Pretty In Pink

Like manta rays, eagle rays are among the largest rays. The best known and most popular species is the spotted eagle ray, one of the most beautiful rays and among the most desired to be seen by divers. These animals have the unique ability to move both forward and backward using their pectoral fins. You will never forget observing these majestic movements while diving with eagle rays.

The green sea turtle, also known as the green, black, or Pacific green turtle, is one of the largest species of sea turtles and has a wide population distribution throughout the world’s tropical and subtropical seas. There are two distinct populations in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, but they can be found throughout the Indian Ocean as well. They are unique in that they are the only species that are strict herbivores as adults, feeding mostly on algae, seagrass, and seaweed.

One of the most fascinating fish on the reef, moray eels come in nearly every size and color from the tiny, bright blue ribbon eel, the smallest averaging only 25 cm long, to the black speckled giant moray which can grow up to 4 meters in length! In fact, there are nearly 200 different species. Most morays are marine dwelling fish, but several species have been seen in brackish water, and just a few are found in fresh water. They are clearly distinguishable from the other reef fish with their long, slithering bodies, pointy snouts full of sharp teeth, and long dorsal fins that run the entire length of their bodies. No matter the species, these animals are always an exciting site to see while scuba diving.

Most wrasses species have extraordinary, bright coloration. With over 600 different species, wrasses are as varied in size as they are in their brilliant color. They are identifiable by their elongated bodies, protruding canine teeth, and thick lips. It is fantastic to dive with wrasses and watch them swimming around coral reefs firsthand. These lively fish make coral reefs even more colorful.

Not to be confused with its cousin, the oceanic whitetip shark, the whitetip reef shark prefers to spend most of its time resting in small caves and caverns amongst the reef. Unlike most requiem species, he does not need to swim continuously to breathe. They are similar to the nurse shark in that they can pump water over their gills to keep them freshly oxygenated, allowing whitetips the ability to lie on the ocean’s bottom or stay still, suspended in the water inside a small cave. If you are looking for them while scuba diving your best bet in finding them is to look into all of the caverns and overhangs.

Leading a humble, sedentary lifestyle, the nurse shark may not be the most thrilling shark to dive with in the sea, but it is by far one of the most common. This dusty brown, robust animal is a very popular sighting amongst the coral reefs of the Caribbean and is mostly distributed in the eastern Pacific Ocean, along the coast of the Americas, the eastern Atlantic Ocean, and the western Atlantic Ocean along the coast of Africa.

Large-mouthed, heavy-bodied groupers consist of several marine fish species from the family Serranidae, mainly from the genera Epinephelus and Mycteroperca. You can go diving with various grouper species throughout the world’s oceans. They live in warm, tropical waters and like to patrol around reefs and shipwrecks.

Not to be confused with the freshwater angelfish of the Amazon Basin, marine angelfish are brilliantly colored and live on the warm, shallow water reefs of the Atlantic, Indian, and western Pacific Oceans. This beautiful family of reef fish consists of about 86 different species, the most well-known being queen, king, french, royal, and grey angelfish. With their large, laterally compressed bodies, small, up-turned mouths, and bright colors, they are hard to miss and a favorite sighting for most divers.

There are nearly 130 different species of marine butterflyfish all living in the tropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. These beautiful, small fish are known for swimming in monogamous pairs but can sometimes be seen in large schools. Like their larger cousin, the angelfish, they are a favorite sighting for scuba divers and snorkelers due to their beautiful, bright coloration and striking patterns. Another distinguishing characteristic is the eyespots many species have on their flanks to trick predators, similar to those found on butterfly’s wings.

Not the best swimmers, Clownfish seek shelter in their anemone homes throughout most of the day. These distinctly colorful fish have developed a highly intricate and mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with their anemone homes, earning them the nickname: anemonefish. Due to this sophisticated relationship, they tend to stay within a maximum radius of four meters to their anemone host in order to hide quickly within its tentacles in case of danger. If you’re lucky enough dive with clownfish you could experience these cute little fish attempting to “attack“ you to defend their anemone.

The trevally is a large species of silvery marine fish in the jack family and a favorite game fish amongst open water anglers. These massive predators can be found individually and in schools throughout the Indo-Pacific region, ranging from South Africa west to Hawaii and Japan south to Australia. Trevallies are intelligent fish species, using targeted hunting strategies to pick off their prey, including other fish species, crustaceans, cephalopods, and mollusks.

Lionfish are native to Indo-Pacific waters and are usually found hiding under ledges or in shallow caves at depths between 2 and 60 meters. They are diurnal, meanings they hunt both during the day and at night but often stay hidden until sunset to avoid predators. Unfortunately, lionfish have become an invasive species in the western Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. In fact, despite their menacing beauty, lionfish have become a huge problem in the Caribbean as their population has spread tremendously in just a single decade. In fact, the Science Channel has claimed they are “one of the most aggressively invasive species on the planet.” These flashy predators are considered fairly aggressive and harmful to humans so take caution when diving with lionfish and keep a safe distance.

Snappers are a popular food fish commonly seen trolling coral reefs and a favorite sighting amongst scuba divers. These colorful, large marine fish include around 113 species within the Lutjanidae family. On menus throughout tropical destinations like the Caribbean, you can find the most popular snapper, the red snapper. The largest snapper, the cubera snapper, grows up to 1.52 m (5 ft) in length.

