1
Q
Family Agonidae
A
Poachers, Alligator Fish
small, marine bottom fishes
Complete covering of bony plates
Expanded fan like pectorals
Pelvic fins thoracic and reduced to one spine and two rays.
- Mouth ventral or terminal. Probably feed mainly on small crustaceans and other larvae.
- Gill membranes may be free of, or united to, isthmus.
- Long caudal peduncle.
- No anal fin spines
2
Q
Sturgeon Poacher
A
Family Agonidae
Light grayish brown on dorsal surface, light yellow to orange on ventral surface; orange
spot under each eye; dark saddle-like markings across back and sides; bright yellow on
cirri; dusky on fins, dark blotch on posterior tip of anal fin in older individuals.
- Two sharp spines pointing forward from snout.
- Elongate body, with two dorsal fins.
- Shiny side plates.
- Bushy cirri on snout and under-slung mouth, smooth body plates
3
Q
Kelp Poacher
A
Family Agonidae
Body often covered with small sponges and seaweed, which provide camouflage.
- Elongate single flap on snout.
- Tall first dorsal fin extending over head.
- Distinctive caudal fin shape.
4
Q
Smooth Alligatorfish
A
Coloration is brown or tan above with blotches on the sides and a paler underside
- Thick prominent forwardly-directed whisker on protruding lower jaw
- Elongate body, with single dorsal fin
- Gill membranes united at the throat
- No whiskers on under jaw
- Smooth body plates
5
Q
Family Cyclopteridae
A
Lumpfishes
Globose body shape.
- Thoracic-positioned pelvic fins
modified into a circular disc, used for adhering to smooth
rock surfaces, often in wave-swept rocky areas. - Body usually covered with horny tubercles.
- Two short dorsal fins, the second never confluent with the caudal, as it is in snailfishes.
- Short anal fin
6
Q
Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker
A
Family Cyclopteridae
Body colour is a variety on unexpected colours such as pink and yellow.
- Stocky body and head covered with spiny con-shaped protuberances.
- Two dorsal fins.
- Ventral sucking disc fringed with thick margin
7
Q
Family Liparidae
A
Elongate body shape.
- In many species, dorsal and anal fins often elongated and confluent, or nearly confluent,
with caudal fin. Swim mainly by convulsive movements of pectoral fins. - Scales, tubercles, and lateral line usually absent, resulting in unusually smooth, slippery
body surface. In one species, the Slipskin snailfish, the skin seems to be loose when the
fish is rubbed between the fingers. This may be a device to make the fish difficult to
hold. - Gill openings small
8
Q
Tidepool Snailfish
A
Family Liparidae
Body colour varies, brown, olive, or purplish, sometimes yellowish or shades of greenish
brown to red. Fins usually same colour as the body.
- Each gill opening extends down to between the third and fifth rays of each pectoral fin.
- Dorsal fin with pronounced lobe (appears separate from the fin).
- Dorsal and anal fin extends to base of caudal fin.
9
Q
Order Perciformes
A
Fin spines.
- Dorsal fins double or consisting of two distinct parts with the first being spiny.
- No adipose fin.
- Pelvic fins thoracic or jugular (in front of pectorals) in position.
- Pelvic fins with one spine and five or fewer rays.
- Pectoral fins on sides of body, with vertical insertion on body.
- Seventeen or fewer principal caudal fin rays.
- Scales ctenoid or scales absent, cycloid in a few.
- Premaxilla is the only bone bordering the upper jaw.
- Swim bladder physoclistous or absent
10
Q
Family Serranidae
A
Sea bass, grouper
Opercula with three spines.
- Scales are mainly ctenoid.
- Lateral line is complete.
- Dorsal fin is continuous and maybe notched.
- Caudal fin is rounded.
11
Q
Black sea bass
A
Family Serranidae
Black body, somewhat lighter ventrally, fins are dark
- Dorsal fin has rows and stripes of white on black
- Topmost ray of caudal fin much elongated in adults
- Caudal may be tri-lobed
- Sharp spine near posterior margin of gill cover
12
Q
Family Centrarchidae
A
Sunfish, basses, crappies
Moderate to very deep body.
- Spinous and soft rayed dorsal fins joined closely more so than in percids.
- Moderately forked tail.
13
Q
Pumpkinseed
A
Family Centrachidae
IMP: Pumpkinseed can be distinguished from the bluegill by the bright orange-red spot at
the tip of the ear flap and the lack of a dark blotch on the soft portion of the dorsal.
- Small, very deep-bodied fish.
- Wavy, blue-green stripes on sides of head.
