school of fish in background
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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.

Angelfish
Barracuda
Batfish
Bigeye
Blenny
Bonnetmouth
Boxfish
Butterflyfish
Cardinalfish
Chub
Cobia
Conger Eel
Cornetfish
Damselfish
Dolphin
Dragonet
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

Goatfish List

Goatfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Yellow Goatfish
yellow goatfish

Yellow Goatfish (Mulloidichthys martinicus)

School of Yellow Goatfish (Mulloidichthys martinicus)
(school)

Yellow Goatfish (Mulloidichthys martinicus) in night colors
(night colors)

Mulloidichthys martinicus
Spotted Goatfish
spotted goatfish
Pseudupeneus maculatus
Dwarf Goatfish Upeneus parvus

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Goby List

Gobies
Common Name Scientific Name
Pallid Goby
Pallid Goby (Coryphopterus eidolon)

Pallid Goby (Coryphopterus eidolon)

Coryphopterus eidolon
Bridled Goby Coryphopterus glaucofraenum

Spotted Goby
Spotted Goby (Coryphopterus glaucofraenum)

Spotted Goby (Coryphopterus punctipectophorus)

Coryphopterus punctipectophorus
Bartail Goby Coryphopterus thrix
Neon GobyNeon goby

Elacatinus oceanops

Video

Goldspot Goby Gnatholepis thompsoni
Island Goby Lythrpnus nesiotes
Convict Goby Lythrpnus phorellus
Bluegold Goby Lythrpnus spilus
Rusty Goby
Rusty Goby (Priolepis hipoliti)
Priolepis hipoliti
Blue Dartfish
blue goby

Blue Goby (Ptereleotris calliuris)

Ptereleotris calliura
Tusked Goby Risor ruber

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Grunt List

Grunts
Common Name Scientific Name
Black Margate Anisotremus surinamensis

Tomtate
Juvenile Tomtate (Haemulon aurolineatum)
(juvenile)

Haemulon aurolineatum
Spanish Grunt Haemulon macrostomum
Cottonwick
cottonwicks
Haemulon melanurum
Pigfish Orthopristis chrysoptera

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Halfbeak List

Halfbeaks
Common Name Scientific Name
Flying Halfbeak Euleptorhamphus velox
Balao Hemiramphus balao
Ballyhoo Hemiramphus brasiliensis

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Hawkfish List

Hawkfishes
Common Name Scientific Name

Redspotted Hawkfish
redspotted hawkfish

Redspotted Hawkfish (Amblycirrhitus pinos)

Amblycirrhitus pinos

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Jack List

Jacks
Common Name Scientific Name

African Pompano
African Pompano (Alectis ciliaris)

African Pompano (Alectis ciliaris)

Alectis ciliaris
Yellow Jack
yellow jacks
Caranx bartholomaei
Bar Jack
bar jacks
Caranx ruber
Blue Runner
Blue Runner (Caranx crysos)

School of blue runner (Caranx crysos)

Caranx crysos
Crevalle Jack
Crevalle Jacks (Caranx hippos)
Caranx hippos
Horse-eye Jack
horse-eye jacks

horse-eye jacks

Horse-eye Jack head (Caranx latus)

Caranx latus
Black Jack
black jack

Black Jack head (Caranx lugubris)

Caranx lugubris
Rainbow Runner
Rainbow Runners (Elagatis bipinnulata)

rainbow runners

Elagatis bipinnulata
Lookdown
Lookdown (Selene vomer)
Selene vomer
Greater Amberjack
Greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili)

Greater Amberjack (Seriola dumerili)

Seriola dumerili
Almaco Jack
Almaco Jack (Seriola rivoliana)

almaco jack (Serola rivoliana)
Seriola rivoliana
Scad
Scad (Decapterus sp.)
(juvenile)
Decapterus sp.
Mackerel Scad Decapterus macarellus
Round Scad Decapterus punctatus
Bigeye Scad Selar crumenophthalmus
Rough Scad Trachurus lathami

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Jawfish List

Jawfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Yellowheaded Jawfish
yellowhead jawfish in burrow

yellowhead jawfish emerging from burrow

yellowhead jawfish

Opistognathus aurifrons
Mustache Jawfish Opistognathus longhurus

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Lefteyed Flounder List

Lefteyed Flounders
Common Name Scientific Name
Peacock Flounder Bothus lunatus
Eyed Flounder Bothus ocellatus

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Lionfish List

Lionfishes
Common Name Scientific Name

Red Lionfish
Invasive Species
Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles)

Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles)

Pterois volitans

Video

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Lizardfish List

Lizardfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Bluestriped Lizardfish Synodus saurus
Red Lizardfish
Red lizardfish (Synodus synodus)
Synodus synodus

