MARINE LIFE
of the Caribbean
including Sea Turtles, Fish,
Corals and Jellyfish, Mollusks (inc Shells),
Arthropods (Crustaceans & Echinoderms)
not including here the
Whales, Dolphins & Manatee
A list of Caribbean Marine Life compiled by Armas Hill
Noting those seen during
Focus On Nature Tours
and pelagic trips
with an (*)
Photo at upper right:
LOGGERHEAD TURTLE photographed during a FONT Tour
(photo by Alan Brady)
Codes:
CY: Cayman Islands
DM: Dominica
JM: Jamaica
PR: Puerto Rico
(p): seen pelagically
Classifications as designated by IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of
Nature) relating to threatened species:
(t1): critically endangered
(t2); endangered
(t3): vulnerable
(nt): near-threatened
(ph): species with a photo in the FONT website
(ASC:xx) refers to plate number of photo in
the "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Seashore Creatures"
(ATMF:xx) refers to plate number of photo in the "National
Audubon Society Field Guide to Tropical Marine Fishes"
(FGCF:xx) refers to the page with an
illustration in the book "A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes, from Maine to
Texas" by Val Kells and Kent Carpenter, 2011
Links:
A
Listing of scheduled Focus On Nature Tours
Upcoming
Focus On Nature Tours in the Caribbean
FONT
Past Tour Highlights
Links, in this following list, to:
Sea
Turtles
Fish
Corals
& Jellyfish
Mollusks
(Shells) & including Squids & Octopus
Arthropods
(including Crustaceans & Echinoderms)
Other Links:
Mammals in the West Indies of the Caribbean
(land and marine)
A List & Photo Gallery of Caribbean birds, in 2 Parts
Butterflies & Moths in the West Indies of the Caribbean
(some
some photos)
Amphibians & Reptiles in the West Indies of the Caribbean
(with some
photos)
MARINE, or SEA, TURTLES
- Leatherback (Sea Turtle) (t1) (ph) ______
Dermochelys coriacea (the single member of its genus)
The Leatherback is the world's largest turtle. It can weigh half a
ton. It is a deep diver. It can go to a depth of about 5,000 feet.
A female Leatherback Sea Turtle on a beach in
the Caribbean laying her eggs
- Loggerhead (Sea Turtle) (t2) (ph) (*) ______
PR
Caretta caretta
(the single ember of its
genus)
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
(photo by Alan Brady during a FONT tour)
- Green (Sea) Turtle (t2) (*) ______ DM
Chelonia mydas
- Hawksbill (Sea Turtle) (t1) (*)
______
Eretmochelys imbricata
(the single member of its genus)
The Hawksbill (Sea Turtle) favors, among other places, coral reefs. It has a
varied diet.
It has a long beak and two pairs of prefrontals.
- Kemp's Ridley (Sea) Turtle (t1) ______
Lepidochelys kempii
The Kemp's Ridley is said to be the world's rarest sea turtle; It is
classified as "critically endangered".
- Olive Ridley (Sea) Turtle ______
Lepidochelys olivacea
An excellent book about Sea Turtles is "Voyage of the Turtle - In
Pursuit of the Earth's Last Dinosaur", by Carl Safina, Owl Books,
2007.
FISH
Click the
above link to a list of fish of the Caribbean: 695 species
OCEAN
INVERTEBRATES
CNIDARIANS (including CORALS &
JELLYFISH)
REEF CORAL
(Class Anthozoa)
- Staghorn Coral ______ (ASC:55)
Acropora cervicornis
- Elkhorn Coral
______ (ASC:32)
Acropora palmata
- Lettuce Coral
______ (ASC:33) (also called Thin Leaf Coral)
Agaricia tenuifolia
- Scarlet Coral ______
(ASC:16)
Siderastrea radians
- Reef Scarlet Coral ______
(ASC:14)
Siderastrea siderea
- Large Star Coral
______ (ASC:11,174)
Montastrea cavernosa
- Common Star Coral ______ (ASC:10)
(also called Boulder Star
Coral)
Montastrea annularis
- Porous Coral ______
(ASC:9) (also called Finger
Coral)
Porites astreoides
- Clubbed Finger Coral ______
(ASC:13)
Porites porites
- Common Brain Coral ______ (ASC:2)
(also called Smooth or Symmetrical Brain
Coral)
Diploria strigosa
- Knobbed Brain Coral ______ (ASC:4)
Diploria clivosa
- Labyrinthine Brain Coral ______
(ASC:3)
Diploria labyrinthiformis
- Rose Coral ______
(ASC:175)
Manicina areolata
- Ivory Bush Coral ______ (ASC:35)
Oculina diffusa
- Meandrine Brain Coral ______ (ASC:5)
Meandrina meandrina
- Stokes' Star Coral ______
(ASC:7)
Dichocoenia stokesii
- Pillar Coral ______
(ASC:6)
Dendrogyra cylindrus
- Large Flower Coral ______ (ASC:1)
Mussa angulosa
- Flower Coral ______
(ASC:173,198)
Eusmilia fastigiata
- Corky Sea Fingers ______ (ASC:68)
Briareum asbestinum
- Sea Plumes ______ (ASC:60.66)
Pseudopterogorgia spp.
