school of fish in background
Skip to page Header home about your sanctuary visiting your sanctuary education science management news and events protecting resources image library Get Involved advisory council NOAA logo - a circle with a stylized seabird in flight; background is dark blue above the bird and light blue below the bird.

blank spaceFind us on Facebook

     Follow @fgbnms on Twitter

     


About Your Sanctuary
Skip to Main Content
About Sanctuary Home    History    Regulations    FAQs
Sanctuary Staff    Natural Setting    NW Gulf Banks
Species List    Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems
Research Vessel    Sanctuary Encyclopedia
20 Things to Love   NOAA Corps Staff

BONY FISH SPECIES
Two-toned blue dashed line

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

Sea Bass List

Sea Basses
Common Name Scientific Name
Red Barbier Baldwinella vivanus
Graysby
graysby grouper
Cephalopholis cruentata
Coney
coney (Cephalopholis fulva)


bicolor variation of coney
(bicolor variation)

Cephalopholis fulva
Marbled Grouper
Marbled grouper (Dermatolepis inermis)

marbled grouper

Dermatolepis inermis
Rock Hind
rock hind

rockhind (Epinephelus adscensionis)

Rock Hind (Epinephelus adscensionis)

Epinephelus adscensionis
Yellowedge Grouper Hyporthodus flavolimbatus
Red Hind Epinephelus guttatus
Red Grouper Epinephelus morio
Warsaw Grouper Epinephelus nigritus
Nassau Grouper Epinephelus striatus
Spanish Flag Gonioplectrus hispanus
Longtail Bass Hemanthias leptus
Barred Hamlet Hypoplectrus puella
Wrasse Bass Liopropoma eukrines
Peppermint Bass Liopropoma rubre
Black Grouper Mycteroperca bonaci
Yellowmouth Grouper
light colored yellowmouth grouper

dark colored yellowmouth grouper

Yellowmouth Grouper intermediate phase (Mycteroperca interstitialis)
(intermediate - light)

Yellowmouth Grouper intermediate phase (Mycteroperca interstitialis)
(intermediate - dark)

juvenile yellowmouth grouper
(juvenile)

Mycteroperca interstitialis
Gag Mycteroperca microlepis
Scamp
scamp

scamp (Mycteroperca phenax)

Mycteroperca phenax
Comb Grouper Mycteroperca rubra
Tiger Grouper
Tiger Grouper (Mycteroperca tigris)

Tiger Grouper (Mycteroperca tigris)

tiger grouper in dark colors

Tiger Grouper in odd color phase (Mycteroperca tigris)
(unusual color phase)

Tiger Grouper with not stripes showing
(no stripes showing)

Mycteroperca tigris
Yellowfin Grouper
Yellowfin Grouper (Mycteroperca venenosa)

Yellowfin Grouper (Mycteroperca venenosa)

juvenile yellowfin grouper
(juvenile)

Mycteroperca venenosa

Creolefish
Creolefish (Paranthias furcifer)

School of Creolefish (Paranthias furcifer)

Creolefish at night (Paranthias furcifer)
(night colors)

Paranthias furcifer
Orangeback Bbass Serranus annularis
Lantern Bass Serranus baldwini
Belted Sandfish Serranus subligarius
Harlequin Bass Serranus tigrinus

top of page

Scorpionfish List

Scorpionfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Coral Scorpionfish
Coral Scorpionfish (Scorpaena albifimbria)
Scorpaena albifimbria
Spotted Scorpionfish
spotted scorpionfish with tail of a rockhind stickingout of its mouth (Scorpaena plumieri)

Spotted Scorpionfish (Scorpaena plumieri)

Spotted Scorpionfish (Scorpaena plumieri)

Spotted Scorpionfish (Scorpaena plumieri)
(camouflaged)

Juvenile Spotted Scorpionfish IScorpaena plumieri)
(juvenile)

Scorpaena plumieri
Reef Scorpionfish Scorpaenodes caribbaeus

top of page

Sea Robin List

Sea Robins
Common Name Scientific Name
Flying Gurnard Dactylopterus volitans

top of page

Snake Eel List

Snake Eels
Common Name Scientific Name
Sharptail Eel Myrichthys breviceps
Goldspotted Eel Myrichthys ocellatus

top of page

Snapper List

Snappers
Common Name Scientific Name
Schoolmaster Lutjanus apodus
Blackfin Snapper Lutjanus buccanella
Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus
Cubera Snapper Lutjanus cyanopterus
Gray Snapper
gray snappers

gray snapper

Lutjanus griseus
Dog Snapper
Dog Snapper (Lutjanus jocu)

Dog Snapper (Lutjanus jocu)

Lutjanus jocu
Lane Snapper
lane snapper
Lutjanus synagris
Silk Snapper Lutjanus vivanus

Yellowtail Snapper
Yellowtail Snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus)

Yellowtail Snapper (Ocyurus Chrysurus)

Ocyurus chrysurus

Vermillion Snapper
Vermillion Snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens)
(juvenile)

Vermillion Snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens)
(juvenile)

Vermillion Snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens)