- Ear flap with orange or red spot.
- Dorsal fin has 10-11 spines and there is no notch.
- Three anal fin spines.
- Mouth is small and does not extend to below the middle of the eye.
14
Q
Blue gill
A
Family Centrachidae
Most bluegill are light to dark olive, though older fish may have a purplish tinge
(lavender and bronze), often six dark bars on their sides are apparent.
- Cheeks and gill covers are often bluish and the ear flap is black. These black spots are
found at the rear edge of the gill cover. - Rearward edge of the soft portion of the dorsal fin carries a dark blotch.
- Round and laterally compressed, with small mouths that are angled upward.
15
Q
Smallmouth bass
A
Family Centrachidae
Medium sized, deep-bodied fish.
- Back and sides green to olive, belly is yellow to white.
- Body often has dark vertical broken bars.
- Nine to eleven dorsal fin spines.
- Shallow notch between dorsal fins.
- Upper jaw does not extend beyond eye.
16
Q
Family Percidae
A
Two dorsal finds, separate or narrowly joined.
- One or two anal spines.
- Pelvic fins are thoracic.
- Branchiostegal membrane not joined to isthmus
17
Q
Yellow Perch
A
Family Percidae
The top of the head and back is bright green to olive in colour; sides are yellowish-green to golden yellow with six to eight dark vertical bands; belly area ranges from yellow to white; pectoral, pelvic and anal fins vary in colour from pale yellow to bright orange.
- Two dorsal fins.
- Needle-like spines on the dorsal fins
18
Q
Walleye
A
Family Percidae
Golden body with consistent colour
- White tipped tail (often other fins are white tipped)
- Large eyes
- Black area at the back of spiny dorsal fin
19
Q
Family Apogonidae
A
Two separated dorsal fins, the first with 6-8 spines and second with 1 spine and 8-14 soft
rays.
- Anal fin with two spines and 8-18 soft rays.
- Scales are usually ctenoid, seven branchiostegqal rays, usually 24 vertebrae.
- Most species are nocturnal.
- Females generally brood eggs in mouth.
20
Q
Banggai Cardinal Fish
A
Family Apogonidae
Dark vertical bands across eye, 1st dorsal, and 2 nd dorsal fins.
- White/silver body.
- White spots on pectoral, anal, 2nd dorsal, and caudal fins.
- Two dark bands running from the start of the caudal peduncle and running into the upper
and lower caudal fin lobes. - Compressiform body.
21
Q
Family Echeneidae
A
Body is elongate, head is flattened and lower jaw projects past upper jaw.
- Small cycloid scales.
- Dorsal and anal fins lacking spines.
- Branchiostegal rays 8-11.
- Vertebrae 26-41.
- Sucking disc on head (developed from a transformed spinous dorsal fin).
22
Q
Common Remora
A
Family Echeneidae
Body is elongate, head is flattened and lower jaw projects past upper jaw.
- Small cycloid scales.
- Dorsal and anal fins lacking spines.
- Branchiostegal rays 8-11.
- Vertebrae 26-41.
- Sucking disc on head (developed from a transformed spinous dorsal fin).
23
Q
Family Coryphaenidae
A
fast swimming open ocean predators
Colour is striking with golden hues on the sides, metallic blues and greens on the back
and sides, with white and yellow on the underparts.
* D orsal fin originating on head.
* No spines in dorsal and anal fins.
* Caudal fin is deeply forked.
* Forehead is prominent (steep and high).
24
Q
Common Dolphinfish (Mahi Mahi)
A
Family Coryphaenidae
Colour is striking with golden hues on the sides, metallic blues and greens on the back
and sides, with white and yellow on the underparts.
- Dorsal fin originating on head.
- No spines in dorsal and anal fins.
- Caudal fin is deeply forked.
- Forehead is prominent (steep and high).
25
Family Carangidae
Jacks, Pompanos, Scads
May have fine cycloid scales or no scales. Sometimes have scales modified as scutes
along the lateral line.
* Deeply sloping heads with large eyes and mouth.
* Colour often metallic or bluish-green to bright yellow or gold. Reflection off the body is
a common feature of many schooling fishes
26
Pacific Jack Mackerel
Family Carangidae
Body of the jack mackerel is rather elongate; somewhat compressed.
* The body tapers to a tail, which is as broad as it is deep.
* The colour is metallic blue to olive green above becoming silvery below the lateral line
* These are not true mackerel.
* Complete lateral line, heavily reinforced, ending in a stiffened keel on caudal peduncle.
27
Family Lutjanidae
Snappers
Marine, rarely estuarine. Some species do enter freshwater for feeding.
