cheilodipterus macrodon
Overhangs, wrecks and rubble · 2–40 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Twinstripe fusilier
Pterocaesio marri
Open water over reef slopes · 3–40 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Whip coral goby
Bryaninops yongei
Wire and whip corals · 5–45 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Yellow pygmy goby
Lubricogobius exiguus
Bottles, cans and shells · 5–35 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Yellownose shrimpgoby
Stonogobiops xanthorhinicus
Sand and fine rubble · 8–30 m
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Banana nudibranch
Notodoris minor
Sponge-covered rock and rubble · 5–30 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Banded snake eel
Myrichthys colubrinus
Open sand and silt · 1–30 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Bargibant's pygmy seahorse
Hippocampus bargibanti
Muricella sea fans · 15–40 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Barramundi cod
Chromileptes altivelis
Rubble, wrecks and jetty pilings · 2–40 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Batangas halgerda
Halgerda batangas
Sponge on rubble and rock · 5–30 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Blue-ringed octopus
Hapalochlaena lunulata
Rubble and shell debris · 2–20 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Bobbit worm
Eunice cf. aphroditois
Sand burrows · 5–40 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Coleman shrimp
Periclimenes colemani
Fire urchins · 5–30 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Convict blenny
Pholidichthys leucotaenia
Rubble and burrow systems · 1–25 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Crab-eye goby
Signigobius biocellatus
Fine silty sand near reef edges · 2–30 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Estuarine stonefish
Synanceia horrida
Silt and estuarine mud · 1–30 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Favorinus
Favorinus
Egg ribbons on rubble and sponge · 3–25 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Fire urchin
Asthenosoma varium
Sand and rubble · 8–40 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Flying fish
Exocoetidae
Blackwater, open water at night · 0–15 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Flying gurnard
Dactyloptena orientalis
Open sand · 1–30 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Harlequin crab
Lissocarcinus laevis
Tube anemones on silty sand · 5–30 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Harlequin sweetlips
Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides
Rubble, overhangs and jetty structure · 2–30 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Heteropod
Carinariidae
Blackwater, open water at night · 0–25 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Immortal jellyfish
Turritopsis
Blackwater, open water at night · 0–25 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Lanternfish
Myctophidae
Blackwater, open water at night · 0–25 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Larval flounder
Bothidae
Blackwater, open water at night · 0–25 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Larval goby
Gobiidae
Blackwater, open water at night · 0–25 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Larval mantis shrimp
Stomatopoda
Blackwater, open water at night · 0–25 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Leptocephalus
Elopomorpha
Open water over deep drop-offs · 0–25 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Longtail seamoth
Pegasus volitans
Sand and silt · 3–30 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Megalopa
Brachyura
Blackwater, open water at night · 0–25 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Metallic shrimpgoby
Amblyeleotris latifasciata
Sand and rubble slopes · 5–30 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Mimic octopus
Thaumoctopus mimicus
Open black silt · 3–20 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Octopus paralarva
Octopoda
Blackwater, open water at night · 0–25 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Orange-spotted filefish
Oxymonacanthus longirostris
Living Acropora thickets · 1–30 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Pegasus sea moth
Eurypegasus draconis
Fine sand · 3–25 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Phronima
Phronima
Blackwater, open water at night · 0–25 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Purple anthias
Pseudanthias tuka
Coral heads and reef slopes · 5–35 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Rose petal bubble shell
Hydatina physis
Black sand · 1–20 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Sea butterfly
Thecosomata
Open water over deep drop-offs · 0–25 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Skeleton shrimp
Caprella scaura
Hydroids, algae and rope · 1–25 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Soft coral ghost goby
Pleurosicya boldinghi
Soft corals on silt and rubble · 5–30 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Stargazer
Uranoscopus sulphureus
Buried in sand · 5–30 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Stingfish
Minous
Silt and fine sand · 5–40 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Thorny seahorse
Hippocampus histrix
Silt, sponge and debris · 5–25 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Three-spot angelfish
Apolemichthys trimaculatus
Coral heads and reef slopes · 10–50 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Urchin clingfish
Diademichthys lineatus
Long-spined urchins on rubble · 1–20 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Wunderpus
Wunderpus photogenicus
Rubble edges and sand · 5–20 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Yasha goby
Stonogobiops yasha
Coarse sand and rubble slopes · 15–40 m
3 stars of 5, a good week should turn one up
Ambon scorpionfish
Pteroidichthys amboinensis
Algae on silt · 5–25 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Box jellyfish
