Fish Guide

When you visit our International Fishing Pier be sure to check out the unique plaques featuring artistic renderings and information about the 10 most common fish caught from the pier which is featured below.

  1. Mutton Snapper
  2. Bonito
  3. Blue Runner
  4. Mangrove Snapper
  5. Pompano

6.   Crevalle Jack
7.   Kingfish (not captured on camera, but Cero Mackeral is in family)
8.   Bluefish
9.   Lookdown
10. Spanish Mackerel (not captured, but Cero Mackeral is in family)

bluefish-painting

Artist painting of a lookdown that is featured on the pier.

Teal swoosh line

Horizontal Line for separation



Interesting Creatures

Wiper

Gonekaput-onmostdayz
Wiper - view of the underwater with the wiper in the way


DFB Maintenance Diver

Homo sapien
Diver 1 - Close up of blond male diver

DFB Maintenance Diver

Homo sapien
Diver 2 - Close up of male diver in a camo wetsuit

DFB Maintenance Diver

Homa sapien
Diver close up face


DFB Maintenance Diver

Homo sapien
DFB Maintenance Diver

Isopod

Cymothoidae
Isopod is a crustacean that is a parasite of fish. This isopod is seen here attached to a blue tang.

Cormorant

Phalacrocorax auritus
Cormorant bird swimming by the underwater camera


Copepod

 Crustacea
Copepod attached to barracuda face



Invertebrates & crustaceans

Arrow Crab

Stenorhynchus seticornisarrow crab on piling in daytime, looks like a spider


Decorator Crab

Majoidea
Crab Coral - this crab has coral shoots growing from it and it completely camouflaged - until it mov

Hermit Crab

Paguroidea
Hermit Crab walking on piling

Spiny Lobster

Panulirus argus
Spiny Lobster only the top part and head of body can be seen


Decorator Crab (?)

Majoidea
Decorator Crab at night in IR mode

Crab 

(not sure of species)
Crab walking across piling

Moon Jellyfish

Aurelia aurita
Moon-Jelly floating with filefish poking it


Jellyfish / Comb Jelly

Ctenophora
Jelly fish are hard to see because they are transparent, however a dark piling is in the background

Spotwing Comb Jelly

Ocyropsis maculata
Spotwing Jelly swimming towards camera

Unknown Jellyfish

Need help identifing
manowar floating down the pylon


Hydroid (growth on lens)

Cnidarian classHydroid growth covering the camera dome

Fireworm

Hermodice carunculataFireworm inching its way down the piling in I.R. mode (night vision).


Squid

Lolliguncula brevis
Two squid sycronized swimming



Octopus

Cephalopods class
Pict of a small octopus scaling up the pylon and camouflaging itself to match the red and white cora

Sea Urchin

Tripneustes ventricosus
sea urchin on dirty camera being removed by wiper

Atlantic Black Sea Hare

Aplysia morioBlack sea hare that looks similar to a slug with wings



Barnacle

Not sureBarnacle sticking feathery feeder out

Vermetid Snail

VermetidaeVermetid snail - looks like a tube worm spitting out a web

Nimble Spray Crab

Percnon gibbesiNimble Crab climbing on piling







Grunts / Chubs / Snappers / Soapfish


Bluestriped Grunt

Haemulon sciurus
Bluestriped Grunt swimming towards camera with mouth open.


Tomtate Grunt

Haemulon aurolineatum
Multiple Tomtates swimming - black spot on tail stripe going down side

Small Mouth Grunt

Brachygenys chrysargyreum
smallmouth grunts - small fish with yellow stripes

Black Margate

Anisotremus surinamensis
Margate fish that is a white silver body with black fins and tail and a black mark on the body


Sailors-Choice Grunt

Haemulon parra
sailors-choice animated gif of swimming

Pigfish

Orthopristis chrysoptera
Pigfish pecking at the sand

Mangrove/Gray Snapper

Lutjanus griseus
Grunt - Sailors Choice. The body of this fish has reddish brown dots covering the silver body.


Young Mangrove Snapper

Lutjanus griseus
Gray Snapper fish - has a blackish gray stripe over its eye which runs from its nose to its back acr

Mutton Snapper

Lutjanus analis
Mutton Snapper - olive green on back and upper sides with pink hue fading to lighter belly & dark sp

Schoolmaster Snapper

Lutjanus apodus
Schoolmaster snapper -body is olive gray with yellow hue fading to lighter belly, with brilliant yel


Dog Snapper

Lutjanus jocu
Dog Snapper - fish has a yellowish tint to it but the defining point is the white triangular marking

Soapfish

Rypticus
soapfish swimming up the pylon

Baby Porkfish

Anisotremus virginicus
Blurry baby pork fish with a transparent backend.


