Fishes of the Caribbean  

Reef fish watching becomes a fine art once you have overcome the distraction of the dazzling jewel-like appearance of so many tropical fishes. First you must learn to discern their patterns of behavior, the regular responses they make to their surroundings; then you can begin to understand their interactions, thier feeding and courtship patterns, territoriality, and survival techniques. You can see parrotfish chewing coral, a Trumpetfish hanging head down and motionless waiting for a small fish to pass by, Bar Jacks plunging into a school of minnows, and so on.

 

Myripristis jacobus  Blackbar Soldierfish (and forehead friend)

Monacanthus tuckeri  Slender Filefish

 

Syngnathus louisianeae  Pipefish

 

Holacanthus ciliaris  Queen Angel

Hypoplectrus guttavarius  Shy Hamlet

    Text source: A Field Guide to Coral Reefs, by Kaplan, 1982, Houghton Mifflin Boston Photo source: Karibik, by Humann, Stoll, & Ritter, 1989, Sturtz Verlag Wurzburg  

coral ~ fishes ~ swimming critters ~ floor critters