Cubozoa
Open water, usually near the surface · 0–20 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Boxer crab
Lybia tessellata
Under rubble · 3–20 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Braun's pughead pipefish
Bulbonaricus brauni
Living stony coral heads · 3–20 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Bumblebee shrimp
Gnathophyllum americanum
Rubble and urchins · 3–20 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Comet
Calloplesiops altivelis
Rubble, ledges and debris · 5–30 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Coral rabbitfish
Siganus corallinus
Coral heads on slopes · 3–25 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Denise's pygmy seahorse
Hippocampus denise
Gorgonians · 18–40 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Dragon shrimp
Miropandalus hardingi
Wire corals and black coral on slopes · 10–35 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Eel bornella
Bornella anguilla
Hydroids on rubble · 3–25 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Halimeda ghost pipefish
Solenostomus halimeda
Halimeda algae · 5–25 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Lined dartfish
Ptereleotris grammica
Rubble and sand below the reef · 25–45 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Long-arm octopus
Macrotritopus defilippi
Silt and fine sand · 3–40 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Magnificent miamira
Miamira magnifica
Rubble and sponge on slopes · 5–30 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Pacific monkeyfish
Erosa erosa
Black sand and silt · 5–40 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Pelagic nudibranch
Cephalopyge trematoides
Blackwater, open water at night · 0–25 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Pikachu nudibranch
Thecacera pacifica
Silt and rubble · 5–25 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Pinnate batfish
Platax pinnatus
Overhangs and jetty pilings · 3–25 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Pontoh's pygmy seahorse
Hippocampus pontohi
Hydroids and algae · 5–25 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Purple-spotted mantis shrimp
Odontodactylus latirostris
Open sand and rubble · 5–30 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Randall's frogfish
Antennarius randalli
Rubble and sponge · 8–31 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Randall's shrimpgoby
Amblyeleotris randalli
Coarse sand and rubble · 15–50 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Ribbonfish
Trachipteridae
Blackwater, open water at night · 0–25 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Sawblade shrimp
Tozeuma armatum
Sea whips and gorgonians · 10–40 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Sea apple
Pseudocolochirus violaceus
Rubble and rock with current · 5–30 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Sharpear enope squid
Ancistrocheirus lesueurii
Blackwater, open water at night · 0–25 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Shaun the Sheep nudibranch
Costasiella kuroshimae
Algae on shallow rubble · 3–15 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Simplex shrimp
Phyllognathia simplex
Rubble and sponge · 5–25 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Snake blenny
Xiphasia setifer
Silt and fine sand · 5–30 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Solar-powered nudibranch
Phyllodesmium longicirrum
Soft coral and rubble · 10–30 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Spikefin goby
Discordipinna griessingeri
Coral rubble and dead coral heads · 3–30 m
4 stars of 5, two or three a season
Blanket octopus
Tremoctopus gracilis
Blackwater, open water at night · 0–25 m
5 stars of 5, a handful of records
Diamond squid
Thysanoteuthis rhombus
Blackwater, open water at night · 0–25 m
5 stars of 5, a handful of records
Eschmeyer's rhinopias
Rhinopias eschmeyeri
Rubble slopes · 10–35 m
5 stars of 5, a handful of records
Ghost melibe
Melibe colemani
Hydroids and rubble · 5–25 m
5 stars of 5, a handful of records
Greater argonaut
Argonauta argo
Open water over deep slopes · 0–30 m
5 stars of 5, a handful of records
Hairy octopus
Octopus sp.
Algae and hydroid patches on silt · 8–25 m
5 stars of 5, a handful of records
Hairy shrimp
Phycocaris simulans
Algae tufts on silt · 3–15 m
5 stars of 5, a handful of records
Little green shrimp
Phycocaris sp.
Colonial ascidians on rubble · 10–20 m
5 stars of 5, a handful of records
Paper nautilus
Argonauta hians
Open water, drifting debris · 0–20 m
5 stars of 5, a handful of records
Sargassum frogfish
Histrio histrio
Floating weed and drifting debris · 0–10 m
5 stars of 5, a handful of records
Torpedo ray
Torpedo sp.
Black sand and silt · 5–35 m
5 stars of 5, a handful of records

The other 624, recorded here but not yet photographed

Every one has a page and a record at Lembeh Strait. They are listed rather than shown because nothing has been photographed or logged for them yet.

Also in The Coral Triangle

More reef fish and more coral species than anywhere else on earth, and the birthplace of muck diving: volcanic sand and silt in sheltered straits, dived slowly and close to the bottom for animals a few centimetres long. Warm all year, rarely clear, and the reason most of this index exists.

Anilao Philippines Nudibranch diversity, and the most photographed muck sites in the Philippines. Two to three hours by road from Manila. Ambon Indonesia Harbour muck, psychedelic frogfish, and rhinopias in season. Shallow and rarely crowded. Dauin & Dumaguete Philippines Shore-entry muck twenty minutes from the airport. Apo Island is a separate day trip. Bali Indonesia Black sand on four coasts, from the Tulamben shore dives to Secret Bay in the far west. The muck is spread across the island, not gathered in one bay. Papua New Guinea Milne Bay, Tufi, Kimbe Bay, Rabaul and Kavieng. Black sand in sheltered bays, wartime wrecks, and reefs that are among the healthiest in the region.