Florida Guide Book 2.0: Fishes of the Reef

Florida Guide Book 2.0: Fishes of the Reef

You already have the guide book for birds, so here is your cheat sheet to tell one red fish apart from that blue fish.

** Important safety tip: most guides will tell you this, but do not touch the fish or the corals you see while diving or snorkeling; many of these areas are protected and our touch can be damaging **

Bar Jack – silver fish that has a dark, black spine followed by a bright blue stripe underneath, swim in schools

Size: about a foot long

French Angelfish – black fish with yellow markings, has the distinct long tapering dorsal and pectoral fins of an angelfish (don’t mistake this with the gray angelfish, 2^nd picture).  Typically solo creatures

Size: can grow up to 2 feet long, but juveniles can be smaller

Atlantic Spade Fish – Silver fish with vertical black stripes, body shaped like a spade (in a deck of cards), seen in small schools

Size: Reach a size of 3 feet long

Blue Tang – These are your classic Dory fish, but some can be entirely blue, with lighter blue fins and a small yellow spine on the base of the tail, solo swimmers

Size: can grow to be a foot long but tend to be smaller

Queen Angelfish – bright blue and yellow with the classic angelfish long fin tips but the name comes from the crown at the top of the head, usually solo

Size - can grow to just over a foot long, tend to be smaller

Blue Head – just as its name implies its head is bright blue, followed by an oreo coloration with a yellow tail, solo swimmers

Size – approximately 3 inches but the bright blue makes them easy to spot

Sergeant Majors – silver fish with five vertical black bars and a yellow streak nears its dorsal fin, found in large schools

Size – found in many sizes but can grow to 9 inches long

Bermuda Chub – football shaped body, silver fish with thin horizontal yellow stripes, travels in schools

Size – reach a size of up to 2.5 feet

Enjoy this fish guide, and if there are any other fish species you need help identifying let MINNOW below in the comments!

http://www.captainslate.com/
http://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/fishstats/recreational-fisheries/reef-fish-id/