OVAL AND THIN BODIED FISH

Most fish in this category are colourful and have small pert mouths. Often the juvenile of a species is very different in appearance to the adult form.

ANGELFISH

Genus: Pterophyllum

Very attractive graceful swimmers with a round head and a long continuous dorsal and anal fin. Angelfish differ from butterfly fish by the well developed preopercular spine on their gill covers. Juvenile Angelfish are brightly marked, this signifies their behaviour as cleaners, removing parasites from other larger reef fish and therefore less likely to become prey. Adult fish largely feed on sponges and move from colony to colony of sponges but do never devour an entire sponge. They have evolved strong jaws with overlapping rows of teeth to eat the tough fibre of a sponge. Juveniles graze on algae and parasites. Some species live in harems and territory is fiercely protected by the group. Sometimes when the head male disappears, the largest female will change sex. The Grey and French Angel fish do not change sex and often live in a monogamous relationship with a similar sized partner for life. The Grey Angelfish is known to congregate in numbers of up to 20 as has been noticed over "The Silent Evolution" on several occasions .

BUTTERFLY FISH

Family: Chaetodontidae

The Caribbean houses only seven of the 120 species of Butterfly fish. Generally of small size with concave heads and a protruding mouth housing teeth, makes them distinguishable to Angel fish. Normally a silver colour with yellow tint and dark strips which cover the eyes. They feed on small worms, hydroids or coral polyps, particularly Gorgonian coral, and swim in pairs. They use their dorsal spines to warn off predators and the false eye spot on juveniles and Foureye species assist to misdirect attacks.

SURGEONFISH

Family: Acanthuridae

The name is derived from the sharp spines on the either side of their tail base, they are normally folded forward in a groove and cannot be voluntarily erected. The three species in this group are the Blue Tang, the Oceanic Surgeonfish and the Doctorfish. They are often found in mixed groups grazing on the algae on reefs. Doctorfish look very similar to Oceanic Surgeonfish however they have distinguishing body bars on either side. Both species can lighten or darken in colour dramatically. Blue Tangs have flat oval heads and are dark blue to purple in colour with white spine grooves at the tail base. The juvenile of the species has a bright yellow tail which slowly changes to blue as it matures. Their digestive system is anatomically alike to a herbivore but because most of the substrate of a reef contains hydroids and micro invertebrates which are inadvertently eaten, all three species are considered omnivores. Surgeon fish play a key role to the reef by grazing on algae therefore inhibiting the growth of turf algae and in the process they increase the amount of detritus to the habitat for other species.

 

SMALL OVAL BODIES

DAMSELFISH

Family: Pomacentridae

The juvenile of these species are often brightly coloured while the adults are normally of dark colouration. They have very small mouths with fine teeth and feed on algae. They are very territorial and are known to nip at intruders. When their feeding area or egg nest is threatened they flare their fins and dart back and forth ready to attack. It is the males that fiercely defend the gametes during spawning. Blue Tangs have developed a way of penetrating the Damsel fish defences by swimming in groups. Most damselfish inhabit a single type of habitat and have a preference for substrate. They only ever co-exist with other species to share resources if there is a dominance relationship Eg. the Large Yellowtail Damselfish overlaps its feeding territory with the Dusky Damselfish however it is the Damselfish that is bullied into doing most of the protection.

BEAUGREGORY

Stegastes leucostictus

A type of carnivorous damselfish Because it does not need to defend algal patches, they typically inhabiting calm shallow regions and often take refuge in empty conch shells and rubble. The juveniles are bright yellow with a demarcated blue dorsum while the adults are a dusky brown maintaining a pale to yellow tail.

SERGEANT MAJOR FISH: Abudefduf saxatilis are another type of Damselfish that have evolved to eat a broad diet and can live in different habitats. They eat algae, plankton, invertebrates, eggs off rocks and small fishes. Males defending the egg nests will turn a blue colour and will attack any intruder. The juveniles are miniature versions of the adults with yellow colouration and 5 vertical black bars to their bodies.

www.wetwebmedia.com/damsels.htm

"Reef fish behaviour" by Paul Humann, Ned DeLoach

Wikipaedia Sites

animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/butterflyfish/

SILVER COLOURATION

BARRACUDA

Genus: Sphyraena

These large piscavores have a primitive mouth with an under shot jaw lined with sharp teeth to severe fishes instantaneously. They spend most of their time swimming around the reef as opportunistic predators which are often outsmarted by their prey due to poor vision. They have webs of skin supported by a bony structure called ray fins instead of the fleshy type of fin. The Great Barracuda can reach up to 1.8 m long and has a prominent visible lateral line. Adults are solitary fish while juvenile will live in groups. Shiny rings and silver has been known to attract an attack as they resemble prey.

