school of fish in background
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About Your Sanctuary
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BONY FISH SPECIES
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The following bony fishes are found within the coral cap region of the sanctuary (0-130 ft, 0-40m deep). Common names are listed, if known.

Click on a link below to go directly to a specific group of fish, or scroll down the page to see them all. Click on any photo to see a larger image.

A series of 7 images focused in on the tail joint of different fishes
Markings at the base of a fish's tail often help with identification. Can you identify these 7 fish?

Angelfish
Barracuda
Batfish
Bigeye
Blenny
Bonnetmouth
Boxfish
Butterflyfish
Cardinalfish
Chub
Cobia
Conger Eel
Cornetfish
Damselfish
Dolphin
Dragonet
Driftfishes
Drum
False Moray Eel
Filefish
Flyingfish
Frogfish

Goatfish
Goby
Grunt
Halfbeak
Hawkfish
Jack
Jawfish
Lefteyed Flounder
Lionfish
Lizardfish
Mackerel
Moray Eel
Mullet
Needlefish
Ocean Sunfish
Parrotfish
Pipefish
Porgy
Puffer
Remora

Sea Bass (Grouper)
Sea Robins
Scorpionfish
Snake Eel
Snapper
Soapfish
Spadefish
Spaghetti Eel
Spiny Puffer
Squirrelfish
Surgeonfish
Threadfin
Tilefish
Triggerfish
Trumpetfish
Tripletail
Wrasse

Angelfish List

Angelfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Cherubfish Centropyge argi
Blue Angelfish
blue angelfish

Blue Angelfish (Holacanthus bermudensis)

Blue Angelfish (Holacanthus bermudensis) eating sponges on the reef

juvenile Blue Angelfish (Holacanthus bermudensis)
(juvenile)

Juvenile Blue Angelfish
(juvenile)

Holacanthus bermudensis
Queen Angelfish
queen angelfish

Face front head shot of a Queen Angelfish (Holocanthus ciliaris)

Holacanthus ciliaris
Townsend Angelfish (hybrid of Blue & Queen Angelfish)
Townsend's angelfish

Townsend's angelfish

Townsend Angelfish (Holacanthus townsendi)

Townsend Angelfish head (Holacanthus townsendi)

Holacanthus townsendi
Rock Beauty
Rock beauty
Holacanthus tricolor
French Angelfish
French angelfish
(adult)

French angelfish transitioning from juvenile to adult (Pomacanthus paru)
(transitioning to adult colors)

French Angelfish (Pomocanthus paru) transitioning from juvenile to adult coloration
(transitioning to adult colors)

Juvenile French angelfish
(juvenile)

Juvenile French Angelfish cleaning a Doctorfish
(juvenile cleaning a Doctorfish)

Pomacanthus paru

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Barracuda List

Barracudas
Common Name Scientific Name

Great Barracuda
Headshot of Great Barracuda with an open mouth full of teeth

Great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda)

great barracuda

Sphyraena barracuda

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Batfish List

Batfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Pancake Batfish
Halieutichthys aculeatus

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Bigeye List

Bigeyes
Common Name Scientific Name
Glasseye Snapper
Glasseye snapper
Heteropriacanthus cruentatus
Bigeye Priacanthus arenatus
Short Bigeye Pristigenys alta

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Blenny List

Blennies
Common Name Scientific Name
Banner Blenny Emblemaria atlantica

Sailfin Blenny
Sailfin Blenny (Emblemaria pandionis)

Sailfin Blenny (Emblemaria pandionis)

Emblemaria pandionis

Barred Blenny
Barred Blenny (Hypleurochilus bermudensis)

Hypleurochilus bermudensis
Tessellated Blenny
tessellated blenny
Hypsoblennius invemar

Redlip Blenny
Redlip blenny (Ophioblennius atlanticus)

Redlip Blenny (Ophioblennius atlanticus)

Ophioblennius macclurei

Seaweed Blenny
seaweed blenny
(yellow variation)

