Cancun Reef Fish

Angelfish (Holancanthus bermudensis, This colorful fish blends in with its bright, showy hues against the colors of the coral and sea sponges it feed on. Angelfish often grow to 45 cm. in length.

Cancun Fish

Cowfish (Lactophrys polygonia), This fish is enclosed in a bony-plated armor with openings for the mouth, eyes, nose and fins. It is easily identified by a pair of stingers that look like horns, but excrete a toxic substance strong enough to kill other fish.

Bridled Goby (Coryphopterus glaucofraenum),This small, elongated fish buries its translucent body in the sandy bottom of the sea and measures up to 7 cm. in length.

Atlantic Spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber), This fish often floats on one side, causing people to confuse it with seaweed. Spadefish can be up to 45 cm. in length.

Sergeant Major (Abudefduf saxatillis), This small but combative fish will attack much larger fish if its territory is threatened. It grows up to 12 cm. in length.

Reef Butterflyfish (Chaetodon sedentarius), This common reef fish is recognized by a dark band on the forward part of its body, and can measure up to 15 cm. in length.

Blue Tang (Acanthurus chirurgus), This blue colored fish has ten or more horizontal lines on the sides of its body. It has a flexible thorn in its fin which it uses to ward off attack by larger fish. This fish can grow to about 30 cm. in length.

Parrot Fish (Scarus guacamaia), Efficient recyclers, the parrot fish converts coral into fine sand while it grazes for food on reef algae. The males and females can have different color patterns. This fish can grow up to 1.2 meters in length.

Porcupine Fish (Diodon hystrix), When threatened, this scale-free fish fills up its stomach with water and inflates like a balloon, growing up to three times its normal size. It has a hard, thorny skin that discourages predators from swallowing it.

Hogfish (Lachnol), Brain coral is full of small ridges that resemble folds in the brain. The ridges run along the sides of a large, round form and can be greenish or brownish in color. These coral can measure up to one or two meters in height.