poon cho tang SG Nipah palm (Nypa fruticans) This is a rare close-up look at the male (cattail-like) and female (ball-shaped) inflorescence. Attap chee comes from this palm!
poon cho tang SG Stinking Passionflower (Passiflora foetida) Introduced from South America, this climber is found in Chek Jawa's back mangroves. The shoots can be cooked and eaten, and the pulp of the small, yellow berries are sweet.
poon cho tang SG Diamond wrasse (Halichoeres nigrescens) These fishes live in sandy parts of rocky shores. At low tide, they hide under rocks or bury themselves in the sand. They feed on small creatures and are also scavengers.
poon cho tang SG Tripod Fish (Family Triacanthidae) Tripod fish get their name from the spiny dorsal fin and two long pointy pelvic fins. They feed on tiny animals found among the seagrasses. This one was hardly bigger than a seagrass leaf.
poon cho tang SG Pipefish (Family Syngnathidae) Related to seahorses, pipefishes are fishes. They are slow moving, relying on their camouflaged patterns to avoid detection from predators and prey. They suck in tiny animals with their tube-like mouths.
poon cho tang SG Toadfish (Family Batrachoididae) These fish have large mouths, ready to gulp in any unsuspecting prey that wanders within reach. They croak like toads when distressed and are often found under or near stones.
poon cho tang SG Butterfly fish (Chelmon rostratus) with two Cardinalfishes (Apogon sp.) Butterfly fishes are usually associated with reefs. Often, a few are trapped in pools at low tide in the coral rubble area. They have long tube-like mouths which are used to suck up coral polyps and other titbits.
poon cho tang SG Scorpionfish (Family Scorpaenidae) Scorpionfishes lie motionless on the bottom, their colour and body shape mimicking rocks and other innocuous objects. They suck up unwary fish that come within range by suddenly snapping open their huge mouths. They have poisonous spines in their dorsal fins, which cause pain but not death.
poon cho tang SG Goby (Family Gobidae) A large variety of tiny gobies live in the pools of Chek Jawa. They are well camouflaged and quick to disappear into their burrows or into the sand.
poon cho tang SG Frogfish (Family Antennariidae) These fishes have faces that only a mother could love! They hide in sand waiting for their prey to wander within reach of their upturned mouths.