* Tropical and subtropical: Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
* Dorsal fin continuous or slightly notched. Spines in dorsal fin 10-12; soft rays 10-17. Three spines in anal fin; soft rays 7-11.
* Pelvic fins originating just behind pectoral base.
* Mouth moderate to large; terminal. Jaws bearing enlarged canine teeth.
* Palatine teeth small. Vomer usually with small teeth. Maxilla covered by preorbital with the mouth closed. Branchiostegal rays 7.
* Vertebrae 24 (10 + 14). To about 1 m maximum length.
* Most species are predators of crustaceans and fishes, several are planktivores. Most do well in aquaria, but grow too fast.
* Generally demersal, down to depths of about 450 m.
28
Red Snapper
Family Lutjanidae
Colour is pinkish red over entire body, whitish below.
* Long triangular snout.
* Anal fin sharply pointed.
* No dark lateral spot.
29
Family Mullidae
Marine; rarely in brackish water.
* Occur in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans.
* Two long independently movable hyoid barbells.
* Body is elongate.
* Two widely separated dorsal fins. The first with 6-8 spines and the second with one spine, 8-9 soft rays.
* Soft dorsal fins are shorter than anal fins. Anal fin has 1-2 small spines and 5-8 soft rays.
* Caudal fin is forked, 24 vertebrae.
30
Yellow Saddle Goatfish
Family Mullidae
Colourful, concentrate on the most obvious morphological feature, two hyoid barbels.
* Yellow saddle prominent on caudal peduncle.
* Blue fin colouration.
* Pelvic fins start anterior to pectoral fins.
* Two separate dorsal fins.
31
Doublebar goatfish
Family Mullidae
Marine, reef-associated, occasionally schooling
* Eight dorsal spines, nine dorsal soft rays, one anal spine, seven anal soft rays
* Occurs in three colour forms, one form with two sharply defined wedge-shaped bars, one form with two wide bars, and one form with three distinct dark patches and rows of yellow spots on the sides.`
32
Family Toxotidae
Mouth is nonprotractile; jaw teeth usually coalesced (parrot-like teeth)
* Dorsal fin is continuous with 4-6 strong spines and 11-14 soft rays
* Anal fin has 3 spines and 15-18 soft rays
* Length of soft portion of dorsal fin much shorter than soft portion of the anal fin
* Mouth is large and terminal and highly protractile
* Seven branchiostegal rays
* 24 vertebrae
33
Spotted Archerfish
Family Toxotidae
Body is deep and compressed, narrow in profile from above, bold black and white markings.
* Mouth is terminal and protractile.
34
Family Chaetodontidae ()
Most have elongate snouts for reaching into crevices.
Highly compressed fishes, which gives them a very narrow frontal profile that makes them less visible to predators approaching them from exactly in front or behind.
Yellow is predominant colour, but various multihued background colours occur with stripes, spots and more complex patterns.
These break up the fish’s outline and thus confuse predators, especially in shallow coral reef areas where the shifting patterns of light and shade further add to this effect.
Large dorsal and anal fins.
Conspicuous pelvic axillary processes are present.
35
Four Spot Butterflyfish
Family Chaetodontidae
Found alone or in pairs around Pocillopora corals where they feed on the polyps.
* Fine hair like teeth allow them to pick out polyps from the coral.
* Hover motionless near coral and wait for polyps to re-immerge before quickly grabbing one before they can retract again.
* Generally around 16 cm.
* Body mostly yellow with dark brown blotch behind the head and above the lateral line.
* White bars with black margins on dorsal and anal fins.
* Brownish yellow bar running dorso-ventrally across the eye with black and then white margins.
* Name comes from white spots (two on each side for a total of four).
36
Family Pomacanthidae
Marine Angelfish
stout posterior spine on the preopercular
* unlike butterflyfishes, lack pelvic axillary processes
* three spines in anal fin
* many species have an elongate extension on hind margin of soft dorsal and anal fins
* caudal fin rounded to strongly lunate with 15 branched rays
* vertebrae 24 (10+14)
37
Blue girdled angelfish
Family Pomacanthidae
Bright yellow to orange on part of the head, body, dorsal fin, and caudal fin.
* Dark blue with light blue margins on head, pectoral fins, pelvic fins, caudal peduncle, and anal fin.
* Compressiform body.
* Light blue margin on edge of dorsal and caudal fins.
* As juveniles, they are black with light blue curved vertical stripes.
* Dark blue dots on scales.
* Blue lips.
* Generally found alone or in pairs.
* Feed on sponges and tunicates.
* Make a loud drumming noise when disturbed.
