Common Florida Reef Fish
Craig Kasper, Ph. D.
Hillsborough Community College
Tampa, FL
BANDED BUTTERFLYFISH
Chaetodon striatus
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Two
wide, black midbody bands.
DESCRIPTION: Silver to white,
black bar on head runs across
eye; blackish border on rear of
body, base of rear dorsal and anal
fins.
FOUREYE BUTTERFLYFISH
Chaetodon capistratus
DISTINCTIVE
FEATURES:
Black spot,
ringed in white,
on rear
body near
upper base
of tail.
DESCRIPTION:
Silver-gray.
Marked with numerous dark, thin lines that radiate at a diagonal from
midbody; black bar on hear runs across eye; yellowish submarginal band
on rear dorsal, tail and anal fins.
SPOTFIN BUTTERFLYFISH
Chaetodon ocellatus
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Fins
(except pectoral) bright yellow.
Also, notice a black dot on outer
edge of rear dorsal fin.
DESCRIPTION: Silver-white.
Black bar on head runs across
eye; may have darkish spot on
rear dorsal fin below distinctive
black dot noted above.
QUEEN ANGELFISH
Holacanthus ciliaris
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Dark
blue spot on forehead, speckled and
ringed with brilliant blue, forms the
"crown." 2. Tail yellow.
DESCRIPTION: Blue to greenish blue,
with yellow rims on scales; yellow
ventral and pectoral fins; deep blue lips
and markings on gill cover;
yellowish face.
FRENCH ANGELFISH
Pomacanthus paru
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES:
Black with bright
yellow rims on scales.
Rounded tail.
DESCRIPTION: Bright yellow
ring around eye. All fins black
except base of pectoral which
is yellow.
French Angelfish (Juvenile)
GRAY ANGELFISH
Pomacanthus arcuatus
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES:
Gray body. Yellow inner face
of pectoral fin. Also, squarecut tail.
DESCRIPTION: Uniformly gray
to grayish brown with lightedged scales.
ROCK BEAUTY
Holacanthus tricolor
DESCRIPTION:
Face and lips
occasionally navy
blue. Individuals
along North and
South American
coasts less
brilliantly colored.
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES:
Yellow to yellow-orange
forebody and tail. Mid and
rear body black.
BLUE TANG
Acanthurus coeruleus
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Blue
overall. White or yellow spine
on base of tail.
DESCRIPTION: Can change from
powder blue to deep purple,
and pale or darken. Dorsal and
anal fins edged in bright blue. More
circular than other surgeonfishes.
DOCTORFISH
Acanthurus chirurgus
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES:
Always have body bars
(10-12), although they
may be quite faint.
DESCRIPTION: Can change from
bluish gray to dark brown, and pale or
darken dramatically. Several
markings radiate from eye. Blue or
white edging on dorsal, anal and tail
fins. May have pale band on base of
tail. Very similar to the Ocean
Surgeonfish...doctors and
surgeons....go figure!
OCEAN SURGEONFISH
Acanthurus bahianus
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Uniform
color with no body bars.
DESCRIPTION: Can change from
bluish gray to dark brown, and pale or
darken dramatically. Markings radiate
from eye. Blue or white edging on
dorsal, anal and tail fins. May have
pale band on base of tail.
BAR JACK
Caranx ruber
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES:
Bright blue-and-black border
on back runs along dorsal fin
and onto lower tail fin.
DESCRIPTION: Silvery. Can
darken almost to black, especially
when feeding near bottom.
GREAT BARRACUDA
Sphyraena barracuda
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Silver.
Long, cylindrical body. Large
underslung jaw, pointed teeth often
obvious.
DESCRIPTION: Usually has
scattered, dark blotches. Can
darken showing side bands.
Dorsal fins widely separated.
CHUB (BERMUDA/YELLOW)
Kyphosus sectatrix/incisor
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Gray
to silver. "Football-shaped" body.
(Note: Reliably distinguishing
between these two species
visually while underwater is
considered impossible.)
DESCRIPTION: Initially appear
uniformly gray to silver;
occasionally display whitish
blotches. A close look reveals
thin yellow to bronze stripes on
body and a stripe, bordered in
white, under eye from mouth to
gill cover.
FRENCH GRUNT
Haemulon flavolineatum
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES:
Yellow stripes below
lateral line set on diagonal.
DESCRIPTION: Yellow stripes
on a white to bluish or yellowish
silver background. Stripes
above lateral line are horizontal.
Fins yellow.
BLUESTRIPED GRUNT
Haemulon sciurus
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Dark
tail and rear dorsal fin. Blue
stripes.
