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Reef
Fish I |
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PUFFERS
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On most reef sites you will encounter those unmistakable
triangular-shaped fish called Puffers. If threatened
those fish are able to suck in water and inflate to
balloon sizes. Predators often then desist and look
elsewhere for a more accommodating meal. Some species
are also very toxic and have stiff spines on their body
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Guineafowl Puffer |
Guineafowl Puffer
(Golden) |
Long-Spine Porcupinefish |
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Spot-fin Porcupinefish |
Bullseye Puffer |
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SURGEONFISH
| are very common
and easily spotted by their yellow tails. They occur
most often in large schools and are unafraid of divers.
Surgeonfish got their name from spines which are located
on both sides just in front of the tail. A close
relative to them but without having spines are the
Moorish Idols. |
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Razor Surgeonfish |
Moorish Idol |
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DAMSELFISHES
| are found at rocky
shores and are very territorial defending their crevices
which serve as their nests. Damselfish have only one
nostril on each side of the snout, instead of the usual
two of other fish species. |
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Giant Damselfish |
Island Major |
Panamic Seargeant Major |
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ANGELFISH
& BUTTERFLYFISHES
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are closely related and are very striking fish with
beautiful colors and forms. The King Angelfish is the
only angelfish found in the isles but very plentiful and
found in all sites. Barberfish are thus called as they
set up a station where they saty and wait for fish to
turn up in order to clean parasites off them. |
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King Angelfish |
Barberfish (Blacknosed Butterflyfish) |
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GRUNTS
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are often encountered in small or large schools giving
off a silvery gleam in the water . They are related to
the snappers as like them an excellent food fishes. |
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Burrito Grunt |
Black-striped Salema |
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GROUPERS
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are related to sea basses and are like them excellent food fishes and thus some
species are quite threatened to extinction in some
locales. |
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Flag Cabrilla (Starry Grouper) |
Pacific Creolefish |
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HOGFISH
| are encountered mostly
singly in all sites. The Mexican Hogfish belongs to the
class of Wrasses and juveniles function as cleaner fish
picking parasites from other bigger fish. Wrasses
undergo changes in color and shape and males are
distinct to females or juveniles. They are protogynous
hermaphrodites meaning that females can change to males
at a certain stage in their life. They like to feed on
mollusks, crustaceans and small fish. |
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Mexican Hogfish
Above: Male with shell in mouth
Top Right: Male
Bottom Right: Female or Juvenile |
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