- Common Sea Fan
______ (a soft coral
gorgonian)
Gorgonia ventalina
- Yellow Sea Whip ______ (ASC:59,62)
Pterogorgia citrina
- Spiny Muricea ______ (ASC:61)
Muricea muricata
- Black Sea Rod ______
(ASC:57)
Plexaura homomalla
- Bent Sea Rod ______
Plexaura flexuosa
- Eunicea Sea Rods ______ (ASC:56)
Eunicea spp.
- Double-forked Plexaurella ______
(ASC:58)
Plexaurella dichotoma
- Common Sea Pansy ______
Renilla reniformis
- Mat Amemone ______
(ASC:12)
Zoanthus pulchellus
- Knobbed Zoanthidean ______ (ASC:8)
Palythoa mammillosa
- Pink-tipped Anemone ______
(ASC:187,188)
Condylactis gigantea
- Warty Sea Anemone ______
(ASC:193)
Bunodosoma cavernata
- Speckled Anemone ______
(ASC:189,192)
Phymanthus crucifer
- Tricolor Anemone ______
(ASC:194)
Calliactis tricolor
- Pale Anemone ______
(ASC:167)
Aiptasia pallida
- Ringed Anemone ______ (ASC:190)
Bartholomea annulata
JELLYFISH (Class Scyphozoa)
- Crown Jellyfish ______ (ASC:503)
Nausithoe punctata
- Purple Jellyfish ______
(ASC:508)
Pelagica noctiluca
- Moon Jellyfish ______ (ASC:502)
(mildy
toxic)
Aurelia aurita
- Upside-down Jellyfish ______ (ASC:509)
(mildly
toxic)
Cassiopeia xamachana
- Cannonball Jellyfish ______ (ASC:507,514)
Stomolophus meleagris
HYDROIDS (Class Hydrozoa): not "true" jellyfish
- Feathered Hydroid ______ (ASC:86)
Pennaria tiarella
- Bougainvillia Hydroids ______ (ASC:80)
Bougainvillia spp.
- Stick Hydroid ______
(ASC:82)
Eudendrium ramosum
- Many-ribbed Hydromedusa ______
(ASC:500)
Aequorea aequorea
- Wine-glass Hydroids ______
(ASC:75,77)
Campanularia spp.
- Zig-zag Wine-glass Hydroid ______
(ASC:78)
Obelia geniculata
- Tropical Garland Hydroid ______
(ASC:70)
Sertularella speciosa
- Feathery Hydroids ______ (ASC:67,69)
Aglaophenia spp.
- Portuguese Man-of-war ______ (ASC:512,513)
Physalia physalis
The Portuguese Man-of-war is a common siphonophore occurring at the sea
surface. Gas-filled, its clear blue float and pink crest are unmistakable.
Its long, blue, coiled stinging tentacles are up to over 10 meters in
length, hanging below a blue to purple-colored colony.
Also known by the name "bluebottles".
The float is up to 30 centimeters long, and has a crest which acts as a
sail. It is blown along by wind and carried by currents. Shows
"tumbling" behavior when it dips each side alternately in the
water, so keeping the float moist.
Highly toxic. Can deliver a painful sting.
The Bluebottlefish, Nomeus gronovii, is often found in association with
Physalia.
Portuguese Man-of-War
- Fire Coral ______ (ASC:25) (highly
toxic)
Millepora alcicornis
MOLLUSKS (SHELLS)
SEASHELLS are made by MOLLUSKS.
MOLLUSKS are invertebrate animals that produce shells of one or two
pieces that wholly or partially enclose a soft body.
SHELLS are the skeletons of MOLLUSKS. Like the internal
skeleton (endoskeleton) of a mammal, the external skeleton (exoskeleton) of
mollusks function both for protection and as a place for muscle
attachment.
A SHELL found on a beach is the skeletal remnant of a dead MOLLUSK.
MOLLUSKS are either snail-like animals with one shell (UNIVALVES,
or GASTROPODS), or clam-like animals with two shells (BIVALVES).
The two shells of a BIVALVE are held tightly together when the animal
is alive.
A third group of MOLLUSKS are the CEPHALOPODS, including SQUIDS
and OCTOPUSES. These animals lack external shells, having instead
internal or rudimentary shells.
GASTROPODS (Class Gastropoda): snail-like mollusks with a one-part
shell
