Bonaire free fish id chart online?

[miserkris]

Hello
I just came back from Bonaire.

Pls lmk if there is a free pdf or electronic version or site that has Bonaire fish and or other corals etc id chart?

Thanks
Kris

 

[drrich2]

If you by any chance have an iPhone or iPad, the Fishes: Great Caribbean app is free.

If you're fairly new to diving, some common species you will likely have seen:

French Grunts.
Sergeant Majors.
Blue Tangs.
Blue-striped Grunts.
Stop-light Parrotfish. There are a # of species, but the male stop-lights are common and grab attention.
Spotted Moray Eel.
Goldentail Moray Eel.
Yellow Snapper.
Yellow-striped Goatfish.
Black Margate.
Tarpon (big fish).

If you saw something about 1.5 - 2' long crawling around on the bottom looking like a snake with little polka-dots, it was likely a sharp-tail eel.

There are many more, but since your dive profile indicates you are fairly new to diving, I thought pointing out some species you likely saw occasionally or a lot of might be helpful.

Richard.

 

[CT Sean]

This is a website I refer to often if I don't feel like paging though my fish ID book

Caribbean Reefs - Angelfishes - Butterflyfishes - Surgeonfishes - Damselfishes - Chromis - Hamlets - Jacks - Porgies - Mojarras - Chubs - Spadefishes - Tarpons - Barracudas - Bonnetmouths - Bonefishes - Mackerels - Needlefishes - Halfbeaks - Groupers

 

[drrich2]

CT Sean:

Good site! Looking over it, a # of other species I common see in Bonaire, that the OP likely saw some or all of:

1.) Bar Jack.
2.) Horse-eye Jack.
3.) French Angelfish - a lot of these.
4.) Queen Angelfish - not as many, and harder to get good pics of.
5.) Rock Beauty.
6.) Barracuda occasionally.
7.) Banded Butterfly Fish.
8.) Porgy (of some sort).
9.) Tiger Grouper.
10.) Graysby.
11.) Coney.
12.) What your linke page's picture of a Greater Soapfish looks like; not sure if that's what I see hiding on its side under things.
13.) Queen Parrotfish.
14.) Spanish Hogfish.
15.) Sand Diver.
16.) Trumpet Fish.
17.) Peacock Flounder.
18.) Spotted Scorpionfish.
19.) Black Durgon.
20.) Spotted Drum.
21.) Smooth Tunkfish.
22.) Honeycomb Cowfish.
23.) Lots of sea cucumbers.

I realize there's so much more to see, but I'm trying to name off a lot of the most common stuff most divers doing a bunch of dives in a week will see at one point or another. If the OP took photos &/or video, and looks at your page with named pics., I think he'll recognize a lot of stuff.

Richard.

 

[lmorin]

Hello
I just came back from Bonaire.

Pls lmk if there is a free pdf or electronic version or site that has Bonaire fish and or other corals etc id chart?

Thanks
Kris

Easier asked than answered. First, as far as I know, there are no fish found only on Bonaire, so any list would not be specific to Bonaire. Second, there is a list of species seen on Bonaire and it is very long (hundreds). Some are common, some not. There are lists and photos of the top 100 species found on Bonaire. Will that suit (not that I know where you can obtain the top 100 chart, especially for free)? If you are truly interested in the fish and other marine creatures on Bonaire, then by all means, invest in copies of the books in the series by Humann and DeLoach--one on fish, one on coral and one on invertebrates. The best fish ID source is a DVD produced by Reefnet.ca. Find it here. It has much, much more info than the fish book alone and contains all the info in the book. If "free" is what you need, the try this site HERE. It is a bit overwhelming, and a search specific to Bonaire omits a number of species, but there is no cost involved.

Here is another suggestion, including a way to obtain the "Top 100 on Bonaire" chart. Go back to Bonaire soon and participate for free in the fish id challenge/training/fun opportunity done through Bonaire Dive and Adventure at Sand Dollar/Den Laman. Hurry! It starts July 27.

 

[SayNo2Snow]

thanks CT Sean to echo Richard this is an excellent site! :internet: