Caribbean Species Catalog (33 Signature Subjects)
Identify fish, rays, sea turtles, and marine invertebrates observed across Caribbean coral reefs.
Elkhorn coral
Acropora palmata • Coral
Flattened branching antlers creating shallow barrier reefs
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Symmetrical brain coral
Pseudodiploria strigosa • Coral
Smooth rounded boulder structure covered in maze-like grooves
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Venus sea fan
Gorgonia ventalina • Gorgonian
Flexible purple or yellow lace fan swaying with ocean surge
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Branching fire coral
Millepora alcicornis • Hydrocoral
Mustard-yellow branching tips that inflict a sharp sting on contact
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Staghorn coral
Acropora cervicornis • Coral
Cylindrical golden branches forming thick underwater thickets
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French angelfish
Pomacanthus paru • Angelfish
Gold-edged scales and a rounded yellow tail
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Queen angelfish
Holacanthus ciliaris • Angelfish
Vibrant blue and yellow body with a distinctive blue crown on forehead
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Blue tang
Acanthurus coeruleus • Surgeonfish
Deep blue body with bright yellow caudal spine at tail base
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Stoplight parrotfish
Sparisoma viride • Parrotfish
Terminal male emerald green with yellow spot near gill and red crescent tail
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Queen parrotfish
Scarus vetula • Parrotfish
Blue-green body with pink and teal stripes around beak and eyes
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Yellowtail snapper
Ocyurus chrysurus • Snapper
Prominent yellow mid-lateral stripe from eye to deeply forked yellow tail
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Foureye butterflyfish
Chaetodon capistratus • Butterflyfish
Large black spot encircled in white near tail base mimicking a false eye
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Graysby
Cephalopholis cruentata • Grouper
Reddish-brown spots covering pale grey body with 3-5 dark spots along dorsal base
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Spotted eagle ray
Aetobatus narinari • Ray
Dark blue/black back covered in white spots with duck-like snout and long whip tail
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Hawksbill turtle
Eretmochelys imbricata • Sea Turtle
Hawk-like curved beak and overlapping shell scutes with serrated edge
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Fairy basslet
Gramma loreto • Basslet
Bicolor body: vibrant violet-purple front half fading sharply into bright yellow back
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Caribbean spiny lobster
Panulirus argus • Crustacean
Long spiny antennae and mottled brown/cream tail with yellow spots
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Green sea turtle
Chelonia mydas • Sea Turtle
Single pair of prefrontal scales between eyes and smooth teardrop carapace
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Longsnout butterflyfish
Prognathodes aculeatus • Butterflyfish
Elongated pipelike snout and dark diagonal bar through eye
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Great barracuda
Sphyraena barracuda • Barracuda
Silvery cylindrical body with dark bars and prominent sharp teeth visible
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Rock beauty
Holacanthus tricolor • Angelfish
Bright yellow front head and tail with large jet-black midsection patch
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Hogfish
Lachnolaimus maximus • Wrasse
Pig-like snout and elongated dorsal fin rays with pinkish-red mottling
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Blue parrotfish
Scarus coeruleus • Parrotfish
Uniformly bright blue body with yellow spot on head in juveniles
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Black grouper
Mycteroperca bonaci • Grouper
Olive or dark grey with dark rectangular blotches and black fin margins
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Bluestriped grunt
Haemulon sciurus • Grunt
Yellow body covered with thin horizontal blue stripes and dark tail fin
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Nassau grouper
Epinephelus striatus • Grouper
Five dark vertical bars on pale body and tuning-fork mark on forehead
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Sergeant major
Abudefduf saxatilis • Damselfish
Five prominent black vertical bars on yellow-green to blueish body
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French grunt
Haemulon flavolineatum • Grunt
Yellowish body with diagonal yellow stripes below lateral line
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Lionfish
Pterois volitans • Scorpionfish (Invasive)
Red, white, and black zebra stripes with fan-like venomous pectoral spines
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Nurse shark
Ginglymostoma cirratum • Carpet Shark
Smooth tan body resting on sandy sea floor with barbell barbels near mouth
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Southern stingray
Hypanus americanus • Stingray
Diamond-shaped dark grey disc buried in sand with long serrated tail spine
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Trumpetfish
Aulostomus maculatus • Trumpetfish
Long rigid tubular body and trumpet mouth, often swimming head-down
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Spotted drum
Equetus punctatus • Drum
High dorsal fin with white spots on dark rear body and tail
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