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| Blue Tang |
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(Acanthurus
coeruleus) White or yellow spine on base of tail. These fish change
from powder blue to deep purple, and pale or darken. Dorsal and anal
fins are edged in bright blue. These tangs are more circular than other
surgeonfishes. They live in depths of 2 to 18 meters and mainly graze
on algae. Blue Tangs are usually found in pairs or small groups, though
very seldom in groups of more than 10 fish. |
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| False Clownfish |
| Also Ocellaris
Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) Clowns can be very colorful
and are very hardy in captivity. They get their name because of their
"waddling" like swimming motion and their clownlike markings. The clownfish
live in 'symbiosis' with certain anemones, which means they live together
with both the clownfish and the anemone benefiting from each others
company. |
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| Foureyed Butterflyfish |
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Large false eye
spots at the tail are meant to disorient an attacking predator into
aiming for the wrong end of the fish. This allows the Foureye to dart
away in the opposite direction anticipated by the aggressor, it's thin
body shape allows it to seek shelter in the spaces between the corals.
The real eyes are hidden by a black stripe that runs across the head.
These fish often travel the reef in mated pairs. |
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| Reef Butterflyfish |
| As
is true of most Butterfly fish, Reef Butterfly have a dark band running
vertically through each eye. This is an aid for the fish being able
to camouflage themselves on the coral reefs where they live. The Reef
Butterfly have pointed snouts, very useful for plucking out the small
coral animals and getting into small crevices for tiny invertebrates
which they feed on. |
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| Green Moray |
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The moray's body
is compressed, very elongated, and muscular. The large mouth has caniniform
fanglike teeth. The posterior nostrils lack tubes, and the snout is
usually sharply pointed. Moray eels lack pectoral fins, but the dorsal
and anal fin are well developed, though largely hidden by tissue. Its
color is variable: green, greenish brown, or brown and occasionally
with small white spots. They grow to over 1.2 m (4 feet) in length.
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| Stoplight Parrotfish |
| Parrot
fishes get their names from the parrot like bill at their mouths. They
have very strong teeth that allow the parrot fishes to scrape algae
from rocks and corals. Using this ‘bill’ they can also bite off pieces
of coral and then grind up the coral "skeleton" to reach the tiny coral
polyps inside. The ground-up bits of skeleton cannot be digested and
pass through their digestive systems to be excreted as "sand" A lot
of what you think of as sand is really parrot poop!. Over its lifetime
a single parrotfish can produce hundreds of pounds of ‘sand’. |
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| Cleaner Shrimp |
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(Lysmata amboinensis)
This cleaner shrimp has a scarlet back with a white stripe running from
between the eyes to the base of the tail. The tails is marked with three
white patches. They derive their name from their natural cleaning behavior.
The will pick parasites, damaged skin and other tender morsels from
many species of fish, particularly moray eels. |
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| Black Durgeon |
| (Melichthys
niger) This variety of Trigger fish is found throughout the tropical
zones, usually hovering above reefs. It tends to inhabit clear seaward
reefs, from the reef front to deeper waters. The Black Durgeon grows
to about 35 cm in length. To feed this fish grazes on bottom and drifting
calcareous algae, crustaceans, sponges and small invertebrates, occasionally
feeding on zooplankton. |
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| Great Barracuda |
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(Sphyraena barracuda)
Silver, with a long, cylindrical body. This predator sports a large
under slung jaw, and its pointed teeth are often obvious. It usually
has scattered, dark blotches on the body and can darken showing side
bands. Dorsal fins widely separated. |
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| French Grunt |
| (Haemulon
flavolineatum) The French grunt school in large quantities using
sheltered reef areas during the day. They forage nearby for other fish
at night. The fish produces a grunt-like sound by grinding teeth located
in the throat. The sound is amplified by the adjacent swim bladder.
During territorial skirmishes, male grunts will face and push each other
with open mouths. |
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| Powder Blue Tang |
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(A. leucosternon) These
fish live between the depths of 0 to 25 meters. They can live singly
or in schools and prefer a territory in slower moving water around reef
terraces and edges. This animal is a very aggressive territorial defender
and have been know to chase away fish several times its size. The Powder
Blue Tang changes its coloration based on mood. |
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| Meyer's Butterfly |
| (Chaetodon
Meyeri) The mouth on the butterflyfish is small and protrudes.
They have many small teeth in both jaws and the round, flat body of
the butterfly fish is, in most species, covered with contrasting colors.
The main diet of the butterfly fish consist of algae, plankton, worms
and small crustaceans but in many species this fish is considered an
omnivore, which means it will eat almost anything that is available. |
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| Spotted Stingray |
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(Taeniura lymma) The Blue Spotted Stingray is in the Dasyatidae
family, which contains about 100 species. They grow to about 1.3 feet
in diameter (40cm). Like all stingrays they have venomous spines at
the base of the tail. Its spine is closer to the tip of the tail than
its base, giving a wide striking range. Though painful, the spines don't
have extremely powerful venom. This stingray breathes by drawing water
through a small hole behind each eye and expelling it through gill slits
on their undersides. They often lie on sandy bottoms, flicking sand
over themselves as camouflage. They feed on mollusks and crabs. These
rays are timid and will move out of your way if they given enough warning.
