Caribbean Fish Identification Chart: 21 Species with Pictures

Caribbean fish identification chart with pictures

The chart runs from reef fish (angelfish, butterflyfish, tangs, parrotfish, wrasses, grunts, groupers, snappers) to the flats and offshore species that anglers target (tarpon, bonefish, permit, snook, mahi-mahi). Sizes are typical adult ranges.

Photo	Species	Size Range	Key ID Traits	Where Found
	Queen Angelfish Holacanthus ciliaris	30–45 cm	Electric blue and yellow; blue-ringed black "crown" spot on the forehead; yellow tail	Reefs 5–40 m; usually in pairs
	Rock Beauty Holacanthus tricolor	15–30 cm	Yellow head and tail, solid black body; juveniles yellow with a blue-ringed black spot	Reef ledges and sponges
	Foureye Butterflyfish Chaetodon capistratus	8–15 cm	Silver-grey with fine diagonal lines; large black eye-spot ringed in white near the tail	Shallow reefs; almost always in pairs
	Blue Tang Acanthurus coeruleus	20–30 cm	Adults deep blue with a yellow tail-base spine; juveniles bright yellow	Reef tops in loose schools
	Stoplight Parrotfish Sparisoma viride	30–55 cm	Terminal males green with pink-orange face lines and a yellow tail spot; initial phase red-brown with white scale rows	Reefs and seagrass; sand producer
	Bluehead Wrasse Thalassoma bifasciatum	8–15 cm	Terminal males: blue head, two black bars, green body; most fish are yellow with a dark side stripe	Every shallow Caribbean reef
	Hogfish Lachnolaimus maximus	40–90 cm	Long pig-like snout; first three dorsal spines drawn out into filaments; pink-white, dark patch on the tail base	Reef and hard bottom; Keys and Bahamas
	Sergeant Major Abudefduf saxatilis	10–20 cm	Silver-yellow with five bold black bars; nesting males turn dark blue	Reef crests, pilings, shallow water
	French Grunt Haemulon flavolineatum	15–30 cm	Yellow diagonal stripes on a silver body; yellow fins; schools under ledges by day	Shallow reefs and mangroves
	Nassau Grouper Epinephelus striatus	40–90 cm	Five dark bars, black saddle on the tail base, tuning-fork mark on the forehead; can pale or darken in seconds	Reef ledges; endangered, protected in most of the region
	Grouper (Goliath) Epinephelus itajara	100–250 cm	Huge, brown-olive with small dark spots and faint bars; rounded fins	Wrecks, ledges, mangroves; Florida and Caribbean
	Yellowtail Snapper Ocyurus chrysurus	30–50 cm	Yellow mid-line stripe running into a deeply forked yellow tail; blue-silver back	Hovers above the reef; common in the Keys
	Mutton Snapper Lutjanus analis	40–80 cm	Olive-pink with a small black spot below the rear dorsal; blue lines on the cheek; pointed anal fin	Reefs, flats and sand; Bahamas and Florida
	Trumpetfish Aulostomus maculatus	40–80 cm	Very long, thin body with a tube snout; brown, yellow or blue-grey; hangs vertically among sea rods	Reefs and gorgonian fields
	Lionfish Pterois volitans	25–38 cm	Red-white stripes, feathery pectoral fins, venomous spines; Indo-Pacific invader	Now on every Caribbean reef
	Barracuda Sphyraena barracuda	60–200 cm	Long cylindrical silver body with dark blotches on the flank; fang-like teeth	Reef edges, flats, under boats
	Tarpon Megalops atlanticus	100–250 cm	Huge silver scales, upturned mouth, long last dorsal ray	Flats, channels, harbours
	Bonefish Albula vulpes	40–90 cm	Slender silver with faint dark bars; inferior (downward) mouth; deeply forked tail	Shallow sand and grass flats
	Permit Trachinotus falcatus	45–110 cm	Deep body, sickle-shaped dorsal and anal lobes, black-edged tail; orange belly tint	Flats and wrecks
	Snook Centropomus undecimalis	40–140 cm	Bold black lateral line, protruding lower jaw, silver-green	Mangroves, river mouths, beaches
	Mahi-Mahi Coryphaena hippurus	60–150 cm	Blue-green and gold with blue spots; males have a blunt forehead; long dorsal fin	Offshore, weed lines

Species photos are CC-licensed or public-domain images from Wikimedia Commons; see the full image credits for each file and its licence. Indo-Pacific reef species are on the reef fish identification chart; Florida-specific species on Florida fish identification.

What makes Caribbean fish identification different

• No clownfish, one tang. Anemonefish are absent from the Atlantic. The blue tang is the only common Caribbean surgeonfish, and its juveniles are yellow.
• Atlantic-only groupers and snappers. Nassau grouper, goliath grouper, coney, graysby, yellowtail, mutton and schoolmaster snapper occur nowhere else.
• Wrasse and parrotfish change with age and sex. Bluehead wrasse and stoplight parrotfish have an initial phase and a terminal (male) phase that look like different species; the chart shows both where they are commonly seen.
• Invasive lionfish. Red lionfish from the Indo-Pacific have spread across the whole region since the 1980s and are now one of the most frequently seen reef fish.

Caribbean fish ID tips for snorkellers and divers

Caribbean regions and what you will see

Caribbean fish identification FAQ

What fish will I see snorkelling in the Caribbean?

On almost any shallow Caribbean reef you will meet sergeant majors, bluehead wrasse, French grunts, blue tangs, stoplight parrotfish and foureye butterflyfish within the first few minutes, with yellowtail snapper hovering above the coral and a barracuda watching from the edge.

Are there clownfish or tangs in the Caribbean?

No clownfish: anemonefish are Indo-Pacific only. The Caribbean has one common tang, the blue tang (Acanthurus coeruleus), which is a different species from the Pacific blue tang seen in films.

Is the lionfish native to the Caribbean?

No. The red lionfish is an Indo-Pacific species released in Florida in the 1980s and now found on every Caribbean reef. It is edible and many islands run culling programmes.

What if my fish is not on this chart?

Upload a clear photo to the AI fish identifier. It covers 866 species including the common Atlantic reef fauna and returns the top matches with a confidence score.