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Most colonial tunicates are overlooked because they tend to be tucked away in dark corners. An exception are the marblesized, white-and-green grape ascidians, Diademnum molle, a common compound tunicate on shallow reefs in Indonesia. Diademnid tunicates have a single large inhalent opening, and many small exhalent openings around their globular tunics.

Their green color comes from a symbiotic algae living within its tissues, much like the zooxanthellae of stony corals. The relationship between this tunicate and its algae is one of mutual dependency, neither party being able to survive alone. Diadem-num larvae even carry samples of the algae with them to ensure that the relationship is continued in the next generation.

The Fishes

Corals and other invertebrate animals can provide a lifetime of interest for a diver in Indonesia, but the fish are what really grabs one's attention. On most reefs, brightly colored and beautifully patterned fish are everywhere, darting among the corals or lying sedately in mid-water. It would be impossible in the space available here to offer a complete description of the thousands of fish species found on Indonesian reefs, so all that will be attempted is a brief survey. Consult "Further Readings" page 321 for more complete resources.