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| Hawksbill Sea Turtle |
| (Chelonidae)
The hawksbill prefers coral reefs and rocky outcroppings in shallow
coastal areas. It is the most tropical of all sea turtles. The tapering
head of the hawksbill is an adaptation for searching out food, such
as mollusks and crustaceans, in rocky crevices and reefs. In many areas
hawksbills are opportunistic breeders, nesting on any beach convenient
to feeding grounds. They lay more eggs at a time than any other turtle,
usually about 150. |
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| Dusky Dolphin |
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(Lagenorhynchus obscurus)
This dolphin is large in the center and tapers considerably behind the
white marked dorsal fin. It has a thick, stubby, scarcely noticeable
beak. The dorsal fin is fairly large. It has 32 pairs of teeth in both
the upper and lower jaws. Dusky Dolphins are commonly send in groups
of up to 15 to 100. |
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| Humpback Whale |
| (Megaptera
novaeangliae) The Humpback whale is best known for its acrobatic
displays and haunting songs. Humpbacks exhibit marked seasonal contrasts
in their social organization and behavior, but are typically observed
alone or in small unstable groups. Songs are population-specific and
change over time. |
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| Coral Grouper |
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(Cephalopholis Miniata)
This is one of the smaller of the Grouper fish family, but one of
the brightest in color. The Coral Grouper is considered to be one
of the most attractive fish of its family. This bright fish also goes
by the names of Coral Rockcop and Coral Hind. They tend to hover near
caves and ledges, but will venture out into channels and outer reef
slopes and can be found at depths up to 170 meters. It possesses a
brilliantly-hued, reddish-orange body covered with evenly-spaced blue
spots. It feeds on small fish and crustaceans. |
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| Squirrel Fish |
| (Holocentrus, Sargocentron, or Myripristus)
The squirrel fish is a slender red fish with silvery faint stripes running
lengthwise down its body. They are easily recognized by their red or
orange color and large eyes. The large eyes on this fish are especially
designed to maximize ambient light on the reef at night. The red pigment
Squirrelfish looks bright to a diver, especially if they bring a light,
but due to the way light is filtered in water, a fish that is primarily
red will look gray or black, and will blend into the background of the
reef, especially at night when there is little light. They feed during
the night, and spending most of the day hiding out under coral heads
on the reef. They can often be heard emitting a distinctive grunting
noise, made by contracting the muscles around their swimbladder. Squirrelfish
fish are found throughout the world and are almost always associated
with coral reefs. Most Squirrelfish frequent ledges or overhangs in
large groups, and often swim inverted. Their diet includes small fish,
plankton, and other invertebrates |
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| Joe Diver |
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(Diverious Underwaterious) This species is
greatest predator in the sea. All other sea creatures must beware. Found
in all portions of the world, the diver, also known by the longer name
‘Scuba Diver’ is a human being all festooned with breathing
apparatus, weights, flotation and buoyancy devices. The Diver often
wears a protective or thermal suit to keep them warm and/or protect
their soft skin from abrasion. Their eyes are encased in a rubber or
silicone device designed to make an air space, which allows their eyes
to focus. Bendy fins are attached to their stubby feet to give them
moderate propulsion. Though dangerous, the diver is one of the slowest
creatures to cruise the undersea landscape. The best way to avoid a
confrontation with a Diver is to go to less touristy locations. They
tend to like their night life, lawn chairs and posh hotels close to
their underwater territory. They are usually seen in pairs, though this
does not necessarily mean they are mated. |
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| White Tip Reef Shark |
(Triaenodon
obesus) This shark is easily identified by its small, broad
and flattened head. An adult whitetip is rarly over 5.25 ft [1.6 mi,
but a few individuals may reach nearly 7 ft (2.13m). The protective
ridges above its eyes give it the appearance of having a permanenent
scowl. A white tip is present on the first and sometimes on the second
dorsal fin as well as the tail lobes. Its body is dark grey, sometimes
with small, dark scattered spots, becoming lighter on the flanks to
blend with a white belly. During the night the shark feeds primarily
on octopus, spiny lobsters and crabs, and bony fishes including eels,
squirrelfishes, snappers, damselfishes, parrotfishes, surgeonfishes,
and triggerfishes. Their tough hide, slender body, blunt snout and protective
eye ridges enable them to move and hunt in very confined spaces within
the reef. The Whitetip Reef Shark is probably the most common shark
encountered by divers and snorkelers on tropical reefs. While it has
the potential to give a serious bite if molested, baited or provoked,
the Whitetip Reef Shark is generally considered to be harmless to humans.
During the day this shark can be found resting on the seabed, either
in the open, under a ledge or in caves within a loose territorial area.
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