Tag Archive: tropical marine


3-15-16 Spotted Unicornfish from Ron’s Tropical Marine Fishes

Filed under: CORAL REEF, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
March 15, 2016

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-likes)
Family: Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes)

Genus/species: Naso brevirostris

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: The Spotted Unicornfish is olive-brown to blue-grey with dark spots on head and vertical rows of spots and lines on sides. The tail is whitish with a dark area at base. A long, tapering horn on forehead of adults is lacking in juveniles.

Max length: 60 cm (23.5 in)

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DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Naso brevirostris is found in the Indo-Pacific: East Africa, the Hawaiian Islands, southern Japan and Australia  It prefers mid-waters along steep outer lagoon and seaward reef drop-offs, from 4–45 m (12-150 ft).

DIET IN THE WILD: Juveniles: benthic algae; adults: mainly zooplankton.

REPRODUCTION: Pelagic spawners

CONSERVATION: IUCN Red List Least Concern (LC)

REMARKS: Unicornfishes (Naso spp.) are characterized by 2 sharp, fixed (not moveable as in surgeonfishes), keel-like plates on the caudal peduncle. The skin is leathery with tiny non-overlapping scales, and teeth have finely serrate edges. Males of many Naso species are able to display spectacular iridescent markings during courtship.

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Philippine Coral Reef 2016

Ron’s flickr  http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/sets/72157608332652056/with/4332770529/

fishbase  fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?ID=6021&genus…

Encyclopedia of Life  eol.org/pages/213852/details

IUCN www.iucnredlist.org/details/177990/0

Ron’s WordPress Shortlink: http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-Ho

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3-8-16 Bluelined Surgeonfish from Ron’s Tropical Marine Series

Filed under: CORAL REEF, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
March 8, 2016

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-likes) 
Family: Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes)

Genus/species: Acanthurus nigroris

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Dark brown body with numerous blue stripes in scroll patterns on face and chest, more horizontal on body. Dark peduncular spine and tail. Small but distinctive black spots on rear base of both dorsal and anal fins.

A small surgeonfish; max. size: 25 cm (10 inches)

Blue-lined Surgeonfish4405089188_0ed976bdfe_b

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Indo-Pacific: East Africa to Hawaiian Islands in clear lagoons and outward reefs to 200 ft.

DIET IN THE WILD: Filamentous algae, diatoms, fine algal film.

REPRODUCTION; Pelagic spawner.

CONSERVATION: IUCN Least concern.

REMARKS: Solitary or form small groups.

 

References:

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Philippine Coral Reef 2016

EOL: eol.org/pages/211466/overview

fishbase www.fishbase.org/summary/ACANTHURUS-NIGRORIS.html

Ron’s flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/4405089188/in/set-72157608332652056/

Ron’s WordPress Shortlink:  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-1bk

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3-7-16 Mata Tang from Ron’s Tropical Marine Series

Filed under: CORAL REEF, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
March 6, 2016

TAXONOMY
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-likes)
Family: Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes)

Genus/species: Acanthurus mata

Mata Tang Acanthurus mata (Acanthuridae) RJD_IMG_0 IMG_0726

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Oval, compressed, pale to dark bluish body with numerous dark to blue horizontal lines. A longitudinal yellow stripe runs across the eye and splits in two lines extending anterior the eye. Yellow dorsal fin, upper lip and band across eyes. The caudal fin has a crescent shape.

Length up to 50 cm (20 inches)

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Red Sea and East Africa to French Polynesia; southwest to Japan, Great Barrier Reef, New Caledonia. Frequently inshore in turbid water, as well as outer reefs in depths 5–100 m. or 16.5-330 ft. Usually in groups of conspecifics.

DIET IN THE WILD: The Mata Tang is a group grazer upon plankton.

REPRODUCTION: Form resident spawning aggregations mid-water.

CONSERVATION: IUCN Least concern

REMARKS: A. mata is marketed as a food fish.

