Caribbean Fish Slideshow # 1
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Transcript of Caribbean Fish Slideshow # 1
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