Reef Taxa, Inverts and Fishes

Sponge

Filter and suspension feeding

Cliona Sponge

bioeroder of shells

true corals (sceractinia)

integration, growth forms

gorgonians

sea fan, sea whip, skeleton made of a fingernail like material

soft corals (alcyonarian)

lacks skeleton altogether

anemone (actinarian)

sting prey

fire coral (hydrozoan)

stinging

stomatopod

special claw that moves fast causing a bubble to explode

gastropod: conch

mollusca, eats seagrass and invertebrates on grass

gastropod: nudibranch

shell-less snail, brightly colored and toxic

bivalve: tridacna (giant clam)

zooxanthellae, pacific ocean, filter feeder

cephalopod: squid

piscivores, predators, chromatophores

crinoid (feather star)

echinoderm, suspension feeders

sea biscuit

irregular echinoid, deposit feeder, covered with spines during life

sea urchin

regular echinoid, grazer, aristotles lantern

sea star

asteroidea, echinoderm, predatory

brittle star

ophiuroidea, mostly scavengers, can be suspension feeders

holothuroidea (sea cucumber)

deposit feeders

tunicate (urochordata)

dorsal nerve, suspension filter feeder

Foram (foraminiferan)

kingdom protista, single celled, most have symbionts

Surgeonfish (Tangs)

• Grazers

• Acanthuridae

• graze algal turf

Parrot Fish

• Scaridae

• Grazers

• Eat algae that has bored into rock

Damselfish

• Grazers

• Pomacentridae

• Defend territories

• Farm algae

Blennies

• Detritivores

• Blenniiformes

• Cryptobenthic herbivores

• Scavengers

Chromis

• Planktivores

• Pomacentridae

• Diurnal planktivore

Cardinal Fish

• Planktivores

• Apagonidae

• Nocturnal planktivore

Butterfly Fish

• Chaetondontidae

• Invertivores

• Diurnal invert specialist

Angelfish

• Pomacanthidae

• Invertivores

• Invert specialist: sponges and corals

Triggerfish

• Balistidae

• Invertivores

• Large inverts (sea urchins, crabs)

Goat Fish

• Mullidae

• Invertivores

• Small inverts in the sand

Wrass

• Labridae

• Invertivores

• Diurnal invertivores

Squirrel Fish

• Holocentridae

• Invertivores

• Nocturnal invert predator

Pufferfish

• Tetradontidae

• Invertivores

• Small inverts, gorgonians

Sting Rays

• Batoidea

• Invertivores

• Grind up hard shelled invertebrates

Grouper

• Epinephelidae

• Piscivores

• Ambush predator

Jacks (Jack Fish)

• Carangidae

• Piscivores

• Open water piscivore