By the hair of a goatfish's chinny chin chin!

Out on A Swim

‘Out on a swim’ is a coral reef blog that tells the stories of the characters who live under the waves and what has caught my eye when ‘out on a swim’ in the lagoons of Norfolk Island. It is also a record of the difficulties Norfolk Island’s reef faces, like many others around the world, as a result of the poor water quality that has been allowed to flow onto it.

This page shows the most recent blog posts. For the complete catalogue, visit the ‘Out on a swim index’ page.

This blog is rated in the Top 20 Coral Reef Blogs in the world.

DAY 16 – MARCH FOCUS ON NORFOLK ISLAND’S REEF

If you go for a snorkel on Norfolk Island’s reef, one family of fish that you are bound to see are members of the goatfish family. We have several different species here, but one thing they all have in common is two barbels (goatees) – chemosensory feelers – under their chins (Wikipedia). They use these to probe the sand and small crevices in the reef looking for morsels of food, such as shrimps and other crustaceans, and molluscs. When these aren’t in use, they tuck them away under their chin.

Goatfish are common across tropical and subtropical waters. They can usually be found in schools floating in the water column, or actively seeking food on the sandy bottom of the lagoon.

The largest species of goatfish is the dot-and-dash goatfish, which can grow up to 60 cm in length. The only one of these that I have seen was in Cemetery Bay and was very much a juvenile as you can see from its photo.

If you click on each image to enlarge, you will see that all these goatfish are surprisingly brightly coloured, particularly the blacksaddle goatfish, and the cardinal or diamond-scaled goatfish.

Blacksaddle Goatfish, Parupeneus spilurus

Cardinal goatfish, Parupeneus ciliatus

Dot-and-dash goatfish, Parupeneus barberinus

Francis' goatfish, Upeneus francisi

Goldstripe goatfish, Mulloidichthys vanicolensis

Yellowstripe goatfish, Mulloidichthys flavolineatus

Cardinal goatfish, *Parupeneus ciliatus*, Norfolk Island

Oct 15, 2025

The funky seventies sea slug – Halgerda willeyi

If ever a sea slug was channeling the 1970s, it’s Halgerda willeyi. With its groovy orange lines and chocolate-brown bumps, it looks straight out of a vintage lounge suite – the kind with shag pile carpet and bold floral cushions. Proof that nature was nailing retro design long before humans caught on.

Oct 5, 2025

Haddon's barometer

This Haddon’s anemone has been quietly living in the middle of Norfolk Island’s Emily Bay for years, bleaching and recovering with the seasons. Like corals, sea anemones host microscopic algae that provide most of their food. When stressed by heat or rainfall changes, they lose colour – and tell a story about seasonal changes to the weather.

Sep 30, 2025

Honoured to be featured

I left school in the UK nearly 50 years ago, so it was a pleasant surprise to be invited to share some images and take part in an interview for an article about my work, to be published in the annual glossy magazine the school now produces. Here is the end product.

Sep 7, 2025

Celebrating Biodiversity Month on Norfolk Island

September is Biodiversity Month – the perfect time to celebrate the astonishing variety of life on Norfolk Island’s reef. From new fish sightings to coral mosaics, every observation is a reminder of how much there is still to learn and protect.

Read more about why biodiversity matters, globally and right here in our lagoon.

Aug 24, 2025

The fate of a coral colony when it succumbs to white syndrome – four years on

I’ve tracked one plating Acropora coral from 2021 to 2025. In just a few weeks, white syndrome wiped it out. Nearly four years years on, it’s still smothered in algae and sea squirts, with only the tiniest hint of new growth. It’s a stark reminder: without tackling the root cause, we’re just watching the same sad story repeat itself.

Aug 17, 2025

The Candy-Striped Cleaner Keeping the Reef Healthy

Candy-cane stripes, long white feelers, and a reef spa on offer – the banded coral shrimp waves its antennae to advertise cleaning services to passing fish.

Aug 10, 2025

Biomimicry: How a Boxfish Caught Mercedes Benz’s Eye

Meet Mr Lemonhead – our lagoon’s teeny yellow boxfish with a big design legacy. He inspired a Mercedes Benz concept car, proving how nature is full of surprises. And he shares the lagoon with other critters whose tricks have also shaped real-world inventions.

Aug 3, 2025

Patchwork Corals: How Colonies Fuse to Form Living Mosaics

Some corals wear more than one colour for a reason. When Paragoniastrea australensis colonies fuse early in life, they form living mosaics. A beautiful reminder of coral cooperation on Norfolk Island’s reef.

Jul 28, 2025

Reef relief

Today, 28 July, is World Nature Conservation Day. After the dry 2024, Norfolk Island’s reef is looking healthier – a brief reprieve as less water - laden with nutrients - flowed into the lagoon. These photos show what’s possible. It’s a reminder that recovery is within reach – though renewed runoff could quickly undo the gains.

Jul 20, 2025

Emily Bay's big 'brain' coral

In Emily Bay, Norfolk Island, a single coral bommie – Paragoniastrea australensis – has stood for decades as a micro-reef, harbouring diverse marine life and local memories. Once photographed in 1988 and still thriving today, it remains a keystone of reef biodiversity and a living link between past and present.