Practise Fish Identification Guide Fish Identification • During your time in Madagascar you will learn to identify a large number of tropical fish species • This guide has been put together by previous volunteers and includes species that are commonly seen in the Andavadoaka region • Please use this guide to familiarise yourself with these species before your departure These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Online Resources • A digital species library for the fish families and species of Madagascar can be found here: www.wiomweb.org • This library can be used as an online learning resource to help you with your fish ID skills These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Surgeonfish and Unicorn fish (Acanthuridae) • Oval Body with small mouth • Continuous anal and Dorsal fins • Scalpel blade on either side of caudal peduncle (before tail), two blades in Unicornfish • 25-35cm • Family includes Bristletooths, Tangs Unicornfish and Surgeonfish These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Goldring Bristletooth Ctenochaetus strigosus Gold ring around eye These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Striped Bristletooth Ctenochaetus striatus Orange spots on head Blue lines on body Emarginate tail These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Twospot Bristletooth Ctenochaetus binotatus Orange/ 2 black Brown spots at colour rear base of dorsal Blue ring and anal around fins (hence eye the name ‘Twospot’) Blue lines on body These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Blackstreak Surgeon Fish Acanthurus nigricaude ‘Black streak’ Thin behind streak on eye to rear body above to tail pectoral spine fin These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Convict Surgeonfish Acanthurus triostegus White with 5-6 Black bars on head and body. Think ‘convict’ behind bars! These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Dusky/Brown surgeonfish Acanthurus nigrofuscus 2 black spots at Numerous rear base orange of dorsal spots on and anal head fins Brown body colour These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Elongate/Yellow mask Surgeonfish Acanthurus mata Pale to Dark blue horizontal lines on body Yellow band through eye Yellow upper lip These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Eyestripe Surgeon Acanturus dussumieri Yellow Blue tail band with through eye numerous black spots Blue to brownish body with horizontal lines These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Powderblue Surgeonfish Acanthurus leucosternon ‘Powderblue’ Yellow body dorsal fin Black Face White ventral and anal fins These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Brushtail Tang Zebrasoma scopas Yellow/ brown White tail colouration spine darkening to black on tail ‘Brushed’ fins and tail These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Desjardin’s Sailfin Tang Zebrasoma desjardinii Enlarged dorsal and anal fins marked with pale lines Bars/spot patterns on Dark tail sides with blue spots These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Blacktongue unicornfish Naso Hexacantus Brown to Blueish grey graduating to yellow/white ‘Black tongue’ shaped lining just behind the head These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Bluespine unicornfish Naso unicornis Grey to olive 2 ‘blue spines’ colouration on tail Short horn does not proceed past mouth These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Orangespine Unicornfish Naso elegans Brownish Black Grey band on dorsal fin ‘Orange spines’ on Yellow tail and edged anal fin Black area from mouth to eye These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Spotted Unicornfish Dark spots Naso brevirostris on head Brown Vertical rows of Broad based body spots and lines on tapering horn side These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Cardinal fish(Apogonidae) • Small moderately elongate fish • Large mouth and eyes • Two dorsal fins • Spine on operculum • Small resemblance to Goldfish. • Often seen in shoals around the reef These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Five Lined Cardinalfish Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus Yellow tail base with black spot in line with mid lateral stripe Grey to whitish with ‘5 black lines’ on the body. These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Orange Lined Cardinalfish Archamia fucata Pair of Black spot blue on tail stripes base through eye Numerous narrow ‘orange lines’ on the body These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Ringtailed Cardinalfish Apogon aureus Yellow/orange graduating to Pair of blue pale on upper stripes back and tail through eye base Black ‘ring’ tail’ base narrows in middle These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Trumpetfish (Aulostomidae) • Elongate body with trumpet-like snout • Usually solitary • Yellow tail with two black spots • Distinguished from Cornetfish by having a shorter and thicker body • Upto 80cm These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Trumpetfish Aulostumus chinensis Trumpet like snout and mouth Two black spots on tail, with yellow tip on end These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Triggerfish (Balistidae) • Large diamond shaped laterally compressed body • Dorsal fin with elongate spine in front • Pelvic fin reduced • Eyes high on head • 25-35cm These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Clown Triggerfish Balistoides conspiculum Yellowish band across Pale patch top of snout with dark ‘clown’ spots on back Black undercolour with white spots on lower body These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Halfmoon Triggerfish Sufflamen chrysopterus Narrow Dark yellow/orange brown – bar behind eye yellow/ brown White ‘moon coloured’ tail Bluish chin These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide. To save on paper please do not print these pages. Moustache/Titan Triggerfish Balistoides viridescens Dark body Yellow/green with patch on Blue/Green cheek cross hatches Dark ‘moustache’ Whitish above rear of mouth body Very large upto 75cm These photographs are not the property of Blue Ventures, they have been taken from various web sources and are intended as a training guide.