AGRRA: Fish Identification Course
Revision: 2016-05-25 (Scientific Names) Images in this presentation are Copyright © by Ken Marks and New World Publications.
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Permission is granted to use this Powerpoint presentation for educational purposes with the AGRRA Program and, with attribution, for other valid educational purposes.
All other uses are strictly prohibited. Pomacanthidae
The angelfish family contains only a handful of species that are thin bodied and have rounded or oval profiles. Angelfishes can be distinguished from the closely related butterflyfishes by the presence of a rear-pointing spine extending from the lower part of the gill cover and their generally larger size compared to the butterflyfish. Two tiny species of angelfishes (genus Centropyge) are not included as they are uncommon species usually restricted to deeper reefs. Yellow tail
Dark blue “crown” ringed in brilliant blue
Holacanthus ciliaris Body bars curved
Holacanthus ciliaris (juvenile) Fins bordered in yellow
Holacanthus bermudensis Body bars straight
Holacanthus bermudensis (juvenile) Black with yellow rims on scales
Rounded tail Pomacanthus paru Yellow oval on curved tail
Pomacanthus paru (juvenile) Gray body with dark scales
Square-cut tail with light margin
Yellow inner face of pectoral
Pomacanthus arcuatus Square-cut tail with light margin
Pomacanthus arcuatus (juvenile) Black body
Yellow forebody and tail
Holacanthus tricolor Black spot ringed in brilliant blue
Holacanthus tricolor (juvenile) Chaetodontidae
Butterflyfishes, like the closely related angelfishes, are thin bodied fishes that have rounded or oval profiles but they are generally smaller and lack the spine on the gill cover. Butterflyfishes are often seen in pairs as they flit about the reef. Most species have a dark bar running through the eyes to conceal them. This is combined with false eye spots on the tail of most juveniles (and some adults) to further create the illusion that the fish is pointing the other way (to confuse predators). Two black midbody bands
Chaetodon striatus Black spot ringed in white
Chaetodon capistratus Black spot on edge of rear dorsal
All fins (except pectoral) bright yellow
Chaetodon ocellatus Broad dark area on rear body
Chaetodon sedentarius Yellow to black bar runs to eye but not below
Long pointed snout
Prognathodon aculeatus Acanthuridae
A sharp scalpel-like spine on either side of the tail base gives this family its name. These herbivorous fishes are often seen as singles or in small groups but they also may form large schools which often use their numbers to overcome the defenses of damselfishes to feed upon their algal gardens. There are only three species in the Tropical Western Atlantic and they all have similar coloration but they can be identified by subtle but reliable distinguishing features. White to yellow spine
Acanthurus coeruleus Bright yellow overall
Acanthurus coeruleus (juvenile) Pectoral fin translucent, often yellowish
Acanthurus tractus May show faint or bold body bars
Dark area at base of pectoral fin Acanthurus chirurgus Silvery (Miscellaneous)
Several families of silvery colored fishes are grouped here (jacks, barracudas, porgies and sea chubs). It is no surprise that the prey items of this diverse group of species covers a wide range. Barracudas and Jacks prey on fishes both up in the water column as well as down on the reef. Porgies feed on benthic invertebrates (including the Long-spined Urchin, Diadema antillarum). Chubs are herbivores feeding on benthic algae. There are actually four nearly identical species of chubs in the area but as they are functionally equivalent on the reef they are recorded generically as chubs rather than to species. Black and bright blue border on back and lower tail
Caranx ruber High back profile
Dark pectoral Orangish area
Trachinotus falcatus Long, cylindrical body often with scattered black blotches on side
Underslung jaw with large teeth
Sphyraena barracuda Small black spot on pectoral base
Slight overbite
Calamus penna Bluish saucer-shaped line under eye