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Mackerel List

Mackerels
Common Name Scientific Name
Wahoo Acanthocybium solandri
Little Tunny Euthynnus alletteratus
Bonito Sarda sarda
King Mackerel Scomberomorus cavalla
Spanish Mackerel Scomberomorus maculatus

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Moray Eel List

Moray Eels
Common Name Scientific Name
Chestnut Moray Enchelycore carychroa
Viper Moray Enchelycore nigricans
Green Moray
Green Moray (Gymnothorax funebris)

Green Moray (Gymnothorax funebris)

Green Moray

Green Moray swimming

Gymnothorax funebris

Video

Goldentail Moray
goldentail moray eel
Gymnothorax miliaris
Spotted Moray
Spotted moray (Gymnothorax moringa)

Spotted Moray (Gymnothorax moringa)

Gymnothorax moringa
Blackedge Moray Gymnothorax nigromarginatus

Purplemouth Moray
purplemouth moray (Gymnothorax vicinus)

Purplemouth Moray (Gymnothorax vicinus)

Purplemouth Moray (Gymnothorax vicinus)

Gymnothorax vicinus

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Mullet List

Mullets
Common Name Scientific Name
Striped Mullet (juv) Mugil cephalus
White Mullet (juv) Mugil curema

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Needlefish List

Needlefishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Flat Needlefish Ablennes hians
Keeltail Needlefish Platybelone argalus
Agujon Tylosurus acus

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Ocean Sunfish List

Ocean Sunfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Ocean Sunfish Mola mola

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Parrotfish List

Check out this Earth is Blue video about Parrotfish in the Sanctuary System.

Parrotfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Bluelip Parrotfish
Bluelip Parrotfish (terminal phase)
(terminal phase)
Cryptotomus roseus
Midnight Parrotfish
Midnight Parrotfish (Scarus coelestinus)
Scarus coelestinus
Striped Parrotfish
Initial phase Striped Parrotfish (Scarus iseri)
(initial phase)
Scarus iseri
Princess Parrotfish Scarus taeniopterus
Queen Parrotfish
queen parrotfish terminal phase
(terminal phase)

queen parrotfish face

Queen Parrotfish (Scarus vetula)
(initial phase)

One terminal phase Queen Parrotfish with three initial phase Queen Parrotfish
(one terminal and three initial phase)

Scarus vetula
Greenblotch Parrotfish
Greenblotch Parrotfish (Sparisoma atomarium)
Sparisoma atomarium

Redband Parrotfish
Redband Parrotfish (Sparisoma aurofrenatum)
(terminal phase)

Redband Parrotfish initial phase at night (Sparisoma aurofrenatum)
(initial phase, night colors)

Redband Parrotfish terminal phase at night (Sparisoma aurofrenatum)
(terminal phase, night colors)

juvenile Redband Parrotfish (Sparisoma aurofrenatum)

Sparisoma aurofrenatum
Redtail Parrotfish Sparisoma chrysopterum
Bucktooth Parrotfish Sparisoma radians
Stoplight Parrotfish
stoplight parrotfish terminal phase
(terminal phase)

Stoplight Parrotfish initial phase (Sparisoma viride)
(initial phase)

stoplight parrotfish initial phase
(initial phase)

Terminal and initial phase Stoplight Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride)
(terminal and initial phases)

Sparisoma viride

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Pipefish List

Pipefishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Sargassum Pipefish Syngnathus pelagicus

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Porgy List

Porgies
Common Name Scientific Name
Sheepshead Porgy Archosargus probatocephalus
Saucereye Porgy
Calamus calamus
Whitebone Porgy Calamus leucosteus
Knobbed Porgy
knobbed porgy (Calamus nodosus)

knobbed porgy head

Calamus nodosus
Red Porgy Pagrus pagrus

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Puffer List

Puffers
Common Name Scientific Name

Sharpnose Puffer
Sharpnose Puffer (Canthigaster rostrata)

Sharpnose Puffer (Canthigaster rostrata)

Sharpnose Puffer (Canthigaster rostrata)

Sharpnose Pufferfish at night (Canthigaster rostrata)
(night colors)

Canthigaster rostrata
Goldfaced Puffer Canthigaster jamestyleri
Bandtail Puffer
Bandtail Puffer (Sphoeroides spengleri)
Sphoeroides spengleri

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Remora List

Remoras
Common Name Scientific Name
Sharksucker Echeneis naucrates
Whitefin Sharksucker Echeneis neucratoides
Remora Remora remora

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

Return to previous page of fishes (Angelfish to Frogfish)

Download a List of Bony Fish Species (440kb pdf) found in the coral cap region of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.


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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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