The beautiful and abundant surgeonfish encompasses about 75 species of reef-dwellers, commonly called tangs, unicornfish, and doctorfish. These tropical marine fish are members of the ancient Acanthuridae family and derive their name from sharp spines on both sides of their tail base, which resemble a surgeon’s scalpel. You can easily recognize these brightly colored marine fish by their relatively small mouths, oblong-shaped bodies, extended dorsal fins, and unique, intricate markings.

Depending on where you are, diving with sweetlips or grunts is guaranteed throughout the coral reefs of the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Oceans. You can find these medium-sized fish in large schools trolling coral reefs and rocky areas for food and hiding out under large overhangs or in small caverns amongst the reef. Members of the Haemulidae family, sweetlips and grunts are closely related to snappers. You can dive with sweetlips throughout the Indo-Pacific region, while diving with grunts is possible in the Atlantic.

With around 80 different species, the parrotfish comes in almost every color of the rainbow. These wrasse family members are a permanent fixture on coral reefs worldwide, although you will see the most species diversity in the Indo-Pacific. You can go diving with parrotfish on nearly every warm-water coral reef of the world and see them alone, in pairs, or in large schools, depending on the species.

Soldierfish are a common sighting amongst divers visiting tropical and subtropical locations and are typically seen swimming in tightly organized schools that may resemble a military formation, hence their name. Members of the squirrelfish family, soldierfish have red bodies and wide eyes. Due to their nocturnal behavior and desire to live in caves and overhangs throughout the reef, soldierfish are also recognizable by their large eyes.

All it takes is seeing a triggerfish swim by to know you are officially in the tropics. These brightly colored and ornately patterned fish are common to the subtropical and tropical regions of the world’s oceans, with the highest species diversity found in the Indo-Pacific. There are roughly 40 different species of triggerfish averaging 20-50 cm (8-20 in) in length; however, the stone triggerfish reaches up to 1 m (3.3 ft) long.

Damselfish are a common sighting amongst coral reefs throughout the tropical regions of the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific oceans. There are around 250 different species of these small fish, all within the Pomacentridae family. Damselfish are easily recognized by their rounded bodies, elongated dorsal fin, and small, forked caudal fin. Juveniles are especially enjoyable to see as they are typically covered in vibrant spots.

Aptly named for the two large “whiskers,“ or barbels, protruding from their chin area, goatfish are famous for these two chemosensory organs they use to hunt for food. You can typically do diving with goatfish along the shallow reef flats, where they like to dig around through the sand and sediment in search of their next meal. They use their “whiskers“ to feel around in the sand for their next meal of small invertebrates and fish.

Tuna are the sea’s mightiest swimmers and one of its most agile predators. With a sleek, streamlined, torpedo-shaped body built for speed, this pelagic species can reach speeds up to 75 km/h (45 mph). Unfortunately, however, this speed is no match for the commercial fishing that threatens some of their populations. As a result of overfishing, tuna fish species like the southern bluefin tuna are nearing extinction.

The puffer fish is named after its ability to inflate itself like a ball in danger or stress. They pump water into a sac-like enlargement of their stomach, causing them to deform into a ball. This change in volume makes it almost impossible for predatory fish to swallow the puffer fish and it can even suffocate them. If this stress reaction is caused willfully by divers, puffer fish can sometimes inadvertently suck in breathing gas from divers, which leads to them being buoyant and floating helplessly on the surface. This usually ends fatally for the animal. They are rarely eaten by predatory fish, but dolphins have been observed to get intoxicated on these animals by chewing lightly on them, which causes the puffer fish to release small doses of the strong neurotoxin tetrodotoxin. This poison is fatal to humans and no antidote is known; ironically, however, in Japan puffer fish is considered a delicacy called fugu. However, people’s curiosity about this questionable delicacy leads to accidents every year.

Diving with boxfish is always a treat, as their uniquely shaped bodies and bold coloration bring excitement to any coral reef. Boxfish, also commonly known as cowfish or trunkfish, include 23 species of square, bony fish in the Ostraciidae family. They are clearly identifiable by their rigid, box-shaped bodies. Most species are also covered in spots or hexagonal shapes, and many have horn-like projections from the tops of their heads.

Trumpetfish are classic residents of the coral reef and are clearly recognizable by their tubular, skinny bodies, long snout, and wide mouth. You can find them hovering vertically or horizontally just above the reef and under ledges or hiding amongst coral and gorgonians. Trumpetfish are relatively large reef fish and can grow to a maximum length of 80 cm (31 in). They are typically reddish-brown, yellow, or blue-gray and can change color to camouflage with their surroundings.

Bannerfish are one of the most commonly seen fish amongst the Pacific reef community. Often referred to as false Moorish idols, bannerfish are easily distinguishable by their less ornate black, yellow, and white striping and smaller snout. There are two types of bannerfish, both native to the Indo-Pacific region: longfin and schooling bannerfish. These relatively small reef fish can grow to a maximum length of 18-21 cm.

There are roughly 39 different species of emperor fish throughout the Indo-Pacific region, belonging to the Lethrinidae family. You can see these reef-dwelling fish hunting along the seafloor for a variety of small animals, as well as sifting through the sandy bottom for tiny crustaceans. Divers can recognize the emperor fish by their typical fish-shaped body, large scales shaped in a diamond pattern, thick lips, and large eyes.