Bluish blotch on Corners of pectoral base mouth yellow Calamus calamus Long sloping head
Large mouth with thick lips
Calamus bajonado Blue rectangular stripe behind eye
Calamus pennatula Football-shaped body
Kyphosus spp. (multiple species) Haemulidae
Grunts and snappers (next) are closely related families but grunts are generally smaller and tend to have more deeply notched tails. While they lack the sharp canine teeth of snappers, they do have pharyngeal teeth deep in their throats that when ground together make a grunting sound (amplified by the air-filled swim bladder). Grunts may aggregate in large schools (sometimes of mixed species) during the day resting in sheltered areas on the reef by day. They spread out over sand flats and seagrass beds to feed on benthic invertebrates at night. Diagonal yellow stripes below lateral line
Haemulon flavolineatum Dark tail and Blue stripes with rear dorsal black edges
Haemulon sciurus 5 or 6 yellow stripes
Small cylindrical body
Haemulon chrysargyreum All fins whitish Checkered pattern on body scales
Yellow and blue stripes only on head
Haemulon plumieri Thin yellow stripes
Darkish rear fins
Haemulon carbonarium Yellowish green back Yellow saddle on tail base
Black stripes on upper body
Haemulon macrostomum Thick gold line at midbody and thinner line on back
Usually dark spot on tail base
Haemulon aurolineatum Black stripe runs from snout to eye
Black diagonal stripe on back runs onto tail forming V
Haemulon melanurum Black spots on scales form diagonal bands
Gold ring around eye
Haemulon parra High back profile
Black patch behind pectoral
Anisotremus surinamensis High back profile
Small eye with white iris Haemulon album High back profile
Yellow fins
Yellow nape
Two black bands on head Anisotremus virginicus Lutjanidae
The common name of this family comes from their behavior of snapping their jaws when hooked. Snappers are generally larger than the similarly shaped grunts and have prominent canine teeth and a single, continuous dorsal fin that further helps to distinguish them from grunts. Like grunts, they are also nocturnal hunters feeding on benthic invertebrates as well as small fishes. During the day they may form small to large aggregations but are often solitary. The Yellowtail Snapper is much more streamline shaped with a lower body profile and a widely forked tail. This species is often found well above the reef in mid-water. Usually has midbody spot
Blue line below eye Pointed anal fin
Lutjanus analis Largest snapper; often silvery gray with no markings but may have faint bars
Thick lips with large teeth Lutjanus cyanopterus Pale triangular patch under eye Lutjanus jocu Reddish margin on tail Lutjanus mahogoni Usually dark blotch on back
Narrow parallel yellow stripes on body
Lutjanus synagris Gray often with no markings
Occasionally dark band from lip through eye
Lutjanus griseus Yellow midbody stripe merges into yellow tail
Ocyurus chrysurus Silvery to yellow body with all yellow fins May have faint bars on back (especially young)
Lutjanus apodus Pomacentridae
Damselfishes are a common inhabitant on most reef habitats and many species can be difficult to identify to species (especially as juveniles). Many damselfish species are planktivores—picking small specks out of the water columns. The only species of interest to AGRRA are the two species that create and tend algal gardens (often killing areas of coral in the process). Yellow crescent over eye Spots on tail base and pectoral fin base
Stegastes planifrons Dark body with a few bright blue spots
Yellow tail
Microspathodon chrysurus Clear tail Blue body with brilliant blue spots
Microspathodon chrysurus (juvenile) Serranidae (Epinephelinae)
Groupers are the best known members of the sea bass family and the only part of that family of interest to AGRRA. The large groupers in the genera Epinephelus and Mycteroperca are often some of the first species to disappear from over-fished reefs. Often, only the smaller grouper species in the genus Epinephelus and those in the genus Cephalopholis may be left in any abundance on reefs receiving fishing pressure. On reefs with severely degraded fish populations these too may be absent. Most groupers tend to remain relatively hidden during the day lurking in the shadows of ledges or wrecks and blending in with their surroundings with colors and markings that provide camouflage. All large groupers should be counted but only common species are shown here. Diagonal bands on head Black saddle spot on tail base