BAR JACK

Species: Carangoides ruber

Jacks are social animals normally swimming in schools throughout the open sea in search of food. They predate on small fish and crustaceans and often will congregate next to other predators like barracuda and stingrays. They have a distinguished black line running under the dorsal fin and onto the lower portion of the tail fin and can be fairly large up to 69cm long. Their jaws are pointed containing narrow bands of teeth and the upper has an outer row of re-curved teeth. They have been sighted in large groups on several occasions around "The Silent Evolution".

CHUB

Family: Ciprinidae

Rounded body with thin yellow/bronze horizontal stripes and a white linea streak below the eye from mouth to gill. Juveniles have light spots as large as an eye covering the body. The young reside amongst seagrass and weeds and the species live in shallow waters up to 30meters. Chubs are omnivores feeding on algae, small crustaceans and molluscs. They have been sighted cleaning parasites from themselves on the heel of "La Jardinera"

Other fish in this catagory include Palometa, Houndfish, White Mullet, Mojarras and Porgy's.

species-identification.org/species.php?species_group=caribbean_diving_guide&id=191

www.thedivingblog.com/fish-identification-bar-jack/

"Snorkelling Guide to Marine Life" by Paul Humann, Ned DeLoach

Wikipaedia Sites

www.aloha.com/~lifeguards/barracud.html

LARGE MOUTH AND TAPERED BODY WITH NOTCHED TAILS

GRUNT

Family: Haemulidae

Grunts are named due to the 'Grunt-like' sound they make through their pharyngeal teeth and swim bladders. Populations can be numerous and dense around reefs, grass bed and sand flat habitats. Most Grunts have colourful stripes and very deeply notched tails and are similar to snappers but do not poses canine teeth. Grunts tend to be quite social and move around in large groups around reefs. They are bottom feeding predators, mostly at night on crustaceans. The juveniles resemble the adults in colour.

SNAPPER

Family: Lutjanidae

They gain their name due to the snapping action of their jaws when they are hooked. They have a continuous dorsal fin and a defined triangular head with a large mouth containing canine teeth. Large snapper can be solitary animals while the smaller species congregate in groups. The most common species are Grey Snappers, Yellow tail Snapper and Schoolmasters. Red snappers are deep water fish. Most snappers feed on shrimps, crabs, worms and smaller fish and some snappers especially the deep water group, can grow to a substantial size.

TOMTATE

Species: Haemulon aurolineatum

These are a type of Grunt with a yellow stripe which runs from snout to tail and a dark spot near the tail base which may or may not be present.

PORKFISH

Species: Anisotremus verginicus

The Porkfish is also a type of Grunt and are very graceful swimmers. They have a high back and brightly coloured yellow fins and head with two vertical stripes covering the eye and bordering the gills. They can be up to 40cm in length and are omnivores. They tend to swim in small schools and take refuge on reefs at night. They form a symbiotic relationship with other fish feeding on their parasites.

www.seaworld.org/animal-info/

www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=16+1830&aid=1970

"Snorkelling Guide to Marine Life" by Paul Humann, Ned DeLoach

Wikipaedia Sites

www.mexfish.com/fish/grunts/grunts.htm

OTHER FISH

PARROTFISH

Family: Scaridae

This group of fish have fused teeth forming a 'beak', large scales and primarily use their pectoral fins for locomotion. They use their mouths to scrape off algae and coral polyps consuming large quantities of calcium carbonate. They are quite often seen excreting a cloud of chalky waste. The juvenile parrotfish are very different in appearance to the brightly coloured adults. The adults emphasis their brightest colour during mating and courtship. Adults are solitary and are commonly sighted on reefs. In some species the largest fish change sex from female to male. Generally are less territorial than most reef fish due to the abundance of food they can eat. At night most parrotfish have a safe haven either in a rock crevice, cave or overhang or next to reef and one species the, Queen Parrotfish, will coat themselves in mucous to mask their scent while they are in a deep sleep or trance. The largest Parrot fish recorded is up to four feet in length.

WRASSE

Family: Labridae

Closely related to the Parrotfish but with protracted mouths, front canine teeth and smaller cigar shaped bodies. They use their teeth for eating crustaceans and other invertebrates like Brittlestars and Sea urchins. They tend to swim very busily around reefs in groups and some species are symbiotic or mutualistic, forming feeding stations for larger fish to cleanse themselves of parasites. Similar to Parrotfish they are often brightly coloured, change colour dependent on life stages and can change sex. This diverse family of fish range from the small Razorfish to the three foot long Hogfish. At night they take refuge in crevices or some species may burrow beneath sand.

TRIGGERFISH

Family: Balistidae

Within the same family as Filefish, poses a long dorsal spine which can be voluntary raised and locked into place. They have a large head and small strong jaws with crushing teeth. Most feed on slow moving bottom dwellers like Sea urchins, crustaceans and molluscs while some species only feed on algae. They possess a thick skin overlaid by scales and notoriously can be quite aggressive.

