ORGANISMS IN THE WATER
(swimming vertebrates)
Acanthurus coeruleus Bloch & Schneider, 1801 (above & below) -
blue tangs (Vertebrata, Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Acanthuridae). Blue
tangs are a type of doctorfish that range from pale blue to dark blue to black
with dark blue peripheries. (Above: Scott Bair photo, 2009; below:
James St. John photo, 2011)
Acanthurus bahianus Castelnau, 1855 - ocean surgeonfish (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Acanthuridae) landward of Snapshot Reef, Fernandez
Bay, western margin of San Salvador Island. (Mark Peter photo, 2009)
Balistes vetula Linnaeus, 1758 (above & below) - queen
triggerfish (Vertebrata, Actinopterygii, Tetraodontiformes, Balistidae).
Above left: queen triggerfish at Telephone Pole Reef, Fernandez Bay, western
margin of San Salvador Island. (Mark Peter photo, 2009)
Above right: queen triggerfish near Snapshot Reef, Fernandez Bay, western margin
of San Salvador Island. (James St. John photo, 2011)
Below:
queen triggerfish near Snapshot Reef, Fernandez Bay, western margin of San Salvador
Island. (Mark Peter photo, 2011)
Canthidermis sufflamen (Mitchill, 1815) - ocean triggerfish (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Tetraodontiformes, Balistidae) off Bamboo Point, northern
Fernandez Bay, western margin of San Salvador Island. (James St. John photo,
2010)
Chromis cyanea Poey, 1860 (above & below) - blue chromis
(Vertebrata, Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Pomacentridae) at Snapshot Reef,
Fernandez Bay, western margin of San Salvador Island. (above: James St.
John photos, 2010 & 2011; below: Mark Peter photo, 2009)
Lactophrys triqueter (Linnaeus, 1758) - smooth trunkfish (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Tetraodontiformes, Ostraciidae) landward of Snapshot Reef,
Fernandez Bay, western margin of San Salvador Island. (Mark Peter photo, 2009)
Lactophrys bicaudalis (Linnaeus, 1758) - spotted trunkfish (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Tetraodontiformes, Ostraciidae) at Snapshot Reef, Fernandez
Bay, western margin of San Salvador Island. (left: Mark Peter photo,
2009; right: Scott Bair photo, 2009)
Lactophrys polygonia (Poey, 1876) - honeycomb trunkfish (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Tetraodontiformes, Ostraciidae) in shallow subtidal portion of
northern Fernandez Bay, due west of Bamboo Point, western margin of San
Salvador Island. (James St. John photo, 2010)
Thalassoma bifasciatum Bloch, 1791 - bluehead wrasse (adult
coloration/terminal phase) (Vertebrata, Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Labridae)
landward of Snapshot Reef, Fernandez Bay, western margin of San Salvador
Island. (Mark Peter photo, 2009)
Thalassoma bifasciatum Bloch, 1791 - bluehead wrasses (pre-adult
colorations/juvenile or initial phases) (Vertebrata, Actinopterygii,
Perciformes, Labridae) at a small patch reef west of Cut Cay, eastern Graham’s
Harbour, northeastern San Salvador Island. (James St. John photos, 2010)
Caranx ruber (Bloch, 1793) (above & below) - bar jacks (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Carangidae). (James St. John photos, 2011)
Left:
bar jack swimming just above a symmetrically rippled, biogenic aragonite sand
seafloor between closely-spaced patch reefs in western French Bay, southwestern
San Salvador Island.
Right:
bar jack near Snapshot Reef, Fernandez Bay, western margin of San Salvador
Island.
See
short video of two bar jacks.
Pomacanthus paru (Bloch, 1787) - French angelfish (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Pomacanthidae) in patch reef near Cockburn Town,
western margin of San Salvador Island. (Scott Bair photo, 2009)
Dasyatis americana (Hildebrand & Schroeder, 1928) (above &
below) - southern stingray (Vertebrata, Chondrichthyes, Myliobatiformes,
Dasyatidae).
Above left: Pigeon Creek estuary, southeastern San Salvador Island. (Mark Peter
photo, 2009)
Above right: Snapshot Reef, Fernandez Bay, western margin of San Salvador Island.
(James St. John photo, 2010)
Below:
French Bay, southwestern margin San Salvador Island. (Mark Peter photo,
2011) See short video
of this very animal.