Dark bars on body
Epinephelus striatus Rectangular markings on back
Pale edge on pectoral
Mycteroperca bonaci Oval markings on back
Dark margin on tail
Yellow to pale outer edge of pectoral Mycteroperca venenosa Pectoral margins pale Yellow around corners of mouth Mycteroperca interstitialis Diagonal “tiger-stripe” bars on back
Mycteroperca tigris 3 to 5 dark spots along base of dorsal fin
Tail more rounded than similar species Cephalopholis cruentata Tail and rear fins have dark margin with thin white edge
Epinephelus guttatus Dark blotches along back
Black saddle on tail base
Epinephelus adscensionis Two black spots Two black spots on lower lip on tail base
Reddish-brown color phase Cephalopholis fulva Bicolor phase
Cephalopholis fulva Golden variation (rare)
Cephalopholis fulva Scaridae
Parrotfishes have teeth fused into parrot-like beaks and strong jaws. These adaptations serve them well as they feed by scraping algae from areas of dead coral. Occasionally, they will also bite live coral—in some cases leaving bright white scars to mark the boundaries of their territory. Like the closely related wrasses, parrotfishes have several life stages marked with, often drastically different, colors and markings which can make identification difficult. These phases include the Juvenile Phase (JP), Initial Phase (IP), and Terminal Phase (TP). JP contains both males and females, IP contains sexually mature females (and sometimes immature and mature males), and TP are always sexually mature males. All blue body
Scarus coeruleus Dark “midnight” blue body
Lighter blue markings on face
Scarus coelestinus Orange head, forebody and tail
Green rear body
Scarus guacamaia Blue-green markings (“Moustache”) around mouth
Pale bar along pectoral
Scarus vetula (TP) Gray to black body and tail
White stripe from pectoral to tail
Scarus vetula (IP) Yellow spot at corner of gill cover
Yellow area at tail base and crescent on tail
Sparisoma viride (TP) Scattered large white scales with dark outlines
Red belly and tail
Sparisoma viride (IP) 3 rows of small white spots on body
White bar on tail
Sparisoma viride (JP) Two green lines pass by eye
Pink borders on tail
Yellow wash on side
Scarus taeniopterus (TP) Dark borders on tail
No gold wash on nose
Scarus taeniopterus (JP/IP) Short pink bars between scales
Blue borders on tail
Yellow spot or stripe above pectoral base
Scarus iseri (TP) No dark borders on tail
Gold wash on nose
Scarus iseri (IP) Yellow blotch and small black spots on upper forebody
Red anal fin Red band under eye
Sparisoma aurofrenatum (TP) White saddle spot
Sparisoma aurofrenatum (IP) White to pink saddle spot
2 white body stripes
Sparisoma aurofrenatum (JP) Blue streak behind pectoral
Red tail crescent
Black blotch at pectoral base
Sparisoma chrysopterum (TP) White blotch on tail base
Pale to pinkish body color can Black blotch at be difficult to distinguish from pectoral base Yellowtail Parrotfish Sparisoma chrysopterum (IP) Yellow crescent on tail
Black blotch at pectoral base
Sparisoma rubripinne (TP) Yellow tail
Pale body; ventral fin often pinkish Sparisoma rubripinne (IP) TP: Faint green blotch above pectoral
Yellow-gold to red iris
IP: Red overall
Sparisoma atomarium (TP & IP) Labridae
Wrasses are closely related to the parrotfishes and share similar difficulties in species identification due to having multiple growth phases (JP, IP & TP). Unlike the parrotfishes, wrasses eat benthic invertebrates and do not scrape algae so their mouths have noticeable small pointy teeth instead of parrot-like “beaks” of fused teeth. Most wrasses are elongate and slender bodied but a group of wrasses known as hogfishes have higher back profiles and elongated snout-like mouths that they use to root around in rocks and rubble to find their invertebrate prey (including the Long-spined Urchin, Diadema antillarum). First 3 dorsal spines IP: Black blotch on unusually long base of rear dorsal