Rhomboplites aurorubens

top of page

Soapfish List

Soapfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Whitespotted Soapfish Rypticus maculatus
Spotted Soapfish Rypticus subbifrenatus

top of page

Spadefish List

Spadefishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Atlantic Spadefish
Atlantic spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber)

spadefish

Chaetodipterus faber

top of page

Spaghetti Eel List

Spaghetti Eels
Common Name Scientific Name
Spaghetti Eel Moringua edwardsi

top of page

Spiny Puffer List

Spiny Puffers
Common Name Scientific Name
Bridled Burrfish Chilomycterus antennatus
Web Burrfish
Web Burrfish (Chilomycterus antillarum)
Chilomycterus antillarum
Striped Burrfish Chilomycterus schoepfii

Balloonfish
Balloonfish (Diodon holocanthus)

Balloonfish (Diodon holocanthus)

Diodon holocanthus

Video

Porcupinefish
Porcupinefish (Diodon hystrix)
Diodon hystrix

top of page

Squirrelfish List

Squirrelfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Squirrelfish
squirrelfish

Squirrelfish (Holocentrus adscensionis)

Holocentrus adscensionis
Longspine Squirrelfish
longspine squirrelfish
Holocentrus rufus
Blackbar SoldierfishBlackbar Soldierfish (Myripristis jacobus)

Blackbar soldierfish (Myripristis jacobus)

Myripristis jacobus
Reef Squirrelfish Neoniphon coruscum
Longjaw Squirrelfish Neoniphon marianus
Dusky Squirrelfish Neoniphon vexillarium
Cardinal Soldierfish Plectrypops retrospinis
Deepwater Squirrelfish Sargocentron bullisi
Saddle Squirrelfish
Saddle Squirrelfish (Sargocentron coruscum)
Sargocentron poco

top of page

Surgeonfish List

Surgeonfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Ocean Surgeonfish
Juvenile Ocean Surgeonfish (Acanthurus bahianus)
(juvenile)
Acanthurus tractus

Doctorfish
doctorfish

Doctorfish being cleaned by a juvenile French Angelfish
(being cleaned by a juvenile French Angelfish)

Acanthurus chirurgus

Blue Tang
blue tang (Acanthurus coeruleus)

Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus)

School of Blue Tang

Juvenile Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus)
(juvenile)

Acanthurus coeruleus

top of page

Threadfin List

Threadfins
Common Name Scientific Name
Atlantic threadfin (juv) Polydactylus octonemus

top of page

Tilefish List

Tilefishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Blackline Tilefish Caulolatilus cyanops
Sand Tilefish
sand tilefish
Malacanthus plumieri

top of page

Triggerfish List

Triggerfishes
Common Name Scientific Name
Gray TriggerfishGray Triggerfish (Balistes capriscus) Balistes capriscus
Queen TriggerfishQueen Triggerfish (Balistes vetula) Balistes vetula
Rough Triggerfish Canthidermis maculata

Ocean Triggerfish
Ocean Triggerfish (Canthidermis sufflamen)

Ocean Triggerfish (Canthidermis sufflamen)

Ocean Triggerfish (Canthidermis sufflamen)


(hovering over nesting areas in sand flat)

Canthidermis sufflamen
Black Durgon Melichthys niger
Sargassum Triggerfish Xanthichthys ringens

top of page

Trumpetfish List

Trumpetfish
Common Name Scientific Name
Trumpetfish
Trumpetfish (Aulostomus maculatus)
Aulostomus maculatus

top of page

Tripletail List

Tripletails
Common Name Scientific Name
Tripletail Lobotes surinamensis

top of page

Wrasse List

Wrasses
Common Name Scientific Name

Creole Wrasse
creole wrasse

School of Creole Wrasse (Clepticus parrae)

Creole Wrasse (Clepticus parrae)
(night colors)

Juvenile Creole Wrasse (Clepticus parrae)
(juvenile)

Bodianus parrae
Spotfin Hogfish
Spotfin Hogfish (Bodianus pulchellus)

Spotfin Hogfish (Bodianus pulchellus)
(intermediate)

juvenile spotfin hogfish
(juvenile)

Bodianus pulchellus
Spanish Hogfish
Spanish hogfish

Spanish hogfish
(smaller adult)

juvenile Spanish hogfish
(juvenile)

Bodianus rufus
Red Hogfish Decodon puellaris
Greenband Wrasse Halichoeres bathyphilus
Slippery Dick Halichoeres bivittatus

Mardis Gras Wrasse
mardi gras wrasse male
(terminal phase)

red phase of mardi gras wrasse
(initial phase)

Halichoeres burekae
Painted Wrasse Halichoeres caudalis
Yellowcheek Wrasse Halichoeres cyanocephalus

Yellowhead Wrasse
Yellowhead Wrasse (Halichoeres garnoti)(terminal and initial phases)

Yellowhead Wrasse (Halichoeres garnoti)
(intermediate and terminal phases)

Halichoeres garnoti
Clown Wrasse Halichoeres maculipinna
Rainbow Wrasse Halichoeres pictus

Blackear Wrasse
Blackear Wrasse (Halichoeres poeyi)
(terminal phase)

Halichoeres poeyi
Puddingwife Halichoeres radiatus
Hogfish Lachnolaimus maximus
Bluehead Wrasse
bluehead wrasses terminal and initial phases
(terminal and initial phases)

Initial phase Bluehead Wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum)
(initial phase)

Thalassoma bifasciatum
Green Razorfish Xyrichtys splendens

top of page

Return to previous page of fishes (Goatfish to Remora)

Return to first page of fishes (Angelfish to Frogfish)


Two-toned blue dashed line

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.
   
National Marine Sanctuary logo - a stylized whale tail above waves