Unidentified fish of the Keys

[DamselDoc]

I have been diving in the Keys for several years and have a collection of "unidentified" subjects. I can ID most of the things I photograph from Humann and DeLoach's book, but every now and then I find one that doesn't match up exactly. All of these fish were photographed in less than 50ft, in Key Largo (most on French's or Molasses reefs). The first looks like some type of snapper but with a red tint and without the 'tears' of the dog snapper. The second looks like a bar jack, but it is yellow. The third and fourth are from the goby/blenny group (I am sorry the quality isn't great... I was just getting ID shots). Finally, the fifth reminds me of a red hind, but I don't think that is what it is.

Thank you for any assistance that you may be able to lend.

DamselDoc

 

[ryan115]

#1 is a type of grunt, looks like a Sailors Choice Haemulon parra
#2 I would agree with bar jack, sometimes they can show a yellowish bronze pigmentation
#3 may be a dragonet genus Diplogrammus or Paradiplogrammus
#4 looks like a blenny from the family Labrisomidae
#5 is a Graysby Cephalopholis cruentata

 

[JoyfulNoise]

3. might be a frillfin goby, we call them mud gobies when we catch them in our nets while trying to get grass shrimp in the intercoastal Indian River. And we do put them back!

 

[Pipehorse]

1.possibly pigfish
2.bar jack
3.definetly a dragonet but do not know what species
4.blenny, not likely frillfin though
5.graysby

 

[perdidochas]

1. Gray or mangrove snapper (Lutjanus griseus )
2. Bar jack
3.??
4.??
5. Graysby

 

[DamselDoc]

I hope this doesn't seem like a bad question but...

I have the Humann & DeLoache (Reef Fish, Reef Creature, & Reef Coral) books. For image #1, I looked up pigfish, Sailors Choice and gray snapper. I was leaning toward Sailors Choice, but what would I look for to distinguish between the three?

Thank you all for your help.

 

[perdidochas]

I hope this doesn't seem like a bad question but...

I have the Humann & DeLoache (Reef Fish, Reef Creature, & Reef Coral) books. For image #1, I looked up pigfish, Sailors Choice and gray snapper. I was leaning toward Sailors Choice, but what would I look for to distinguish between the three?

Thank you all for your help.

Well, on re-examining photo 1, I noticed the tail. I think sailor's choice now. The snapper doesn't have a forked fin. ALso, the fin is black, and not light colored, which rules out pigfish.

 

[Pipehorse]

I would not rule out Sailors Choice, Gray Snapper, or Pigfish. Tail in the first picture? Tough to really see the tail close enough, to really make the call. If I was filling out a REEF survey based on the picture, I would not check off any box, because the identification is not 100%. The reason I said pigfish is the particular slope of the fishes forehead and the shape of the lips. These are subtle differences probably not pointed out in the Humann book. The thing is I could be wrong, not the first time or the last time that will happen.

 

[deborahdelamar]

Pipehorse - Now I'm confused re #1. I realize that it would be nice to see the shape of the tail. But I was told (on a REEF field survey) that grunts don't have teeth and snappers do. Based on that alone, #1 would be a grunt since I don't see any teeth.
Also learned that Pigfish have blue stripes below the lateral midline, not always sharply defined but definitely there. I've never met a Pigfish so don't know how they actually appear to divers. Seen plenty of Sailor's Choice and this looks like another two to me. Please help this befuddled surveyor! Thanks.

 

[Pipehorse]

Sorry I did not mean to confuse the issue. The point I was making is I would not make a 100% positive identification from this picture. Your right pigfish do have blue stripes and clearly there are no blue stripes. Gray Snappers are not uniformly gray as this picture, plus you cant see teeth. But the color does not really seem like Sailors choice either. Your probably right, they are probably sailors choice, I just wouldn't bet the farm on it, thats all.