Question Where on the Internet to identify reef fishes / animals and their behavior?

[AndrewC]

I dive mostly in the coral triangle, SE Asia. Where on the internet can I find resources to identify reef fishes and animals, read more about their behavior? I am looking for FREE websites or apps (not looking to buy a book, or start an aquarium)

So far I found these. Any others?

Reef Fish Online Identification Guide | Snorkeling Report

www.snorkeling-report.com

Florent's Guide To The Tropical Reefs - Fish, Creatures and Corals

Tropical Fish Identification Made Easy - Whats That Fish!

www.whatsthatfish.com

Home - Talk About Fish

Description of fish family and species details. English, Chinese, Bahasa Melayu and common Malaysian dialect name are shown.

www.talkaboutfish.com

Reef fishes of Singapore

A pictorial guide to the fish species from the reefs of Singapore

ikanfish.wordpress.com

 

[Sure Squintsalot]

Fish ID is hard enough using photos for comparison so I don't really use sites or resources that require some prior knowledge of species before you can drill down to find your fish. Even some US fisheries dept. ID sites make it hard that way. I generally use well illustrated guidebooks for first approximation ID, sometimes photographing book pages at the resort. Some of those books can get pretty pricy. I will say that the site reefguide.org is a pretty good ID site, though you have go elsewhere to find anything else about your target.

I sometime find amazing seriously academic stuff by inputting odd, or esoteric science terms with my fresh ID. I've learned a lot about "semaphore communication baud rates among mantis shrimp", in this way.

The Smithsonian app that I've used had a lot of promise, but it's had no support since forever. And I've not seen any other ID app. There should really be an app for this sort of thing, like there is for birds, plants, mushrooms, etc....

 

[tursiops]

Why do you think you are entitled to get all this info for free? People spend their lives and careers producing the info, and you want it for free?
Get Home - Reef Fishes of the East Indies

 

[tarponchik]

When I travel I use reef guide Florent's Guide To The Tropical Reefs - Fish, Creatures and Corals

 

[Tim Clark Diving]

INaturalist allows you to upload your photos, take your best guess at their ID, and ask the community for help with identifications. As you use it, you start to build up your own library of critters that you see on the reefs you are diving. I find it a great tool for people trying to learn marine life.

iNaturalist

iNaturalist is a social network for naturalists! Record your observations of plants and animals, share them with friends and researchers, and learn about the natural world.

www.inaturalist.org

 

[Green Frog]

I don't know what books/authors have written that covered or are covering your area, but I purchased the Paul Humann book, REEF FISH IDENTIFICACATION, FLORIDA, CARIBBEAN, BAHAMAS many years ago in my active fish chasing days, and was able to get pretty close to identifying every fish I got close enough to for good observation or a photo. I'm sure there is at least one such book available for your region. With a little such information in hand, you can then track down any details you need for variants and sub species you may encounter.

 

[WeRtheOcean]

INaturalist allows you to upload your photos, take your best guess at their ID, and ask the community for help with identifications.

One caveat: many observers on iNaturalist make a point of disputing every species-level ID if the possibility exists that it could be a "look-alike" species. Every Bermuda chub, for instance, will quickly get bumped bck to "Genus Kyphosa."

 

[AndrewC]

Why do you think you are entitled to get all this info for free? People spend their lives and careers producing the info, and you want it for free?
Get Home - Reef Fishes of the East Indies

huh? I don't feel entitled.. if i have to pay, then I choose to miss out on the info. And thats OK. there are enough generous pple that provide free info for the rest of us who choose to ''miss out'' and just want free info on the internet. The internet is always going to be free, instantaneous and anonymous Forever

 

[AndrewC]

One caveat: many observers on iNaturalist make a point of disputing every species-level ID if the possibility exists that it could be a "look-alike" species. Every Bermuda chub, for instance, will quickly get bumped bck to "Genus Kyphosa."

thank you for sharing. The internet should be free, instantaneous and anonymous

 

[AndrewC]

I don't know what books/authors have written that covered or are covering your area, but I purchased the Paul Humann book, REEF FISH IDENTIFICACATION, FLORIDA, CARIBBEAN, BAHAMAS many years ago in my active fish chasing days, and was able to get pretty close to identifying every fish I got close enough to for good observation or a photo. I'm sure there is at least one such book available for your region. With a little such information in hand, you can then track down any details you need for variants and sub species you may encounter.

Thank you for sharing. I will follow your suggestion. I borrowed similar books on reef fish identification for SE Asia (that's what I am looking for) for FREE from my local library.