Yellow variation of Seaweed Blenny
(yellow variation)

Seaweed blenny, dark variation
(dark variation)

Seaweed Blenny (Parablennius marmoreus)
(striped variation)

Parablennius marmoreus
Molly Miller Scartella cristata
Dwarf Blenny Starksia nanodes
Checkered Blenny Starksia ocellata

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Bonnetmouth List

Bonnetmouths
Common Name Scientific Name
Bonnetmouth Emmelichthyops atlanticus
Boga Inermia vittata

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Boxfish List

Boxfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Honeycomb Cowfish
honeycomb cowfish

Honeycomb cowfish (Acanthostracion polygonia)

Honeycomb Cowfish (Acanthostracion polygonia)

Acanthostracion polygonium
Scrawled Cowfish
scrawled cowfish
Acanthostracion quadricornis

Spotted Trunkfish
Spotted Trunkfish (Lactophrys bicaudalis)

Spotted Trunkfish (Lactophrys bicaudalis)

Lactophrys bicaudalis

Smooth Trunkfish
smooth trunkfish

Smooth Trunkfish (Lactophrys triqueter)

Juvenile Smooth Trunkfish (Lactophrys triqueter)
(juvenile)

juvenile smooth trunkfish
(juvenile, aka bumble bee)

Lactophrys triqueter
Golden Smooth Trunkfish
Golden smooth trunkfish (Lactophrys triqueter)

golden smooth trunkfish

Lactophrys triqueter

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Butterflyfish List

Butterflyfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Foureye Butterflyfish Chaetodon capistratus
Spotfin Butterflyfishspotfin butterflyfish Chaetodon ocellatus
Reef Butterflyfish
reef butterflyfish

Reef Butterflyfish (Chaetodon sedentarius)

Chaetodon sedentarius
Banded Butterflyfish
Banded Butterflyfish (Chaetodon striatus)
Chaetodon striatus
Longsnout Butterfly
Longsnout Butterflyfish (Prognathodes aculeatus)

Longsnout Butterflyfish (Prognathodes aculeatus)

Prognathodes aculeatus

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Cardinalfish List

Cardinalfishes
Common Name Scientific Name

Flamefish
flamefish

Three Flamefish among urchin spines

Flamefish swimming above a Two Spot Cardinalfish between urchin spines
(Flamefish top, Two Spot Cardinalfish bottom)

Apogon maculatus
Mimic Cardinalfish Apogon phenax
Pale Cardinalfish Apogon planifrons

Two-spot Cardinalfish
Two-spot Cardinalfish (Apogon pseudomaculatus)

Two Spot Cardinalfish

Flamefish swimming above a Two Spot Cardinalfish between urchin spines
(Flamefish top, Two Spot Cardinalfish bottom)

Apogon pseudomaculatus
Sawcheek Cardinalfish Apogon quadrisquamatus
Roughlip Cardinalfish Apogon robinsi
Belted Cardinalfish Apogon townsendi
Freckled Cardinalfish Phaeoptyx conklini
Bigtooth Cardinalfish
Bigtooth Cardinalfish (Apogon affinis)
Paroncheilus affinis
Dusky Cardinalfish
Dusky Cardinalfish (Phaeoptyx pigmentaria)

Dusky Cardinalfish (Phaeoptyx pigmentaria)

Phaeoptyx pigmentaria

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Chub List

Chubs
Common Name Scientific Name
Bermuda/Yellow Chub
chub

school of chub

Kyphosus sectatrix/incisor

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Cobia List

Cobia
Common Name Scientific Name
Cobia Rachycentron canadum

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Conger Eel List

Conger Eels
Common Name Scientific Name
Conger Eel Conger oceanicus
Threadtail Conger Uroconger syringinus

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Cornetfish List

Cornetfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Red Cornetfish Fistularia petimba

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Damselfish List

Damselfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Sergeant Major
sergeant major

sergeant major juvenile (Abudefduf saxatilis)