Dasyatis americana - southern stingray mostly buried in biogenic
aragonite sand at Snapshot Reef, Fernandez Bay, offshore from western margin of
San Salvador Island. (James St. John photo, 2011)
Aetobatus narinari (Euphrasen, 1790) - spotted eagle ray (Vertebrata,
Chondrichthes, Myliobatiformes, Myliobatidae) at Bimini, western Bahamas. (Lee
& Mary Ellen St. John photo, 1964)
Sparisoma viride (Bonnaterre, 1788) - stoplight parrotfish (terminal
phase) (Vertebrata, Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Scaridae) at Snapshot Reef,
Fernandez Bay, western margin of San Salvador Island. (left: Scott
Bair photo, 2009; right: James St. John photo, 2009)
Sparisoma viride (Bonnaterre, 1788) - stoplight parrotfish (terminal
phase) (Vertebrata, Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Scaridae) at a patch reef in
western French Bay, southwestern San Salvador Island. (James St. John photo,
2010)
Sparisoma viride (Bonnaterre, 1788) - stoplight parrotfish (initial
phase) (Vertebrata, Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Scaridae) in French Bay,
southern margin of San Salvador Island. (Mark Peter photo, 2009)
Scarus vetula Bloch & Schneider, 1801 - queen parrotfish at patch reef offshore
from Rocky Point/Sand Dollar Beach, northwestern corner of San Salvador Island.
(James St. John photo, 2011)
Melichthys niger Bloch, 1786 - black durgon (Vertebrata, Actinopterygii,
Tetraodontiformes, Balistidae) over a common seafan, Gorgonia ventalina
(Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Octocorallia, Gorgonacea, Gorgoniidae). (Scott Bair
photo, 2009)
Cantherhines pullus (Ranzani, 1842) - orangespotted filefish (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Tetraodontiformes, Balistidae) near Snapshot Reef, Fernandez
Bay, western margin of San Salvador Island.
Left:
James St. John photo, 2011. Right: Mark Peter photo, 2011.
Sphoeroides testudineus (Linnaues, 1758) - checkered pufferfish (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Tetraodontiformes, Tetraodontidae) in Pigeon Creek estuary,
southeastern San Salvador Island. (Mark Peter photo, 2009)
Coryphopterus glaucofraenum Gill, 1863 - bridled goby (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Gobiidae) at a small patch reef just west of Cut
Cay, eastern Graham’s Harbour, northeastern San Salvador Island. This
fish’s body is translucent and internal organs are visible. (James St. John
photo, 2010)
Gnatholepis thompsoni Jordan, 1904 - goldspot goby (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Gobiidae) at a small patch reef just west of Cut
Cay, eastern Graham’s Harbour, northeastern San Salvador Island. (James St.
John photo, 2010)
Pseudupeneus maculatus (Bloch, 1793) (above & below) - spotted goatfish
(Vertebrata, Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Mullidae) at a small patch reef just west
of Cut Cay, eastern Graham’s Harbour, northeastern San Salvador Island.
Goatfish have two, moderately long, posteroventrally-directed barbels under the
chin. They use the barbels to probe for food in the sediments, as seen
above.
Above:
active color phase of the spotted goatfish.
Below:
inactive color phase of the spotted goatfish.
(James St. John photos, 2010 & 2011)
Chaetodon ocellatus Bloch, 1787 - spotfin butterflyfish (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Chaetodontidae) at Telephone Pole Reef, Fernandez
Bay, western margin of San Salvador Island. (Mark Peter photo, 2009)
Chaetodon striatus Linnaeus, 1758 - banded butterflyfish (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Chaetodontidae) near Snapshot Reef, Fernandez Bay,
western margin of San Salvador Island. (left: Mark Peter photo, 2011; right:
James St. John photo, 2011)
Halichoeres radiatus (Linnaeus, 1758) - puddingwife, initial phase
(Vertebrata, Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Labridae) at Snapshot Reef, Fernandez
Bay, western margin of San Salvador Island. (James St. John photo, 2010)
Lutjanus apodus (Walbaum, 1792) - juvenile schoolmaster (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Lutjanidae) just south of Pigeon Creek Delta,
southeastern San Salvador Island. (James St. John photo, 2010)
Lutjanus synagris (Linnaeus, 1758) - lane snapper (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Lutjanidae) at a small patch reef just west of Cut
Cay, eastern Graham’s Harbour, northeastern San Salvador Island. (James St.
