Getting the Most Out of Your Underwater Experience:

An introduction to identifying the fish, creatures, and coral of the Virgin Islands

Part I: Fish

Brian Naess, Research AssociateInstitute for the Environment, UNC-Chapel Hill

Credits

• All photos, except where noted, taken by ENST 259 instructors: Brian Naess, Liz Naess, Andrew George

• All identifications for class photos based on the 3 book series by Paul Humann and Ned Deloach: Reef Fish Identification, Reef Creature Identification, and Reef Coral Identification of Florida, Caribbean, and Bahamas published by New World Publications, Inc.

3 Main Divisions

• Fish – sharks, eels, rays• Creatures – crabs, shrimp, clams, starfish,

anemones, lobsters, squid, octopus, worms, cucumbers, tunicates, sponges, urchins

• Coral – hard and soft varieties, algae

Fish

* Images scanned from Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas by Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach

Focus on One Fish at a Time!

What to Look For

1a) Shape1b) Distinctive Traits2) Color3) Behavior4) Location5) Size

“Seven Dookies Came Back Looking Sad”

Fish Anatomy

• General body shape• Head – slope of head/nape, mouth• Tail – forked, fan, square or round• Dorsal fin(s) – tall, short, spiked or

feathered• Pectoral – large, small, obvious• Don’t be fooled by:

– Some fish are shaped differently in juvenile stages!

Shape

Distinctive Markings/Physical Properties

• Bars, stripes, spots, “makeup”, etc.

• Unique dorsal fins or other appendages

• Big eyes• Don’t be fooled by:

– Many fish can change colors instantly, including adding bars by darkening certain areas and lightening others

– Some times the distinctive mark can be quite difficult to see

Color

• Silvery?• Can be as distinctive as a marking or

physical property• Don’t be fooled by:

– I repeat! Fish can change colors instantly!– Juvenile coloring can be drastically different

from adults

Behavior

• Bold? Shy? Protective?• In the open or under cover?• Schooling• Common associations• Night/Day• Feeding• Don’t be fooled by:

– Fish are TERRIFIED of YOU! They may take a while to get used to you.

Location• Habitat

– Coral– Sea grass– Sand/Rubble– Blue water

• Depth– Shallow swimmers– Mid-reef– Reef’s edge/drop-off– Bottom dwellers

• Don’t be fooled by:– Fish swim!

Size

• Many species only reach a given size. If deciding between two possibilities, size may help decide the matter

• Juveniles complicate the matter• Don’t be fooled by:

– Things look bigger underwater!

Quiz

French grunt*

Distinctive features: Yellow stripes below lateral line set on diagonal.

Description: Yellow stripes on a white to bluish or yellowish silver background. Stripes above lateral line are horizontal. Fins yellow.

Habitat and Behavior: Prefer coral reefs. Often congregate in small to large schools, which may number in the hundreds, in the shade of bottom formations.

* Description taken from Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas by Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach. Page 93

Quiz

Blackbar soldierfish*

Distinctive features: Black bar behind head.

Description: Bright red to, on rare occasions, pale red. Red dorsal fin has white marks at tips and a few along base. White borders on leading edge of ventral, anal, rear dorsal and tail fins.

Habitat and Behavior: Hide in dark recesses. Often gather in large to huge schools.

* Description taken from Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas by Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach. Page 242

Quiz

Slippery dick (not quite Terminal Phase)*

Distinctive features: Small green and yellow bicolored spot above pectoral fin. Dark triangular corners on tail.

Description: Shades of green. Colors and markings vary greatly.

Habitat and Behavior: Constantly swim about reefs, adjacent sand areas and grass beds.

* Description taken from Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas by Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach. Page 222

Quiz

* Description taken from Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas by Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach. Page 380

Trumpetfish*

Distinctive features: Long, thin body. Trumpet-like mouth.

Description: Three color variation: the most common is brown to reddish brown; can be blue-gray with purpulish head or bright yellow; also able to pale or darken. Have pale lines, scattered small black spots, and a black streak on upper jaw.

Habitat and Behavior: Inhabit coral reefs. Change color, and position their bodies to blend with background. Often drift in vertical position, head down, paralleling stalk of sea rods. May attempt to camouflage themselves by hovering just above larger fish as they move about the reef.

Photo by Jaime Neill

Quiz

* Description taken from Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas by Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach. Page 398

Scrawled filefish*

Distinctive features: Covered with blue to blue-green spots, irregular lines and black dots. Elongate body with long, broom-like tail.

Description: Vary from pale gray or tan to dark olive-brown. Can darken or pale dramatically. Tail often closed and limp.

Habitat and Behavior: Inhabit coral reefs. Drift over reefs, often in open water.

Quiz

Chain moray*

Distinctive features: Pale yellowish to bright yellow chain-like markings.

Description: Heavy body. Dark brown to black, with irregular, often interconnected, bright yellow bars. Yellow eyes.

Habitat and Behavior: Prefer shallow, clear-water reefs and rocky shores. Hide during the day in recesses; heads often extend from openings.

* Description taken from Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas by Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach. Page 430

Tips for Productive Snorkeling

• Good fitting mask• Take your time• Reefs are 3D – swim down and explore• Don’t use fins in shallow water• Stay horizontal in water less than 15’ deep• Look for overhangs, openings, caves• Focus on one thing at a time• Spend some time in the shallows• Little fish are just as cool as big fish!

Questions?

Back

Flat needlefish

Banded butterflyfish

Yellowtail snapper

Spotted trunkfish

Back

Sergeant major

Dog snapper

Bar jacks

Orangespotted filefish

Back

Great barracuda

Striped parrotfish

Red hind

Balloonfish

BackDusky squirrelfish

Yellowtail parrotfishHoneycomb cowfish

BackBarbfish

Nurse shark

Gray angelfish

BackRosy blenny

Stoplight parrotfish

Smooth trunkfish

BackBanded butterflyfish

French and bluestriped gruntQueen triggerfish

BackSpotted drum

Highhat

Yellow goatfish

Pompano

Back

Glasseye snapperReef squirrelfish

Back

Mutton snapper

Mutton snapper

Back

Bluehead wrasse (juv.)

Blue tang & ocean surgeonfish

Silversides

Back

Spotted eagle ray & sharksucker

Blue tang & ocean surgeonfish

Whitefin sharksucker

BackWhite mullet

Saucereye porgyCero mackerel

BackBlue and Brown chromis

Redband parrotfishYellowtail snapper

Back

Red hind

Orangespotted filefish

Back

Trunkfish

BackYellowhead jawfish

Palometa

Yellowfin mojarra

Southern stingray

BackPeacock flounder

Sand Diver

Rock beauty

Bluehead

Back

Glassy sweeper

Back

Flat needlefish

Back

Spinyhead blenny