Tiger grouper: Mycteroperca tigris

Short description

Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15-17; Anal spines : 3; Anal soft rays : 11. Back crossed by about 11 pale narrow lines that slope downward and forward. No other grouper in the Caribbean has the same pattern of narrow pale diagonal lines (Ref. 26938 ).

Distribution Faunafri

Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions |

Western Atlantic: southern Florida (USA) and the Gulf of Mexico to Brazil. It was suggested that Mycteroperca tigris was a transient species in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, but has recently become abundant on the Flower Garden Banks off Texas (Ref. 6887 ).

Biology

Glossary

(e.g. epibenthic)

A solitary species (Ref. 26340 ) occurring in coral reefs and rocky areas. It is considered an ambush predator that hides among the coral and sponges and is easy to approach. Frequents cleaning stations (Ref. 9710 ). The size versus sex distribution of Bermuda population indicates that this species is a protogynous hermaphrodite; all fish less than 37 cm TL were females and all fish larger than 45 cm TL were males (Ref. 6886 ). Randall (Ref. 33 ) reported food of 59 specimens 15 to 57 cm SL were purely fishes of a variety of species.

Banded butterflysh: Chaetodon striatus

Short description

Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 19-21; Anal spines : 3; Anal soft rays : 16 - 17. With two broad black bars on side of body and a third bar basally in soft portion of dorsal fin which extends onto caudal peduncle; broad black submarginal bands in the median fins; pelvic fins black except for the spine (Ref. 13442 ).

Distribution Faunafri

Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions |

Western Atlantic: Massachusetts, USA to Santa Catarina, Brazil (Ref. 57756 ), including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Eastern Central Atlantic: St. Paul's Rocks (Ref. 13121 ).

Biology

Glossary

(e.g. epibenthic)

Inhabit coral reefs. Occur singly or in pairs. Feed on polychaete worms, coral polyps, crustaceans and mollusk eggs. Oviparous (Ref. 205 ), monogamous (Ref. 52884 ). Form pairs during breeding (Ref. 205 ). Adults may form plankton-feeding aggregations of up to 20 individuals, and occasionally clean other reef fishes which join the group, such as grunts, parrotfishes and surgeon fishes. (Ref: 40093). Generally common (Ref. 9710 ).

Indigo Hamlet: Hypoplectrus indigo

About 5 deep blue bars of uneven width; second bar, below dorsal fin, much wider than others (Ref. 26938 ).

Distribution Faunafri

Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions |

Western Central Atlantic: Haiti, Bahamas, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Florida (USA) and continental western Caribbean. Absent in Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and the Lesser Antilles. Biology Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

A solitary species (Ref. 26340 ) inhabiting coral reefs (Ref. 9710 ).

Blue tang: Paracanthurus hepatus

Short description

Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 19-20; Anal spines : 3; Anal soft rays : 18 - 19. Bright blue, yellow and black in color (Ref. 3145 ).

Distribution Faunafri

Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions |

Indo-Pacific: East Africa, including the Mascarene Islands (Ref. 37792 ) to Kiribati, north to southern Japan, south to the southern Great Barrier Reef, New Caledonia, and Samoa.

Biology

Glossary

(e.g. epibenthic)

Occur in clear, current-swept terraces of seaward reefs. Observed in loose aggregations 1 or 2 meters above the bottom; juveniles and subadults typical in groups near isolated Pocillopora eydouxi coral heads and when alarmed hide themselves tightly among the branches (Ref. 9710 ). Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302 ). Feed on zooplankton and occasionally on algae (Ref. 9710 , 48637 , 27115 , 83665 ). Relatively uncommon and highly localized (Ref. 1602 , 9710 ). Very popular and hardy aquarium fish. Anterolateral glandular groove with venom gland (Ref. 57406 ).

Spotfin butterflyfish :Chaetodon ocellatus

Rock hind: Epinephelus sp???