This document provides an overview of many marine species, organized into categories. It begins by introducing cartilaginous fish such as sharks, rays, and chimaeras, describing sandtigers, blacktips, cownose rays, and southern stingrays. It then covers bony reef fish like surgeonfish, angelfish, triggerfish, squirrelfish, and jawfish. Other sections discuss discus fish, snappers, groupers, butterflyfish, parrotfish, and damselfishes. Further categories include marine mammals like whales and seals, aquatic birds, sea turtles, and marine iguanas. In closing, it briefly mentions other ocean species such as octopuses, fish, and tuna

1. Composed by Sydney Shaner

2. Swimming with the fishes…
isn’t so bad
Have you ever wondered:
“What’s down there?” This
presentation entitles you to
know.

3. Cartilaginous Fish
 First, I will introduce the cartilaginous fishes, which
happen to be my personal favorites.
 In the cartilaginous fish family, there are sharks, rays,
skates, and a group of fish called chimaeras.
 I will now describe some specific species in detail:

4. Sharks
 Sandtigers: Also called grey nurse sharks, these sharks can
very in color from dark grey to deep brown with a tint of
copper. They have a tail similar to a nurse shark, with the
top part of the caudal fin longer than the bottom. They
have a flat head, and look quite menacing with their long,
sharp teeth, however they are actually on the docile side.
Note: I have
actually been in
a cage in water
with these
sharks; they
have to be one
of my favorites!

5. Sharks
 Blacktips: These are actually endangered sharks, and
don’t confuse them with their more common relatives,
the blacktip reef sharks. Both are distinguished by their
fins with black tips on them. They are sometimes
aggressive, being held accountable for 16% of attacks on
humans. They are usually dark grey in color, while
blacktip reef sharks are more tan.

6. Rays
 My favorite animals!
 They are equipped with poisonous barbs at the base of their
tails, but only use them in defense!
 Cownose : (Rhinoptera bonasus) Residing in the eagle ray
family, this ray can grow up to about 3.5 ft from wing tip to
wing tip. Their color range is from goldish brown to grey, and
tan in between. They have white bellies! Their gill slits and
mouths are on the ventral side, while they spiracles are on
the dorsal side. Meanwhile, their eyes are on the sides.
I LOVE their
little mouths!

7. Rays
 Southern stingray: With a soft body (however a hard ridge
following their spine) this disk-shaped stingray comes in
dark browns and grays. Eyes and spiracles are on the
dorsal side, while the mouth and gill slits are under. They
often bury themselves in sand, like any other ray or skate.
STINGRAY SHUFFLE! 

8. Chimaeras
 Chimaeras are deep-down-living fish that have rounded
snout and a pointed tail.
Here is an example of a
chimera fish, the ratfish:

9. Bony Reef Fish
 Imagine: You’re swimming through a reef in crystal clear,
sunlit waters. The sunlight filters through the water and
beams onto a tiny percula clownfish peeking out of the
swaying bright peach pink polyps of an anemone.
 You will now learn about not any fish, but the colorful
collection of coral reef fish!

10. Surgeonfish
 One group of fish in this family is the surgeonfish. There
are 100+ kinds of surgeonfish, and you can admire various
types depending on where you are. They are in a sort of a
disk shape, and can be identified as surgeonfish by their
bone that sticks out between the caudal fin and the body.
The bone is used in defense (it is sharp!).
A few examples of surgeonfish is the
eyestripe surgeonfish (left), Achilles‘ tang
(middle), and you will see a close up of
their defensive bone on the right.

11. Angelfish
 Like the surgeonfish family, some angelfish are disk-
shaped, too, such as the French and grey angelfishes.
The queen angelfish on the left is found in
the Florida Keys, as well as the French
angelfish on the right.

12. Triggerfish
 Surgeonfish and angelfish aren’t the only bony coral reef fish. Triggerfish are
another family of interesting and colorful fish to observe and enjoy.
 Triggerfish are unique fish. They have a beak-like mouth similar to an angelfish.
What makes them different is their second dorsal fin and anal fin. These fins, as
you will notice in the image below, are vertically across from each other and
quiver while the fish is swimming, a movement not unlike the stingray’s
movement of its wings. It helps the fish to propel themselves forward.
Here are some examples (from left to
right): clown triggerfish, Picasso
triggerfish, & black durgon (with blue
chromis in lower right corner).

