Caribbean FishSlideshow # 1

Family groups from A - R

2008 Edition

Angelfish

• Sweeping extensions from dorsal and anal fins

• Tough beaklike mouths– one of the only fish that can EAT sponges

Immature French Angelfish

• Black and yellow bars• Rounded Tail with

yellow border

French Angelfish

• Oval Shaped Body• Dorsal and anal fin

taper backwards• Blackbody with yellow

tickmarks• 10-14 inches

Gray Angelfish

• Oval Shaped Body• Gray body. • Yellow inner face of

pectoral fin. • Square-cut tail

• Juvenile:

Queen Angelfish

• Blue “crown” on top of head

• Yellow Tail

• Juvenile:

Immature Rock Beauty

• Yellow body• Black dot ringed in

brilliant blue

Rock Beauty

• Yellow forebody and tail

• Dorsal and anal fin taper backwards

Sea Bass

• Large and varied group

• Oval body shape

• Most have heavy lips

• Spiny anterior dorsal fin continuous with soft posterior dorsal fin on most bass

Coney• Blue Dots• Two dark spots on

lower lip• Highly variable

background color

Graysby

• Rounded tail• Dark spots found on

base of dorsal fin

Creole-fish

• Slightly forked tail• Red blotch at base of

pectoral fin• 3 dark spots below

base of dorsal fin

Harlequin bass

• Dark, vertical stripes

Tobacco fish

• Body is shades of orange to brown

• Dark C shaped border on tail

Red Hind

• Red blotches on body• Dorsal, tail, and anal

fin tipped in black

Fairy Basslet

• Distinct yellow and purple coloration

• Black spot on dorsal fin

Greater Soapfish

• Soaplike toxic mucus• Lay on side waiting to

gulp unwary prey

Goliath Grouper (Jewfish)

• Largest fish on the reef

• Small dark spots over body

3-6 feet long

Comb Grouper

• 3-4 lines slope down from eye/cheek to edge of gill cover

• Heavy “grouper” lips

Tiger Grouper

• “Tiger” stripes but NOT on head

• Red/brown spots fuse into stripes

• Often rest in cleaning stations

Nassau Grouper

1-2 feet

Bass: Hamlets

• Many color patterns

• Virtually identical in body shape/size

• Distinctive brow is straight (uncurved) from eyes down to mouth

Barred Hamlet

• Broad, v-shaped bar on the midbody

• Flat head easily identifies a hamlet

Butter Hamlet

• Distinct Hamlet slant on brow

• Large blotch saddles the base of the tail

Indigo Hamlet

• Hamlet forehead; straight slope from dorsal fin to lips

• Blue body with white bars

Shy Hamlet

• Body outlined in yellow

• Black dot on nostril outlined in blue

Yellowtail Hamlet

• Yellow tail• Hamlet forehead;

straight slope from dorsal fin to lips

Boxfishes:

• slow swimmers

• protected by a triangular bony “box” skeleton just under the skin

Smooth Trunkfish

• Dark body covered with white spots

• Area of pale honeycomb on midbody

• NO spines over eyes or under tail

Spotted Trunkfish

• Light body covered with dark spots

• NO honeycombed pattern

• No spines over eyes• Spines under tail

Honeycombed Cowfish

• Honeycomb pattern all over

• Spines over eyes and under tail (the cow’s “horns”)

Butterflyfish

• Oval shape

• Small, protruding mouth

• Eyes are usually disguised

• Dorsal and anal fins extend to meet tail fin

Banded Butterfly fish

• Two wide black midbody bands

• Noticeable butterflyfish mouth

Four-eye Butterflyfish

• Butterfly fish mouth and oval shape

• Black spot outlined in white

Longsnout Butterflyfish

• Butterfly fish mouth except noticeably elongated

Spotfin Butterflyfish

• One black bar near eye

• All fins are yellow• Black spot on tip of

dorsal fin

Damselfish

Sergeant Major

• Five black, vertical bars

• Adults may have yellow on base of dorsal fin

Threespot Damselfish• Black saddle on top of

caudal fin• Dark spot on base of

pectoral fin• Yellow crescent over

eye

• Juvenile:

Yellowtail Damselfish• Yellow Tail• Blue spots running

along the surface• Juvenile below:

Bicolor Damselfish

• Dark front & White tail portion

Dusky Damselfish

• Adult:

• Juvenile:

Eels

• Snake-like bodies

• No bony gill cover (operculum)

• Highly flexible for hunting inside the reef

• Many have lost pectoral fins

Garden Eels

• Visible in sand flats• Head pointed in the

direction of current• Will burrow when

threatened

(only about 4-8 inches exposed)

Sharptail Moray Eel

• Snakelike body• Yellow spots on head,

grading to white on body

1.5 – 3 feet

Goldentail Moray Eel

• Brown covered with yellow spots

Green moray eel

3-5 feet & thick as your leg

Grunts

• Related to snappers, but less toothy

• Most numerous on reefs with sand flats and seagrass beds

• Most bear longitudinal stripes

• Family includes Margates

Black Margate

• High back profile• Clear/white pectoral

fins• Dark tail

French Grunt

• Flattened Ventral surface

• Yellow bars do not run parallel; instead they meet at the lateral line

White Grunt

• Horizontal stripes absent on body but present on head

Bluestriped Grunt

• Blue stripes on yellow field

• Black margins on dorsal & tail fins

• Juvenile:

Smallmouthed Grunt

• 5-6 yellow stripes• fins yellow

Parrott Fish

• Very prominent scales

• “Beak” for grazing algae from reef– listen for the scraping sounds when they feed

• Dramatic change in appearance from juvenile adult phase

Midnight Parrotfish

• Parrotfish beak• All phases are dark

blue • BIG

Rainbow Parrotfish

• Parrotfish beak• BIG!• Juveniles green,

adults more colorful

Stoplight Parrotfish

• Adult stage• Notice the yellow dot

on operculum

• Juvenile:

Striped Parrotfish• Dark blue/purple tail

has yellow markings• Gold stripe behind

operculum stops abruptly

• Juveniles with three black stripes and white belly

Princess Parrotfish

• Yellow or orange stripe on lateral side fades gradually

• Immature: Black and white stripes along body; often confused with striped parrotfish

Queen Parrotfish

• Blue/Green “make-up” around mouth

• Blue bar on pect. fin

• Immature: broad white stripe on lateral surface

Greenblotch Parrotfish

• Deep on reef• Green blotch behind

gill cover• Small

• Juvenile:

Redband Parrotfish

• Note reddish band from mouth

• Note black & yellow spot above pectoral fin

• Juvenile:

Puffer Fish

• Ingest water when agitated– Many have spines that erect when they do this

Sharpnose Puffer

• Pointed nose• Blue lines seen

around eyes

Bandtail Puffer

• 2 bands on tail, but tail is rarely flared

• Row of blotches on pure white side

Porcupinefish

• Spots covering body• Spots on fin

Balloonfish or Spiny Puffer

• Long Spines on head• Dark spots on body• Clear fins

Rays

Southern Stingray• Snout & tips of

“wings” pointed• Note barb on tail

3-5 feet

Yellow Stingray

• Size of a dinner plate • Body is round• Stinger on tail

Spotted Eagle Ray

• Dolphin-like head• Several venomous

spines at base of tail

4 - 6 ½ feet