DESCRIPTION: Blue stripes over
yellow-gold. Dark tail and dorsal
fins have light margins; other fins
yellow.
YELLOWTAIL SNAPPER
Ocyurus chrysurus
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES:
Brilliant yellow midbody stripe
and tail.
DESCRIPTION: Silvery to white,
often tinged with blue. May have
yellow spots on upper body. Tail
deeply forked.
BICOLOR DAMSELFISH
Stegastes partitus
DESCRIPTION:
Location of boundary
between dark and
pale area varies
greatly; dark area
may cover only
upper head or extend
past midbody to base
of tail; pale area
often yellowish near
boundary, especially
toward belly. Pale
fins may have bluish
cast. On rare
occasion, there is a
reverse color phase.
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Black and
white. Forebody is usually black.
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES:
Dark body. Yellow tail.
DESCRIPTION: Vary from brown
to bluish black. Bright blue
speckles on head, back and
dorsal fin.
YELLOWTAIL DAMSELFISH
Microspathodon chrysurus
SERGEANT MAJOR
Abudefduf saxatilis
DESCRIPTION: Upper body usually
yellow, occasionally with shades of
green to blue, and white to bluish
silver or light gray below. Male
becomes dark blue to purple during
mating season when guarding
reddish purple egg patches.
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Five
black body bars. Also, upper lip
does not overhang lower.
BLUE CHROMIS
Chromis cyanea
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES:
Brilliant blue. Slender, deeply
forked tail with dark borders.
DESCRIPTION: Often dark on
nape and along back.
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES:
Brown. Border of dorsal fin
and tips of tail fin yellow.
Also, dark spot around base
of pectoral fin.
BROWN CHROMIS
Chromis multilineata
DESCRIPTION: Vary from
brownish gray to olive-brown.
Usually a white or pale yellow
spot located just below last
dorsal fin ray; may have
black borders on tail,
primarily in southern
Caribbean. Slender, deeply
forked tail.
HARLEQUIN BASS
Serranus tigrinus
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES:
Dark, tiger-like bars.
DESCRIPTION: Upper body has
whitish undercolor; lower body
pale yellow. Series of dark dots
form diffuse horizontal lines on
body. Head more pointed than
that of other family members.
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES:
Bicolored – purple to violet front and
yellow to gold rear. Dark spot on
dorsal fin.
FAIRY BASSLET
Gramma loreto
DESCRIPTION: Several streaks on
head run across eye.
STOPLIGHT PARROTFISH
Sparisoma viride
DESCRIPTION: Emerald green.
Salmon to yellow markings on head
and fins. Tail is crescent-shaped.
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES:
Bright yellow spot at upper
corner of gill cover. Yellow
area at base of tail. Salmon
to yellow crescent on tail.
Female
REDBAND PARROTFISH
Sparisoma aurofrenatum
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES:
Small yellow blotch with two
or more small black spots on
upper forebody. Also, usually
salmon to orange or yellow
band from corner of mouth to
below eye.
DESCRIPTION: Greenish
overall, underside lighter;
anal fin usually reddish.
Outer tips of tail black. Tail
square-cut.
YELLOWHEAD WRASSE
Halichoeres garnoti
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Yellow
head and forebody. Dark midbody
bar.
DESCRIPTION: Head and forebody
vary from bright yellow to yellowish or
greenish tan; dark blue to green rear
body and tail. Dark midbody bar
continues as a wide border along back
to tail.
BLUEHEAD WRASSE
Thalassoma bifasciatum
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Blue
head, plus two dark bars behind
head, separated by white bar.
DESCRIPTION: Rear body is green
to blue-green.
TRUMPETFISH
Aulostomus maculatus
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Long, thin body. Trumpetlike mouth.
DESCRIPTION: Adept at color change. Most common
phase is brown to reddish brown; can be blue-gray,
bright yellow or many shades between. Have pale lines,
scattered small black spots, and a black streak on
upper jaw.
Pseudupeneus maculatus
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: A row of
three dark, rectangular body blotches
is normally visible when fish are
active (when resting, change to
blotched or mottled reddish brown).
Two barbels under tip of chin.
DESCRIPTION: Rapidly and
dramatically change color from white
to blotched and mottled red to reddish
brown when becoming inactive. Light
bluish lines often on head and,
occasionally, upper body.
YELLOW GOATFISH
Mulloidichthys martinicus
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES:
Yellow tail and midbody stripe.
Two barbels under tip of chin.
DESCRIPTION: White; upper body
may have shadings ranging from blue
to olive or red. Fins, other than tail,
may be white or yellowish.