Abudefduf saxatilis
Blue Chromis Azurina cyanea

Brown Chromis
Brown Chromis (Chromis multilineata)


brown chromis

Azurina multilineata
Yellowtail Reeffish
Yellowtail Reeffish (Chromis enchrysura)
Chromis enchrysurus
Sunshinefish
Sunshinefish (Chromis insolata)
(juvenile)
Chromis insolata
Purple Reeffish
Purple Reeffish (Chromis scotti)

Purple Reeffish (Chromis scotti)

Chromis scotti
Yellowtail Damselfish
Yellowtail Damselfish (Microspathodon chrysurus)

Yellowtail Damselfish (Microspathodon chrysurus)

Microspathodon chrysurus

Regal Demoiselle
Invasive Species

Neopomacentrus cyanomos
Longfin Damselfish
Longfin Damselfish juvenile (Stegastes diencaeus)(juvenile)
Stegastes diencaeus
Dusky Damselfish
juvenile dusky damselfish
(juvenile)
Stegastes adustus
Bicolor Damselfish
bicolor damselfish

Bicolor Damselfish (Stegastes partitus)

Stegastes partitus
Threespot Damselfish
three spot damselfish
Stegastes planifrons
Cocoa Damselfish
Cocoa Damselfish (Stegastes variabilis)

juvenile cocoa damselfish
(juvenile)

Stegastes variabilis

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Dolphin List

Dolphins
Common Name Scientific Name
Dolphin Coryphaena hippurus

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Dragonet List

Dragonets
Common Name Scientific Name
Lancer Dragonet Callionymus bairdi

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Driftfish List

Driftfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Man of War Fish
Man of War fish (Nomeius gronovii )
(image from JT on M/V Fling)
Nomeius gronovii

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Drum List

Drums
Common Name Scientific Name
Jackknife Fish Eques lanceolatus
Spotted Drum
Spotted Drum (Equetus punctatus)

Juvenile Spotted Drum (Equetus punctatus)
(transitioning juvenile)

juvenile spotted drum
(juvenile)

Eques punctatus
Highhat Pareques acuminatus
Cubbyu
Cubbyu (Pareques (Equetus) umbrosus)
Pareques umbrosus

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False Moray Eel List

False Moray Eels
Common Name Scientific Name
Collared Eel Kaupichthys nuchalis

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Filefish List

Filefishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Unicorn Filefish
Unicorn Filefish (Aluterus monoceros)
Aluterus monoceros
Scrawled Filefish
Scrawled filefish (Aluterus scriptus)

Scrawled Filefish (Aluterus scriptus)

Aluterus scriptus
Whitespotted Filefish
Whitespotted Filefish (Cantherines macrocerus)
(spotted phase)

whitespotted filefish (Cantherines macrocerus)
(orange phase)

whitespotted filefish (Cantherines macrocerus)
(orange phase)

Cantherhines macrocerus
Orangespotted Filefish
Orangespotted filefish (Cantherhines pullus)
Cantherhines pullus
Planehead Filefish Stephanolepis hispida
Pygmy Filefish Stephanolepis setifer

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Flyingfish List

Flyingfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Margined Flyingfish Cheilopogon cyanopterus
Atlantic Flyingfish Cheilopogon melanurus
Blackwing Flyingfish Hirundichthys rondeleti
Sailfin Flyingfish Parexocoetus brachypterus

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Frogfish List

Frogfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Sargassumfish Histrio histrio

Longlure Frogfish
Yellow frogfish resting on a purple sponge

Close up on the face of a black frogfish with mouth slightly open

Close up on the face of a black frogfish with mouth slightly open

Antennarius multiocellatus

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Continue to next page of fishes (Goatfish to Remora)

Continue to last page of fishes (Sea Bass to Wrasse)

 


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weather report observations cool stuff get wet


Small, knobby corals in foreground; boulder of brain coral in background.  Long, fingery branches of purple sponge anchored in knobby corals and standing upright.
   
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