Porkfish Juvenile

Anisotremus virginicus
Porkfish Juvenile - more of a white fish with 2 black stripes running down vertically - one of top a


Porkfish

Anisotremus virginicus
Porkfish that is yellow with white horizontal stripes and 2 black stripes on head


Chub - Bermuda or Topsail

Kyphosus sectatrix or Kyphosus bigibbus
Chub - Topsail or spotted, they are light tan in color with multiple white spots all over the body.


Chub

Kyphosus sectatrix
Chub - Bermuda / Gray, 3 chubs swimming one facing camera the other 2 fish showing their profile.


Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus
sheepshead getting ready to eat off the plyon



Small oval fish & Blennies

?Juvenile Saddled? Blenny

Malacoctenus triangulatus?
Blenny fish is protecting it's home located in a small coral on the piling. It has a white belly


"King Benny" Seaweed Blenny

Parablennius marmoreus
King Benny sticking his head out of a barnacle Open for discussion.

Barred Blenny

Hypleurochilus bermudensisBarred Blenny sitting in the growth of the piling

Feather or Juvenile Hairy Blenny

Open for discussion.Feathered Blenny with a dark spot on front tip of dorsalFeather,  Florida, or juvenile hairy. Open for discussion.

Hairy Blenny

Labrisomus nuchipinnis (female)Downy Blenny, larger than a blenny, swimming down pylon.


Hairy Blenny

Labrisomus nuchipinnis (male)
Hairy Blenny on bottom of ocean floor with big eyes staring at you



Hairy Blenny

Labrisomus nuchipinnis (courting color)Hairy Blenny Courting Colors zebra stripes with red head


Dusky Damselfish

Stegastes adustus
Dusky Damselfish Adult

Damselfish

Stegastes
Yellowbelly Hamlet - small blue and yellow fish that is like a gradient across the fish starting at


Dusky Damselfish Juvenile

Stegastes adustus
Dusky Damselfish Juvenile eating from the reef. Beautifully colored fish with a black dot on its ba

Dusky Damselfish Young Juvenile

Stegastes adustusDuskyDamsel young Juvenile - white with bright orange and a blue dot near tail


Male Sergeant Major

Abudefduf saxatilis (guarding eggs)
Night Sergeant - small fish with black stripes

Sergeant Major

Abudefduf saxatilis
Sergeant Major - small fish with black and white stripes and a touch of yellow on top.






Silvery / Gray / game Fish 

Barracuda

Sphyraena barracuda
Barracuda swimming by a piling

Northern Sennet

Sphyraena borealis
Four Sennet swimming past the piling

Silver/Bermuda Porgy or Spottail

Diplodus argenteus
Spottail Pin fishes swimming in a school. Black dot near tail

One of the three, not sure which one

Seabream

Archosargus rhomboidalis
Seabream swimming

Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix
Bluefish

Rainbow Runner

Elagatis bipinnulata
Rainbow Runner has yellow tail and 2 blue stripes

Courtesy of Mark B.

Lookdown

Selene vomer
Lookdown - very flat fish that is flashy silver with subtle silver stripes and long dorsal fin and a

Moonfish

Selene setapinnis
Moonfish - shiny silver fish very similar to a lookdown except the moonfish has shorter fins and a s

Cobia

Rachycentron canadumCobia swimming in beautiful clear water

Tarpon

 Megalops atlanticus
Tarpon - 7 each tarpon swimming one next to another as if they were one fish.

Cero Mackerel

Scomberomorus regalisCero Mack lateral line curves gradually down towards tail base.

Snook

 Centropomus undecimalisSnook with its distinctive black stripe running along its yellow body.

Yellow Jack

Caranx bartholomaei
Yellow Jack - silver fish with yellow tail and fins.

Yellow Jack (color changing)

Caranx bartholomaei
Yellow Jack completely yellow next to a spanish hog

Blue Runner

Caranx crysos
Blue Runners in aqua colored water swimming in a school towards camera

Horse-Eye Jack

Caranx latus
Horse-eye jack has big dark eyes, less steep of head compared to other jacks, yellow tail and dark c

Florida Pompano

Trachinotus carolinusPompano swimming in the distance - hard to make out details

Courtesy of Mark B.

Bar Jack

Caranx ruberFour Bar Jacks swimming, with an identifiable black/blue stripe outlining the top of their body

Greater Amberjack

Seriola dumeriliShiny jack fish with a stripe running from the top fin down to its mouth going over its eye.


Almaco Jack Juvenile

Seriola rivoliana
Juvenile amberjacks have five dark body bands that are vertically irregularly split with a sixth ban

Courtesy of Bryan Slaton

Almaco Jack

Seriola rivoliana
Almaco Jack very similar to the Amberjack but the dorsal fin is longer and more hooked.

Needlefish

 Ablennes hiansNeedleFish swimming in distance. This fish is thin and long.

Courtesy of Gretchen Michael Allen

Mojarra

 Gerres cinereusMojarra - lower profile of head distinctively concave; mouth is extensible, pointing downward

Permit

Trachinotus falcatuspermit swimming slightly off screen behind the Deerfield logo

Palometa

Trachinotus goodei
Palometa in night mode, very grainy.

Crevalle Jack

Caranx hipposcrevalle jack in a school with water that looks like snow

Bonito

Sarda sardabonito school swimming past camera

Pinfish

Lagodon rhomboides
Pinfish

Courtesy of Steve Aiken





Odd-Shaped Fish / Bottom Dwellers

Porcupinefish

Diodon hystrix
Porcupinefish swimming towards camera. Porcupinefish is an odd shaped fish and has black polkadots

Ballonfish

Diodon holocanthus
Balloonfish - teardrop-shaped body with brown blotches & black spots over entire body. Large iridesc

Scorpionfish

Uncertain species
Scorpion fish - 3 bad pict. 2 are far distant pylon as fish swims around. 3rd is a close up camoufla

(camouflaged on right side)

Scrawled Filefish

Aluterus scriptus
Scrawled Filefish facing camera with kissy lips.


Planehead Filefish

Stephanolepis hispidus
Planehead Filefish has soft, simple fins with comparatively small pectoral fins and truncated, fan-s

Orangespotted Filefish

Cantherhines pullusOrangespotted filefish

Orange Filefish

Aluterus schoepfiiOrange Filefish with rusty colors up close to cameraCourtesy of Steve Aiken

Highhat

Pareques acuminatus
Night image in IR mode of a Highhat

Gray Triggerfish

Balistes capriscus
Triggerfish - more oval shaped with large top fin and bottom fin. Gray in color and has spots and l

Lionfish

Pterois volitansLion fish floating in front of piling with its brownish black stripes and venomous spiky fin rays


Sharpnose Puffer

Canthigaster rostrata
Sharpnose Puffer is small with pointed nose/snout tan on top with white belly and yellow highlighted

Remora - Sharksucker

Uncertain of species
Remora hitching a ride on a shark

Scrawled Cowfish

Acanthostracion quadricornis
scrawled cowfish is similar to the smooth trunkfish, this fish is triangular box shape with horns li


Honeycomb Cowfish

Acanthostracion polygonius
honeycomb cowfish - very close to a scrawled cowfish but has a honeycomb pattern

Smooth Trunkfish

Lactophrys triqueter
Smooth Trunkfish - very odd shaped fish, it has kissy fish lips and is a black fish with white dots

Spotted Trunkfish

Lactophrys bicaudalis
spotted-trunkfish swimming behind Deerfield logo, looks like it has a bandit mask

Flounder

Uncertain of speciesTwo flounders swimming just above the sand

Pipefish or Trumpetfish

Uncertain of speciespipefish swimming by on very bottom of screen - looks like a see through snake

Seahorse

Hippocampus reidi
Seahorse on bottom swimming alone

Courtesy of Passionfruit

??Yellow Goatfish??

Mulloidichthys martinicus
Small fish with yellow stripe and yellow tail

Glassy Sweeper

Pempheris schomburgkiiglassy sweeper - small fish big belly and eyes, in rough water

Southern Stargazer

Astroscopus y-graecumStargazer swimming on bottom new piling






Disk & Oval Shaped Fish 

Blue Tang

Acanthurus coeruleusBlue Tang profile shot swimming with a Porkfish


Blue Tang Juvenile

Acanthurus coeruleusBlue Tang Juvenile fish which is a yellow fish with a blue outline.

Doctorfish

Acanthurus chirurgusDoctorfish

Ocean Surgeonfish

Acanthurus tractus
Similar to the Doctorfish & Blue Tang but has blue marking up nose and over eye makes it look like b

French Angelfish Juvenile

Pomacanthus paru
French Angelfish Juvenile - black fish with vertical yellow stripes and the very tips of the fins ha

French Angelfish

Pomacanthus paru
French Angelfish swimming. Black fish with yellow dots.

Gray Angelfish

Pomacanthus arcuatus
Gray angelfish - blackish Gray angelfish, looks identical to a french angelfish but in black & white

Blue Angelfish

Holacanthus bermudensis
Blue Angelfish - yellow body and brilliant yellow tail with beautiful electric blue highlights

Queen Angelfish

Holacanthus ciliaris
Queen Angelfish with vivid yellow and blue coloring and a mark on the forehead like a crown

Atlantic Spadefish

Chaetodipterus faber
Spadefish markings like a zebra black and white stripes



Spotfin Butterflyfish Juvenile

Chaetodon ocellatusSpotfin Butterflyfish that has a yellow outline, white body, and a thin black stripe over eye.