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Philippine Coral Reef 2016

Ron’s flickr  http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/3201527871/in/set-72157608332652056

Ron’s WordPress Shortlink http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-1be

fishbase  www.fishbase.org/summary/speciessummary.php?genusname=Aca…

Encyclopedia of life  eol.org/pages/206880/details

IUCN www.iucnredlist.org/details/177967/0

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3-4-16 Eyestripe Surgeonfish from Ron’s Tropical Marine Series

Filed under: CORAL REEF, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
March 4, 2016
TAXONOMY

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-likes) 
Family: Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes)

Genus/species: Acanthurus dussumieri

Eyestripsurgeonfish3161438409_067c34e458_b

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Bluish to brownish body with horizontal line markings; orange band between eyes, continued behind each eye to gill cover., blue tail with numerous black spots; white caudal spine with the socket edged in black. Typically seen as a solitary fish but may also occur in small groups.

Max. size: up to 50 cm (20 in).

 

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DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Indo-Pacific: from East Africa to Hawaii and the eastern Central Pacific. Also from Southwest Japan to the Great Barrier Reef. Absent from most of the Central Pacific. Adults are found mainly on deep coastal reef slopes and outer reef walls.

Depth ranges from 4–131 m (12-430 ft) and are usually found below 30 ft.

EYESTRIPE SURGEONFISH Acanthurus dussumieri

DIET IN THE WILD: Grazes algae from reefs and sand.

CONSERVATION: IUCN Least concern

REMARKS: The eyestripe surgeonfish reputedly has a strong odor when cooked. The Hawaiian name for this fish is palani and a Hawaiian riddle based on this name means “odor reaching to heaven.” This species can quickly change its coloration to a much darker shade that obscures the yellow and markings. 

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Philippine Coral Reef 2016

Ron’s WordPress shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-1aY

Encyclopedia of life   eol.org/pages/206881/details
fishbase  www.fishbase.org/summary/1256

Ron’s WordPress Shortlink  https://fishoncomputer.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php

IUCN Red List  www.iucnredlist.org/details/177981/0

Australian Museum australianmuseum.net.au/eyestripe-surgeonfish-acanthurus-…

Ron’s flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/8375327580/in/set-72157608332652056/

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3-2-16 Tomini Tang aka Orangetip Bristletooth Tang from Ron’s Tropical Marine Series

Filed under: CORAL REEF, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
March 2, 2016

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-likes)
Family: Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes)

Genus/species: Ctenochaetus tominiensis

Acanthurus pyroferus (Acanthuridae)

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Brown with pale lower head. The only species of Ctenochaetus (bristletooths) with angular dorsal and anal fins; outer portion of these fins is a bright orange. Caudal fin white.

Max length: 15 cm. (6 inches).

Acanthurus pyroferus (Acanthuridae) IMG_0497

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Western Central Pacific, including Indonesia, Philippines, to northern Great Barrier Reef. Found on steep coral drop-offs of sheltered coasts.

DIET IN THE WILD: The Orangetip Bristletooth Tang feeds on detritus using its comb-like teeth

TominiTang8749715662_50d2f33b0e_k

REPRODUCTION: Pelagic spawner.

CONSERVATION: IUCN, Least concern

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Philippine Coral Reef 2016

Ron’s WordPress shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-1aJ

Ron’s flickr  http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/3708499036/in/set-72157608332652056/
EOL eol.org/pages/212379/details

fishbase  http://www.fishbase.org/summary/6016

IUCN Chttp://www.iucnredlist.org/details/177986

 

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3-1-16 Lined Surgeonfish from Ron’s Tropical Marine Series

Filed under: CORAL REEF, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
March 1, 2016

TAXONOMY
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-likes)
Family: Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes)

Genus/species: Acanthurus lineatus

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: The Lined Surgeonfish has a compressed and disc-like body with a large venomous, scalpel-like caudal spine on each side of the caudal peduncle. The body is yellowish-green, with bright blue stripes edged with black most pronounced on the flank. The stripes on the belly are lavender blue to bluish-white on the belly. The pelvic fins are bright orange.
Length to 38 cm (15 in)

Lined Surgeonfish Acanthurus lineatus 8624034686_90d26c8326_o

 

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Indo-Pacific from East Africa north to southern Japan and south to New South Wales, Australia found on exposed outer reef areas at depths of 3-9 ft.

DIET IN THE WILD: Herbivorous, browses on algae but also feeds on crustaceans.