TRUNKFISH

Family: Ostraciidae

A member of the Box Fish family and closely related to the Pufferfish, they are triangular in shape with a hexagonal pattern, small pert mouths and brush tails, used for escaping predators. They contain mucous secreting glands which release a toxin in defence. Trunkfish lack the sharp spine over each eye which Cowfish poses and the juveniles are brightly coloured. Normally they are very slow swimmers living in harems.

RAYS

Family:Dasyatidae

Related to sharks , both being a species of cartilaginous fish. They have Flat disc shaped bodies with enlarged pectoral fins which are fused to their heads, with a ventrally positioned mouth. The protruding jaw works on a suspension mechanism with developed rounded teeth designed for eating crustaceans, molluscs and sometimes fish. Manta rays are mostly plankton eating creatures. Rays breath by moving water in through spiracles and not through their mouths. Rays obtained their name because they have the ability to release an electric shock when threatened. Stingrays, Electric rays and Guitarfish are bottom dwellers while Eagle rays are never resting on the sea bed and live in deeper water.

FLOUNDERS

Family: Bothidae

The Peacock Flounder is also known as the Flowery Flander due to blue flower -like marking along its dorsum. Their eyes are raised on stalks and can move independently and both are situated on top of the left side of their head providing a broad peripheral view. Adult Flounders swim sideways and therefore settle their body flat on the ground. They are normally found in shallow waters and can camoflague themselves against the substrate by releasing pigments to change the colour of their skin. If they feel threatened by predator Flounders can bury themselves into the sand leaving only their eyes protruding. They are omnivores generally on the hunt at night.

www.freshmarine.com/boxfish-trunkfish.html

"Snorkelling Guide to Marine Life" by Paul Humann, Ned DeLoach

Wikipaedia Sites

animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/parrot-fish/

animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/stingray/

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacock_flounder

BOTTOM DWELLERS

This group of fish consist of those living on rock, coral, sand or sponge surface. Here are just a few that have been spotted on the Sculptures. Others in this group include Jawfish, Flounders, Lizardfish and Frogfish.

SEA HORSE

Genus: Hippocampus

Seahorses are a bony fish without scales. They have a thin skin coating bony plates covering their entire body. The genus consist of almost 50 species and are found in sheltered shallow tropical and temperate seas. The number of rings on the body determines the species of fish and each individual is distinguished by a coronet on their head. Although closely related to the pipefish, seahorses are poor at swimming and in a vertical plane using their dorsal fin while their pectoral fins caudal to the eyes are used for direction. Some species form territories and live in a close ranging habitat while others, generally the females, will stray further. Sea horses camouflage to blend into the background substrate either seagrass, rock or coral reef, however in social or threatened moments they can become very brightly coloured. They use their long snouts to suck up plankton, shrimp, small fish and crustaceans. During reproduction a couple will carry out a courtship dance for several days before mating. The female deposits around 1,500 eggs into the males 'brood pouch' and it is his responsibility to carry the eggs until they are released into the ocean around one month later. The number of baby seahorses range from 100-200 depending on the species.

Seahorses are a species suffering from human damage. With depleting coral reefs and seagrass beds. They are also being used in Chinese medicine and their numbers are threatened.

SCORPION FISH

Family: Scorpaenidae

This family of fish contain some of the most venomous species. They have spines which can sting and are coated with venomous mucous. Generally they have compressed stocky bodies, large heads and fleshy appendages for camouflage. They have spines on their heads, operculum and on their dorsal fins with venom glands. Most are bottom dwellers who feed on crustaceans and smaller fish. They camouflage themselves and wait for passing pray to ambush. They have large mouths with jaw teeth and using their gills they create a pressure vacuum to suck in unsuspecting prey.

BLENNY

Suborder: Blennioidei

These are small fish with elongated bodies, large eyes and mouth and either burrow in crevices in reefs or spend most of their time on the sea floor. They have a long continuous dorsal fin and a rounded tail fin. They feed on algae and small benthic invertebrates. Five species can be found in the Caribbean and are brightly coloured and less than an inch in length. They can easily be confused with Gobies. Blennies have flexible bodies with appendages over their eyes and snouts called Cirri whereas Gobies have stiff bodies, two-part dorsal fins and no Cirri. Many have been seen living in small holes on some of the statues in Grenada and in Cancun however they are very difficult to find exposed for a photograph.

GOBY

Family: Gobiidae

These are the smallest of this group of fish. They have a very straight posture with 2 dorsal fins. They can form symbiotic relationships with other species either acting as "watchmen" for shrimps or as "cleaners" to remove parasites from larger fish. We have seen many cleaning Gobies on Grace Reef however like Blenny's they do not hang around for a photograph!

animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/sea-horse/

www.glaucus.org.uk

"Reef fish behaviour" by Paul Humann, Ned DeLoach

Wikipaedia Sites

animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/sea-horse/

www.starfish.ch/reef/scorpionfish.html