13. Squirrelfish
 These common reef fish have large eyes and are pink or
light red in color, sometimes light orange.
 Their dorsal spines are poisonous, so don’t get close.
Above you will see a longspine
squirrelfish, which, as you may observe,
has a long, spiny dorsal fin.

14. Jawfish
 Jawfish are small, approx. 3 inch long, reef
fish
 They are very unique; they dig vertical
little burrows or holes, then vertically dart
in and out of them. They resort to going in
when they feel threatened.
 They only leave these holes when in
search for food.
This is a yellowhead jawfish, common in
the Florida Keys.

15. Discus Fish
 The discus family holds an assortment of
dish-shaped, beautifully colored fish.
 These fish are common salt water
aquarium fish.
This green mamba discus’s gorgeous, iridescent
scales make it my favorite discus fish!

16. Snapper
 This group is commonly fished
 They have a compressed body
 The first fish I witnessed on my first snorkeling trip was a yellowtail
snapper!
 They are common in the Florida Keys
Below is a yellowtail snapper, a mahogony
snapper, and a schoolmaster.

17. Groupers
 Groupers are large fish with wide mouths
 There are many kinds of grouper
 They are curious fish that will look a diver right in the eyes
 They make a low sound to warn divers that this is their
territory, and not to mess with anything!
From left to right: Nassau grouper, goliath
(endangered) grouper, and a red hind.

18. Butterfly Fish
 These small species of reef fish live throughout tropical
and subtropical waters.
 They resemble angelfish but the butterfly fish are much
smaller.
From left to right: an ornate butterfly fish, a
copperband butterfly fish, and a threadfin
butterfly fish.

19. Parrotfish
 Parrotfish were
probably named for
their beak-like mouths,
similar to a parrot’s
mouth.
 There are many
species in this group,
and most of them
display a dazzling array
of color.
 These are relatively
Above: princess parrotfish
large fish.
Top Right: stoplight parrotfish
Bottom Right: midnight parrotfish

20. Damselfishes
 This is a large group
composed of chromis,
clownfish, sergeant majors,
and many others.
 Damselfish are relatively
small, and many inhabit
reefs in the Florida Keys.
Top (left to right): blue chromis, jewel
damsel, cocoa damsel
Top right: sergeant major
Right bottom: green chromis
Left bottom: yellowtail damsel

21. Marine Mammals
 Living without gills, marine mammals can still spend up to
hours under the water’s surface. This group is very unique
to me; they seem to connect us air breathers to the sea.

22. Marine Mammals: Whales
 Whales look quite fishy, but are actually complete
mammals.
 Whales is the large group that includes whales & dolphins
 The sperm whale holds the record for deepest diving
mammal at 3000 ft+
Bottom right: bottlenose dolphin

23. Marine Mammals: With Flippers
 Sea lions, seals, and walruses live throughout the world.
 Some can be found at aquatic/marine parks like many
other marine mammals.
Center: Hawaiian monk seal
Top right: walruses

24. Aquatic/Marine Birds
 Aquatic/marine birds spend their lives over oceans,
pecking the soggy shore, and nesting in fuzzy beach
grasses and roots.
 Some groups of birds include penguins, pelicans, cranes,
and sea gulls.
From left to right: rockhopper penguin, pelican

25. Marine Reptiles: Sea Turtles
 These reptiles spend most of
their lives in the water, only
coming ashore to lay their eggs.
 Most species (out of the seven)
are endangered/threatened due
to overfishing, habitat changes,
and the fact that few eggs make
it to the ocean.
 The seven species include the
green sea turtle, the hawksbill
sea turtle, the loggerhead sea
turtle, the leatherback sea
turtle, the olive ridley and
Kemp's ridley, and the Australian
Left: loggerhead turtle flatback.
Right: green turtle

26. Marine Reptiles: Marine Iguana
 Marine iguanas are lizards
that live in the Galapagos
Islands.
 They are a dark green, almost
black, and may have some
other markings as well.
 They are herbivorous, and
they have the characteristics
that define a herbivore: they
have a blunt snout, wide
eyes, and blunt teeth.

27. blue-ringed octopus
Other Species
orange roughy
barracuda
0cean sunfish
yellowfin tuna

28. References

29. References (continued)