Lined Surgeonfish Acanthurus lineatus

REPRODUCTION: Large males patrol defined feeding areas and maintain harems of females. Migrates to and spawns in aggregations at specific sites, although they sometimes spawn in pairs. Spawning occurs year-round at lower latitudes but may be seasonal at higher latitudes. The eggs and larvae are pelagic.

MORTALITY: It is estimated that this species can live 30 to 45 years.

CONSERVATION: Least concern.

REMARKS: The venomous caudal spines are very effective defense mechanisms for surgeonfish. They are razor-sharp and useful weapons against attack. The lined surgeonfish was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus.

References:

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Philippine Coral Reef 2016

Ron’s flickr  https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/3142856255/in/album-72157625992053826/

Ron’s WordPress shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-1b7

fishbase  http://www.fishbase.org/country/CountrySpeciesSummary.php?c_code=144&id=1258

EOL http://eol.org/pages/208629/details

Australia Museum    http://australianmuseum.net.au/Striped-Surgeonfish-Acanthurus-lineatus-Linnaeus-1758

 

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2-26-16 Powder Brown Tang from Ron’s Tropical Marine Series

Filed under: CORAL REEF, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
February 26, 2016

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-likes)
Family: Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes)

Genus/species: Acanthurus japonicus

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Like all surgeonfish, A. japonicus are colorful, thin-bodied, oval-shaped. They typically have long continuous dorsal and anal fins and crescent caudal fins. The body is brownish with a white patch on cheek between eyes and mouth; pectoral, anal, and dorsal fins brown with blue highlight at tip. An orange band is found on last third of dorsal fin. Yellow stripes are along base of dorsal and anal fins with a blue tail with yellow bar.  In addition like other surgeonfishes it has a (5)razor-sharp caudal spine located at the base of their caudal fin. 

Length up to 8.3 in.

powder brown tang8748590549_6ab4610498_k

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Found in Asian-Pacific: Sulawesi to Philippines, SW Japan in clear lagoons and shallow (6–36 ft) seaward reefs.

Power Brown Tang

DIET IN THE WILD: Algae.

REPRODUCTION: Group spawner.

CONSERVATION: IUCN, Least concern

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Philippine Coral Reef 2016

Ron’s flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/2779042635/in/set-72157608332652056/

Ron’s WordPress shortlink http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-1aA

fishbase  www.fishbase.org/summary/23375

IUCN  www.iucnredlist.org/details/177977/0

EOL eol.org/pages/225053/overview

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2-16-16 Mono from Ron’s Reef Lagoon Series

Filed under: INDO-PACIFIC, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
February 16, 2016

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Monodactylidae (Moonyfishes or fingerfishes)

Genus/species: Monodactylus argenteus

 

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Adults are bright silver with yellowish dorsal and tail fins. Round to triangular-shaped, laterally compressed body. Small juveniles more colorful with yellow over most of the dorsal fin and two vertical black bands over the head.

Length to 27 cm (11 in)

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa south to New Caledonia and Australia in bays, mangrove estuaries, tidal creeks, and lower reaches of freshwater streams occasionally in silty coastal reefs.

DIET IN THE WILD: Omnivorous, feeding on plankton, a variety of plant matter, detritus, and insects.

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MORTALITY: About 7-10 years.

CONSERVATION: IUCN Red List  Not Evaluated

REMARKS: Mono are seen in large fast swimming groups in bays, mangrove estuaries and tidal creeks, in the wild.

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Reef Lagoon 2016

Ron’s WordPress Shortlink http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-WT

Ron’s flickr  http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/sets/72157608440659805/with/4889666339/

fishbase fishbase.org/summary/Monodactylus-argenteus.html

Encyclopedia of Life eol.org/pages/206099/details

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2-12-16 Zebra Shark from Ron’s Shark Series

Filed under: INDO-PACIFIC, SHARKS AND RAYS, SHARKS, SKATES and RAYS — Leave a comment
February 12, 2016

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays)
Order; Orectolobiformes (Carpet sharks) Most carpet sharks feed on the seabed in shallow to medium-depth waters and have ornate patterns reminiscent of carpets.
Family: Stegostomatidae (Zebra sharks)

Genus/species: Stegastoma fasciatum ( juvenile)

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: S. fasciatum has a cylindrical body with a large, slightly flattened head and a short, blunt snout and is yellow-brown with dark brown spots. Young less than 70 cm (2,3 feet) in length are black with yellow bars. Adults have longitudinal skin ridges. The head has 5 small gill slits, the last three behind pectoral fin origin; nostrils close to front of snout, with short barbels.  Pectoral fins are large and broadly rounded and body has a long caudal fin, almost as long as the rest of the body.

