Fish Identification

Identification Group #1

Disks & Ovals/Colorful

• Thin-bodies with round or oval profiles

• All have small mouths & are generally quite colorful

Identification Group #2

Silvery: Jack – Porgy – Others

• Silver to grey in color & generally unpatterned

• Several have greenish, yellowish, & bluish tints with occasional markings

• All have forked tails

Tarpon

Identification Group #3

Sloping Head/ Tapering Body – Grunt – Snapper

• Basic “fishlike” shape

• Relatively large mouths

• Notched tails

Identification Group #4

Small Ovals – Damselfish

• Small fish with oval profile

Identification Group #5

Heavy Bodied – Large Lips – Grouper & Sea Bass• Strong, well-built “bass like” bodies• Large mouth & lips• Jutting lower jaw• Long continuous dorsal fin – divided into 2 parts• Fore part is developed into spines• Rear is soft & flexible

Red Grouper

Identification Group #6

Swim with Pectoral fins/Obvious Scales

Parrotfish – Wrasse – Hogfish

• Primarily use pectoral fins to swim

• Even rows of large noticeable scales

• Beak-like mouth

Rainbow Parrotfish

Spanish Hogfish

Blue Head Wrasse

Identification Group #7

Reddish/Big Eyes

• Pale red to reddish brown

• Large eyes

• Generally nocturnal feeders

• Hide in dark recesses during the day

Identification Group #8

Small Elongated Bottom Dwellers

Goby – Blenny

• Long cylindrical bodies

• Spend most of the time perched on the bottom or in small holes with only their heads protruding

• Few species drift just above the bottom

Neon Goby

Cleaning Goby

Red Lip Blenny

Identification Group #9

Odd shaped bottom dwellers

Flounder – Scorpionfish

Peacock Flounder

Reef Scorpionfish

Identification Group #10

Odd-shaped swimmers

Puffer – Boxfish – Triggers – Filefish

• Do not have typical fish body shape

Identification Group #11

Eels

• Long, snake-like bodies

• Generally found along the bottom in dark reef recesses or in sand

Identification Group #12

Sharks & Rays

• Skeleton composed of cartilage instead of bone

• Small hard scales that give them a sand papery feel

Reef Shark