John photo, 2010)
Holocentrus adscensionis (Osbeck, 1765) - squirrelfish (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Beryciformes, Holocentridae) at Snapshot Reef, Fernandez Bay,
western margin of San Salvador Island. (Mark Peter photo, 2009)
Haemulon flavolineatum (Desmarest, 1823) - French grunt (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Haemulidae) at a small patch reef just west of Cut
Cay, eastern Graham’s Harbour, northeastern San Salvador Island. (James St.
John photo, 2010)
Haemulon plumieri Lacepede, 1801 - white grunt (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Haemulidae) at a small patch reef just west of Cut
Cay, eastern Graham’s Harbour, northeastern San Salvador Island. (James St.
John photo, 2010)
Haemulon striatum (Linnaeus, 1758) (apparently) - striped grunt
(Vertebrata, Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Haemulidae) at a small patch reef
just west of Cut Cay, eastern Graham’s Harbour, northeastern San Salvador
Island. (James St. John photo, 2010)
Holocentrus adscensionis (Osbeck, 1765) & Haemulon flavolineatum
(Desmarest, 1823) - squirrelfish (reddish & silvery with large eyes) and
French grunts (striped yellow). (Scott Bair photo, 2009)
Bothus lunatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (above & below) - peacock
flounders (Vertebrata, Actinopterygii, Pleuronectiformes, Bothidae). (James St.
John photos, 2010 & 2011)
Above:
peacock flounder in shallow subtidal portion of northern Fernandez Bay, due
west of Bamboo Point, western margin of San Salvador Island.
Below:
peacock flounder near Snapshot Reef, Fernandez Bay, western margin of San
Salvador Island.
Abudefduf saxatilis (Linnaeus, 1758) - sergeant major (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Pomacentridae) at Gaulin Reef, northern Graham's
Harbour, northern San Salvador Island. (James St. John photo, 2010)
Bodianus rufus (Linnaeus, 1758) - Spanish hogfish (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Labridae) at Snapshot Reef, Fernandez Bay, western
margin of San Salvador Island. (Mark Peter photo, 2009)
Stegastes leucostictus (Müller & Troschel in Schomburgk, 1848) -
juvenile beaugregory, a variety of damselfish (Vertebrata, Actinopterygii,
Perciformes, Pomacentridae), near a small patch reef just west of Cut Cay,
eastern Graham’s Harbour, northeastern San Salvador Island. (James St. John
photo, 2010)
Sphyraena barracuda (Edwards, 1771) - great barracuda (above & below)
(Vertebrata, Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Sphyraenidae).
Above:
great barracuda at Gaulin Reef, northern Graham’s Harbour, northern San
Salvador Island. (James St. John photo, 2010)
Below:
closeup of teeth of great barracuda from unrecorded locality in the Bahamas.
(Lee & Mary Ellen St. John photo, 1964)
Pristis pectinata Latham, 1794 - smalltooth sawfish (Vertebrata,
Chondrichthyes, Pristiformes, Pristidae) at Bimini, western Bahamas. (Lee &
Mary Ellen St. John photo, 1964)
Heteroconger halis Günther, 1870 - brown garden eels (Vertebrata,
Actinopterygii, Agnuilliformes, Congridae) offshore from Bamboo Point, near
“The Wall”, northern Fernandez Bay, western margin of San Salvador Island.
(James St. John photo, 2010)
Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) - loggerhead sea turtle (Vertebrata,
Reptilia, Anapsida, Testudines, Cheloniidae) at Bimini, western Bahamas. (Lee
& Mary Ellen St. John photo, 1964)
Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758) - green sea turtle (Vertebrata,
Reptilia, Anapsida, Testudines, Cheloniidae) at Snapshot Reef, Fernandez Bay,
offshore from western margin of San Salvador Island. (James St. John photo,
2011)
Phalacrocorax auritus (Lesson, 1831) - double-crested cormorant (above
& below) (Vertebrata, Aves, Pelecaniformes, Phalacrocoracidae) diving at
Snapshot Reef, Fernandez Bay, western margin of San Salvador Island, March
2009. (Above & below left: Mark Peter photos; below right:
James St. John photo)