Length up to 354 cm (11.7 feet) 

Zebra Shark 16235954845_08c3bb04f1_k

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Tropical marine. Indo-West Pacific. Found near coral reefs with sandy bottoms and remain at the reef at where they were hatched or reefs that are closely connected to their natal area.

Depth range 0 – 63 m (206 feet).

DIET IN THE WILD: Feeds mainly on mollusks, but also small bony fishes, crustaceans (crabs and shrimps) and sea snakes.

REPRODUCTION: Oviparous S. fasciatum has large purplish-black eggs or dark brown egg cases with longitudinal striations.

Lifespan: Ave. 25 years. 

CONSERVATION: IUCN Red List; Vulnerable (VU)     Decreasing numbers secondary to heavily fished shallow coral reef habitat throughout all its range except Australia.

Remarks: Like other bottom dwelling sharks, it can pump water across its gills through its mouth, which allows the shark to respire while stationary. 

It was tank bred at the Shedd Aquarium.

References

California Academy of Sciences Reef Lagoon 2016

fishbase: www.fishbase.org/summary/5374

IUCN Red List  www.iucnredlist.org/details/41878/0

Arkive  www.arkive.org/leopard-shark/stegostoma-fasciatum/

Animal diversity web http://animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Stegostoma_fasciatum.html

Marinebio marinebio.org/species.asp?id=56

Ron’s flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/16235954845/

Ron’s WordPress shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-1rb

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10-1-15 Sharpnose Puffer from Ron’s Color of Life series

Filed under: CORAL REEF, INDO-PACIFIC, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
October 1, 2015

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/6427211687/in/album-72157652559028013/

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Order: Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and filefishes)
Family: Tetraodontidae (Puffers)

Genus/species: Canthigaster valentini

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: C. valentini has a white body with four distinct black stripes on the upper half. The body is also covered with brownish-orange dots. It has yellow fins, and blue striping running along the back. It lacks pelvic fins, but has learned to use the pectoral fins to move about the aquarium.
Males have blue-green lines radiating from the back of the eyes. They are also larger than females and may also have a light gray patch in front of the anus.

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Occurs throughout the tropical, marine Indo-Pacific where it is common and locally abundant. It inhabits a wide range of coral reef and seagrass habitats at depths ranging from 1 to 55 metres.

DIET IN THE WILD: Forages on the benthos, feeding mainly on filamentous green and red algae, tunicates, and on smaller amounts of corals, bryozoans, polychaetes, echinoderms, mollusks.

CONSERVATION: IUCN Red List Least Concern (LC)

REMARKS: They are capable of inflating their abdomens with water when frightened or disturbed.
They can produce toxins such as tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin in the skin, gonads, and liver. Try not to use a net when handling this fish since it’s flesh is poisonous.The degree of toxicity varies by species, and also according to geographic area and season.

Color of Life:Color Communicates. The Mimic filefish (not shown here) evades predators by mimicking the Sharpnose Puffer (Canthigaster valentini).

The Mimic filefish can be distinguished from the Sharpnose Puffer (highly poisonous) by comparing their dorsal fins. The Mimic filefish has two dorsal fins, while the Sharpnose Puffer above has only one. – See more at: australianmuseum.net.au/blacksaddle-filefish-paraluteres-…

LOCATION:  COLOR CLUSTER   

 

References

California Academy of Sciences Color on the Reef exhibit 2015

Ron’s flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/6427211687/in/album-72157652559028013/

Ron’s WordPress shortlink:  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-iz

Australian Museum  australianmuseum.net.au/blacksaddle-toby-canthigaster-val…

Encyclopedia of life  eol.org/pages/225023/overview

 

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