Lachnolaimus maximus Purple upper forebody
Yellow belly and tail
Bodianus rufus Green margin on tail IP: White spots along back
Halichoeres radiatus (IP) Dark blue spot on mid-dorsal and tail base
Halichoeres radiatus (JP) Wavy lines behind eyes
Dark mid-body bar
Yellow head
Halichoeres garnoti (TP) Thin blue lines on tail
Wavy lines behind eyes
Halichoeres garnoti (IP) Brilliant blue mid-body stripe
Halichoeres garnoti (JP) Green and yellow bicolor spot above pectoral
Triangular markings on tail corners
Halichoeres bivittatus (TP) White with dark mid-body stripe
Halichoeres bivittatus (JP) Tetraodontidae/Diodontidae/Ostraciidae
A few members of the pufferfish, porcupinefish, and boxfish families are included in the AGRRA fish protocol since they are known to prey upon small Long-spined Urchin, Diadema antillarum. Pufferfishes and porcupinefishes (closely related families) are capable of inflating their bodies by drawing in water as a means of defense. Boxfishes, instead, protect themselves with a triangular, bony box of armor which also makes their bodies inflexible so they are relatively slow and clumsy swimmers. Two dark bands on tail
Row of spots along mid-body
Sphoeroides spengleri Black spots on all fins
Diodon hystrix Long spines No spots on head on fins
Diodon holocanthus Black spots on white body
Spines in front of anal fin Lactophrys bicaudalis Balistide & Monacanthidae
Triggerfishes and filefishes are closely related families with subtle differences. They are part of the superfamily known as leatherjackets due to the rough texture of their skin. Both families have an elongate first dorsal spine that may be raised or lowered. Triggerfishes have a second smaller ridged spine “the trigger” behind the first which may be used to lock this larger spine into place. The dorsal spine of filefishes tent to be longer and thicker than those of triggerfishes. Black lines radiate out from eye
2 blue lines on face Balistes vetula Uniformly gray; black blotch at base of pectoral Canthidermes sufflamen Blackish body; pale blue lines along dorsal and anal fin bases
Melichthys niger Small orange spots on body
White saddle spot on tail base
Canthidermis pullus Usually has pale white spots
Orange spines Extended belly on tail base appendage Canthidermis macrocerus May be unspotted orange with pale mid-body area
Orange spines on tail base
Canthidermis macrocerus Muraenidae
Morays include some of the largest eels encountered on the reef. They have no pectoral or ventral fins and their dorsal, tail, and anal fins are merged into a single continuous fin that extends from behind the head around the tail and midway up the lower part of the body. Since morays lack external gill covers they constantly open and close their mouths to force water over their gills. This is often interpreted as aggression when it is only respiration. Though they are not aggressive, they can inflict a serious bite so they are best left unmolested. Uniformly green with no markings
Gymnothorax funebris Dark border along dorsal
Covered with dark speckling
Gymnothorax moringa Golden ring around pupil
Brown with fine yellow spots; golden tail tip not often seen
Gymnothorax miliaris Scorpaenidae
A member of the scorpionfish family, lionfish are not native to the Tropical Western Atlantic. This very distinctive exotic species from the Indo-Pacific has become naturalized in our waters due to escaped individuals kept in aquariums which were able to find mates and begin breeding in the wild. In just a few years lionfish have spread throughout the region and lacking predators have attained problematic densities on many reefs resulting in a loss of biodiversity and biomass to these hungry predators. The venomous spines of the dorsal and the ventral and anal fins can inflict a painful wound so care should be taken around lionfish. Featherlike dorsal and pectorals
Reddish brown body bands Pterois volitans