Fish ID

[Taniwha]

Anybody know of a place or places on the web that I can scan to ID my new underwater photos? I just returned from the Florida Keys, and I have IDed most of them, but there are a couple I can't find. I'd appreciate any links or help.

Cheers,
Doug

 

[justleesa]

Moved your thread to the name that critter forum. Post your pictures and you are sure to get some answers

 

[archman]

yeah, as far as I know, our "name that critter" forum is the fastest and easiest online resource to get some satisfaction on your unidentified junk. There's oodles of highly skilled amateur naturalists that browse around here, and a few recognized experts like Leslie and Dr. Bill.

When posting a picture, note the region you were diving in, the immediate habitat type, and water depth. Any behavioral notes too. This info help a lot.

 

[Thalassamania]

ICLARM's FISHBASE

 

[Taniwha]

Oh, cool. I didn't realize there was such a forum. (I looked for one, too. Could it be placed in a more intuitive subgroup...like in the UW photography section? ...or maybe a "mention of it" link or thread there?)

 

[Taniwha]

ICLARM's FISHBASE

Thank you for such a comprehensive resource! :god:

 

[archman]

Oh, cool. I didn't realize there was such a forum. (I looked for one, too. Could it be placed in a more intuitive subgroup...like in the UW photography section? ...or maybe a "mention of it" link or thread there?)

It's in the "Marine Life" forum, under "Marine Science". How's that for intuitive?!

 

[Taniwha]

OK, rather than begin a new thread, let me just see if I can do it here. It's a ray, but in Florida they call it a "devil ray". In the gallery I saw, there was no mention of a devil ray, but it did look like what was called a "yellow spotted ray". Any ideas?

Thanks,
Doug

 

[archman]

"Devil ray" refers to one of the two types of mobulids (mantas) in the caribbean. Now the critter in the photo is in a different family altogether.

It's Urobatis jamaicensis. Formerly listed as Urolophus. Commonly called either the "yellow stingray", or "jamaican ray". It's the most common shallow water Caribbean species.

Sometimes mantas are confused with bat and eagle rays. But stingrays like Urobatis are pretty distinct.

The critter in the photo is probably a girl. They tend to be markedly larger than boys, and although the photo angle isn't good, I don't see any trailing edges (claspers) on the pelvic fins.

 

[justleesa]

:11: where did the picture go?