Fish ID - other

A small green and yellow bicolored spot above the pectoral fin

dark black midbody stripe

second lower stripe is less distinct

terminal ohase as dark traingular corners to tail

Slippery Dick

The body is a greenish or olive

darker above than below

has large blue spots on the sides

head is orangish above nad blue below

has dark stripe swith spots radiating from eye to nape and opercule

pectoral fin has a dark spot at upper base

Puddingwife

strap like silver body

no pelvic fins

no finlets

single long continuos dorsal fin

no cadual fin

body ends with filament

Atlantic Cutlassfish

gray-brown to greenish brown (pale or darken to match the bottom)

approx. 8 diamond shaped marks on sides

10-14 anal fin rays

Inshore Lizardfish

thin yellow-gold stripes

dark spot at upper opercle

about 8 dusky bars on upper part of body

no knob at tip of chin

Sand Diver

short dark diagonal stream at upper end of gill cover

body with bluish gray and yellow stripes

Snakefish

olive to bluish-brown above, sides silvery with a golden stripe

edge of pelvic, anal and middle rays of caudal are blackish

Guaguanche

Large teeth

Black blotches on side

Dorsal fins are far apart

Barracuda

brown coloration

flat wide head

7-9 free spines

Cobia

The body is brownish with avriably blotched with darker brown

complete pale bars across pectoral and caudal fins

Oyster Toadfish

tufts of cirri on the nostrils and over the eyes

bars extend into dorsal fins

pattern/color is highly variable but has splotches and stripes

Hairy Blenny

3 long dorsal spines

dark mask

reddish orange color

large mouth

poitned face

Hogfish

female and male versions

Hogfish

Silver color on body, with a blueish back

Head small and pointed

Mouth terminal (at the very front of head)

Slender body with small scales

Last dorsal ray not extended into long filament

small scales

Ladyfish

Large mouth with a protruding lower jaw

Jaw reaches below the rear portion of the eye

Sloping forehead

High dorsal fin that is divided

Black lateral line extends onto tail

Pelvic fin yellow in color

Common Snook

Silvery body with dark gray or green backs marked with irregular black spots

pair of large canine teeth at the tip of upper jaw

lack barbels on lower jaw

Spotted Seatrout

Slender, silvery bodies with a blue-green back adn distinct dark streaks

deeply forked caudal fin

diagonal or logitudal dark streaks

Bonefish

dull blue on the top, with pale sides and a silvery belly.

Numerous irregular dark spots fade after they are harvested.

Very thin and deep-bodied, like a flounder set upright, and somewhat circular or rounded.

Small mouths with weak teeth and blunt noses.

Butterfish

brigth colorful “wing” pectoral fins

Large eyes with a brim of bright color

green or brownish color with yellow or reddish patches

Flying Gurnard

dorsal and pectoral are long and have long fleshy filaments on the spine

bluish above and silvery below

2-inch barbels

flattened barbel at the corner of the mouth

Gafttopsail Catfish

head and body marveled and molted with brown tan, and white

darkest most solid colored above and toward the front

dark diagonally barred dorsal fin and anal fins

pale areas form rosettes toward rear

Gulf Toadfish

4 chin barbels

brownish to gray-green above and white below

Barbels at corner of the mouth not very flattened and shorter than the head

fin spines with no fleshy filaments

Hardhead Catfish

Short and blunt snout

no pelvic fins

deeply forked caudal 

very long anal fin

long dorsal fin

Harvestfish

yellow/brown base color

dark spots on body

broad and flat head

Leopard Toadfish

red-brown color with darker markings and stripes

face will have dark markings

rounded tail fin

Masquerader Blenny

comb-like fringer of cirri down middle of the head in front of dorsal

body is olive-brown overall with darker markings sometimes with the pearly white spots

caudal fin is usually barred

Molly Miller Blenny

inflatable fish with tough scale-less skin

dark top coloration and light lower

Oceanic Puffer

variable color and pattern: brown with orange cast from orange spots

dorsal spine very thin, almsot always ben tor irregular

deep-bodied, half as deep as long

upper profile of snout slightly concave to straight

Orange Filefish

tan or brown to green with darker brown blotches, spots, and lines

upper profile of snout slightly concave to straight

bristly psines on the caudal peduncle.

Planehead Filefish

Very long pelvic fins

dorsally dark blue, coppery sides and silver below

dorsal fin bluish-black to dark brownish-blue with dark spots

dorsal tall and sail-like

Sailfish

thin white border on darl tail

color is variable but always has broad blackish stripe at midside

set off above and below by narrow white lines

usually 23 lamellae

Sharksucker

back and top of head are a green color with farther back on dorsal being slightly darker

sides are silvery

belly is white

inflatebale fish

Smooth Puffer

red body with a yellow blotch/section on the back dorsal and into the caudal 

white or yellow stripe on sides extending from mouth to tail

Spotfin Hogfish

reddish-pink bodies

large eyes

rough scales

can have white or yellow markings/stripes

Squrrielfish

large lobed dorsal, anal and tail fins (3)

edge of opercle strongly serrated

head and body molted color

nape and profile concave

Tripletail

wider white borders on dark tail

had more white on vertical fins

usually 21 lamellae

Whitefin Sharksucker

Mouth large and upturned

one dorsal fin

dark blue-greenish black beocmes siler on sides

large scales

Atlantic Tarpon

5 vertical black bars

green/yellow/blue at top

compressed oval shaped body

Sergeant Major

Irregular bars

protruding belly

large and rounded dorsal

Sheepshead Minnow

olive green/brown yellow color dorsally and white underbelly

6-8 irregular black bars or blotches

many black spots pepper upper body

sark blotch under pectoral

Northern Puffer

sark blotches and bands that look almost leopard print

yellow or black dots

underbelly white

caudal fin may have black outer margin

Checkered puffer

dark brown dorsally with white, floral-like patterns and black dots

pale underbelly

Southern puffer

soft dorsal fin is long

alternating pale and dark red stripes

irregular bars on sides

top of head deep red

eyes are red

Longspine Squirrelfish

brownish gray

small white spot between eyes

snout continuous with almost straight anterior fin margins

series of denticles on shoulder

tail has ventral skin fold

Southern stingray

Irregular row of spines and bumps down mid-back onto tail

Numerous spine rows on tail

snout projects slightly

scattered tubercles on the should, at the base of pectoral, and along the back and down tail

Roughtail stingray

snout projects into a point like an A shape

tubercles from midline all the way down tail to the serrated barb

pectoral fin tips and trailing edges rounded

Atlantic Stingray

snout protrudes slightly from the convex anterior fin margins

pectoral fins are slightly rounded

sorsal and ventral fold on tail

Bluntnose Stingray

Wings are long and pointed

Projecting squarish snout with indent in center

Tan/ olive color

Cownose Ray

Clear rectangular area on each side of pointed snout

Brown disk with dark brown streaks

Clearnose Skate

2 Eye dark eye spots with white outlines on pectoral fins

Pointed snout with 2 translucent patches on either side

Rounded Skate

Two dark bands on caudal fin

Variably colored with dark browns above and tan on sides and white on bottom

Row of dark blotches from mouth to tail

Bandtail Puffer

Irregular dark brown stripes on back and sides

Fleshy tabs covering body

Large black patches above and behind pectoral fins and at dorsal

Striped Burrfish

Pectoral and tail covered in dark dots

Reddish brown to yellow tan

Pectoral fins may have yellow border

Short unicorn like projection between eyes

Polkadot Baitfish

Yellow/gold body with bluish line/squiggle markings on body

Blue line runs from snout to anal fin

Below is white

Small spine on upper side of caudal peduncle

Scrawled Cowfish

Green/gray/brown body color with darker or reddish eye-sized spots

Underside of head is red membrane under throat to prectoral fin has 4 rows of numerous bright colored ocellated spots and upper 3-4 rays barred

Has a spot on spiny dorsal fin

Tail fin has 2 broad and dark bars

Bluespotted Searobin

Cirri on nostrils

Tail base has sark saddle

Pale coppery orange color with broad dark bars

Tail fin has 3 black bars

Bandtail Searobin

Has 3 large Ocelli ( 1 on lower middle dorsal fin, 1 on mid-body under dorsal fin spot and 1 on center of tail)

Large upward turning jaw

Has numerous small spots

Ocellated Frogfish

Circular body

Large head

Relatively large eye

Big Roughy

Large eye

Slender oval shape

Fleshy keel

Strongly forked tail

Crimson Rover

Gray/brown upper half

3 dark saddles

1st dorsal has broad diagonal or vertical dark bar

2nd dorsal thin dark stripes with yellowish outer edge.

Frillfin Goby

Spotted Goatfish