38
Family Cichlidae
Deep body.
* Long dorsal and anal fins.
* Large eyes.
* Protractile mouth.
39
Anomalochromis thomasi (Cichlid)
A single nostril on each side of the forehead, instead of two.
* No bony shelf below the orbit of the eye.
* Division of the lateral line organ into two sections, one on the upper half of the flank and a second along the midline of the flank from about halfway along the body to the base of the tail (except for genera Teleogramma and Gobiocichla).
* A distinctively shaped otolith
40
Family Embiotocidae
Surf perches
Moderately deep bodied.
* Spiny and soft rayed portions of dorsal fin continuous with each other with 6-11 spines and 9-28 soft rays and with furrow or groove on either side of its base.
* Cycloid scales.
* Small mouths.
* Lateral line continuous and high on body.
* Caudal fin is forked.
* Use their pectoral fins for locomotion.
* Viviparous, the only labrids (such as the marine wrasses, which are related) to be so. The young develop in a uterus-like sac in the ovary, and obtain most of their nutrient from body fluids of the mother. The dorsal, pelvic and anal fins of embryos are greatly
enlarged, highly vascularized, and in close contact with maternal tissues. Although sexual maturity is reached within a few weeks of birth, females store sperm for several
months before the sperm are released to fertilize the eggs
41
Pile Perch
Family Embiotocidae
Body is a deep oval shape, compressed from side to side.
* Colour is dark gray or brown with a silvery luster that dominates the colour on the sides and belly.
* Darker blotches on the back and sides.
* This species has 9-11 dorsal spines and 21-25 dorsal soft rays
42
Striped seaperch
Family Embiotocidae
Body covered with gold and blue metallic horizontal bars.
* Dorsal spines (10-12 spines, 23-26 soft rays) are low and their body is deep and
compressed.
* Caudal peduncle short and deep.
* Fins are dusky.
43
Kelp Perch
Family Embiotocidae
Colour variable, olive brown to coppery above lateral line, with dark pigment under each scale, bright below lateral line, dark on axil.
* Dorsal spines (total): 7-9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-16.
* Three anal spines, 21-24 anal soft rays, 31-34 vertebrae.
* Fins either pale or rosy
44
Shiner Perch
Family Embiotocidae
The body of the shiner perch is an oval shape and is compressed from side to side.
* These perch have dusky greenish back and silvery sides that have a pattern combining
horizontal bars with three broad yellow vertical bars.
* Breeding males turn almost entirely black, obscuring the barred pattern with dark speckles.
* 8-9 dorsal fin spines, 18-23 dorsal rays.
* The anal fin has three spines followed by 22–25 rays
45
Family Pomacentradae
Damselfish, clownfish
Mostly deep-bodied and compressed.
* Small mouth.
* Lateral line incomplete or interrupted.
* Anal fin with two spines (rarely three), single continuous dorsal fin with 9-14 spines and
usually 11-18 soft rays.
* No palatine teeth.
* Family name comes from the pointed margin of the opercle.
* Some family members have serrated opercle spines.
* Brood benthic eggs (rare for coral reef fishes)
46
Family Labridae
Wrasses
mainly tropical waters, with over 500 species
Diverse body form, but most cylindrical, usually <12 cm long.
* Long dorsal fin.
* Squared-off or rounded tail.
* Commonly have pointed snout.
* Small to moderate-sized mouth with outward-pointing teeth.
* Cycloid scales.
* Usually brightly coloured
47
Family Scaridae
Parrotfish
herbivorous, usually grazing on dead coral substrate, rarely feed on live coral
Marine; mainly tropical; occur in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans.
* Mouth is non-protractile; jaw teeth usually coalesced (parrot-like teeth).
* Dorsal fin is continuous with nine spines and ten soft rays.
* Anal fin has three spines and nine soft rays.
* Pelvic fins with each with one spine and five soft rays
* Eleven branched caudal rays.
* Scales large and cycloid.
* 24-26 vertebrae
48
Family Stichaeidae
Pricklebacks
differ from gunnels in usually having
a longer anal fin
colour often resembles the rocks and seaweeds
abundant mucus coating, partly for protection against predators and against abrasion
lateral line in both is indistinct or absent
Scales are tiny and embedded in the skin, or are absent.
dorsal fin consists entirely of spines, except for a few soft rays near its posterior end
Dorsal and anal fins may, but not always, join caudal fin. Dorsal fin is usually about twice, or less than twice, as long as the anal fin.
* Pelvic fins small, thoracic in position, when present, with one spine and three or four soft
rays
Ichthyology Lab
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