Parrotfishes / Wrasses / Hog

Stoplight Parrotfish

Sparisoma viride
Stoplight Parrot - large scales that are brown and shimmery on top and a red belly.

Courtesy of Erik Summerville

Stoplight Parrotfish Terminal

Sparisoma viride
Stoplight parrotfish terminal phase, beautiful pinks, iridescent blues and aqua greens

Yellowtail Parrotfish Initial

Sparisoma rubripinne
Yellowtail Parrotfish swimming towards camera headon.

Redband Parrotfish

Sparisoma aurofrenatum
Redband Parrotfish blurry picture of a pink finned large scaled with yellow pink and silvery tint. H

Redband Parrotfish Initial

Sparisoma aurofrenatum
Redband Parrotfish initial phase, the skin is partially iridescent.

Rainbow Parrotfish

Scarus guacamaia
Rainbow Parrotfish - beautiful iridescent scales, the front of the fish is more of a red hue where t

Bluehead Wrasse Terminal

Thalassoma bifasciatum
Bluehead Wrasse terminal phase - blue head, black-white-black stripe at the neck line and a yellow b

Bluehead Wrasse Intermediate

Thalassoma bifasciatum
Bluehead Wrasse Intermediate - yellow top with white belly small fish

Bluehead Wrasse Juvenile

Thalassoma bifasciatum
Bluehead Wrasse Juvenile - small fish with white belly, black, yellow black stripe from top to cente

Puddingwife Juvenile

Halichoeres radiatus
Puddingwife Wrasse yellow and white with black spot

Spanish Hogfish

Bodianus rufus
Spanish Hogfish which is yellow in color with a purple top. This fish has humanlike teeth.

Courtesy of Brooks Creek

Hogfish

Lachnolaimus maximus
Hogfish picture, red in color with a long snout & first 3 dorsal fin spines are elongated and whispy

Juvenile Clown Wrasse

Halichoeres maculipinna
clown-wrasse turns head and looks at camera





Sharks / Rays / Turtle / Eels / Manatees

Southern Stingray

Hypanus americanusStingray flying by on the bottom of the ocean. Stingrays have fins that look like wings and a whip l


Spotted Eagle Ray

Aetobatus narinari
Spotted Eagle Ray - black in color covered in white spots and a whip like tail.

Yellow Stingray

Urobatis jamaicensis
Skate - GIF of a Skate Ray in the distance on the bottom of the ocean floor swimming.

Manta Ray

Mobula
Manta ray swimming between pilings

Spotted Eagle Ray

Aetobatus narinari
Cownosed-Ray swims by in school of fish. It is kite-shaped with long, whip-like tail.

Southern Stingray

Hypanus americanus
Southern Stingray swimming across bottom of ocean floor at a distance. Flat, diamond-shaped with whi

Guitarfish

Pseudobatos lentiginosusGuitarfish swimming on bottom of ocean floor, looks like a ray but has dorsal like a shark


Green Sea Turtle

Chelonia mydas
Green Sea Turtle diving down head first past the camera.

Loggerhead Turtle

Caretta carettaTurtle - Loggerhead, close up shot of turtle swimming to the piling. It is brown in color.

Atlantic Sharpnose Shark

Rhizoprionodon terraenovae Frantically swimming shark through bait fish


Nurse Shark

Ginglymostoma cirratum
medium sized Nurse Shark on bottom casting a large shadow

Great Hammerhead

Sphyrna mokarran
Hammerhead swimming on bottom away from camera

Lemon Shark

Negaprion brevirostrisLemon shark front angle closeup of mouth and nostrils


Lemon Shark

Negaprion brevirostris
Lemon Shark profile swimming by camera

Sandbar Shark

Carcharhinus plumbeusSandbar Shark swimming into the darker waters with hundreds of fish surrounding it

??Caribbean Reef Shark??

Open for discussionPossible reef shark feeding on bait fish just above the Deerfield logo



Manatee

Trichechus
two manatees swimming in the sunrays

Green Moray Eel

Gymnothorax funebrisGreen moray eel slithering on the sandy bottom, looks like ribbon in wind

Unknown Eel Species

?Unknown Eel swimming along piling in IR mode





Bait Fish 

Atlantic Bumper

Chloroscombrus chrysurus
Atlantic Bumper Bait Fish - a school swimming together to form a giant mass of darkness with several


Round Scad

Decapterus punctatusRound Scad school

Glass Minnow (Anchovy) or Round Scad
Glass Minnow - hundreds of little tiny minnows swimming in all directions, it looks like glitter.

Ballyhoo

Hemiramphus brasiliensisBallyhoo swimming in school


Bigeye Scad

Selar crumenophthalmusBigeye-Scad in school