Habitat: Hawksbill turtles are omnivorous but can be seen feeding mostly on sponges and are one of the few vertebrates that do. Sponges are toxic to some marine creatures and unpalatable. Consumption of sponge toxins, amazingly, do not affect the hawksbills but may be the reason why their flesh is poisonous in some regions and the fatality rate high with no known antidotes. The ledges, caves and sea floor of reefs provide resting areas for the turtles throughout the day and night.
Females only nest every two or three years but can lay up to 5 clutches of eggs within one breeding season, at an average 1521 day interval. Each clutch contains 130-160 eggs and incubation takes from 55- 70 days. Hatchlings emerge usually at night when the sand temperature is cool and immediately head for the sea attracted by the light of the moon and stars reflected off the sea.
Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) Found: Hawksbills are found around tropical and sub-tropical waters in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. They inhabit shallow coastal areas, lagoons and coral reefs and are commonly encountered on Caribbean reefs by divers and snorkellers. Description: This is one of the smallest sea turtles weighing only 95-165 lbs (43-75 kg) as an adult and usually reaching a carapace (upper shell) length of 30-40 ins. (76-102cm). Included on the list of endangered species, this marine turtle is famous for its beautiful, ornate carapace, referred to as “tortoise shell”. Although the colour of the carapace varies from one region to the next, it is predominantly mottled brown with dark amber and yellowish, fan-like spots and streaks and is the only species with overlapping shell plates. It has been exploited illegally by the fashion industry for its prized “tortoise shell” which is used to produce jewelry, combs, eyeglass frames and ornaments. The most distinct feature is it overhanging upper beak resembling a “hawk’s bill”. This narrow, sharp beak is an excellent tool for foraging among coral crevices.
Habitat: The Green Moray is mostly sedentary and associated with rocky shorelines, mangroves, areas over sand and mud bottoms, coral reefs and among sea grass beds. It hides during the day in rocky crevices or holes, extending its head from the opening. It is a carnivorous, nocturnal predator of fish, squid, octopus, crabs and shrimps, relying largely on its sense of smell to locate prey, as it has very poor vision and is known to move skillfully between cracks and crevices while hunting.
transparent, leaf-like larvae called leptocephali which float at the top of the water and transform into juveniles which then swim to the bottom of the ocean and continue development into adults.
Green Moray (Gymnothorax funebris)
Found: In the Western Atlantic Ocean from New Jersey to Bermuda and the Northern Gulf of Mexico and South to Brazil. Common throughout the Bahamas, Caribbean Sea and Florida Keys.
Description: This odd-shaped fish is a type of eel, characterized by its long, serpentine body with a muscular appearance. Average size found in local waters ranges between 3ft. to 4ft. in length, but larger ones in Tobago can grow to as much as 5ft. to 6ft. They exist at depths from 10ft. to 100ft. Morays have no pectoral or pelvic fins; their dorsal, tail and anal fins form a single, long continuous fin that begins behind the head, encircles the tail and extends midway down the belly. The scaleless, thick skin is covered by a layer of yellowish mucus that protects the animal from parasites and diseases. It is this layer of mucus over the dark body that gives the moray its distinctly, uniform green or even brownish colour. The mouth is constantly opening and closing as a form of respiration to move water over their gills and is not a sign of aggression.
Behaviour: These benthic (bottom-dwelling), solitary fish are not aggressive but can inflict horrible bites if molested by snorkellers and divers, during attempts to feed directly, or through indiscriminate probing of reef holes and crevices with hands. They will often appear unconcerned and allow very close approach before withdrawing but may attack randomly, though that is quite unusual. Extreme caution should therefore be exercised in any type of interaction.
Reproduction: Like all true eels, morays are oviparous (eggs hatched outside of the body), but little is known of spawning and amounts of eggs laid. However, they hatch into
Behaviour: Unlike the Green turtles and Leatherbacks that often migrate several hundred miles between feeding and nesting grounds, hawksbills are often seen year-round on reefs near nesting sites. They prefer to nest alone or in small groups on isolated beaches.
Reproduction: Mating often occurs at the surface in shallow waters near nesting beaches and copulation may last for hours.
Geographic Distribution: Found in the tropical western Atlantic Ocean, including southern Florida, Bermuda, Bahamas and throughout the Caribbean Sea; also along the eastern and western boundaries of the Gulf of Mexico and south to Brazil.
Description: Large size, heavy scales, powerful jaws, fused teeth or “beaks” and bright colours are characteristic of parrotfishes. Identification of various species is made difficult due to dramatic changes in shape, colour and markings as they mature. The phases include: Juvenile Phase (JP), Initial Phase (IP) and Terminal Phase (TP). During the IP, both males and females are mottled reddish brown often mixed with white scales on the upper two-thirds of the body, while the belly is bright red and the first half of the caudal fin is white. In JP, there are three rows of white spots running along the length of the body, and there is a distinct white bar on the caudal fin. Fishes in TP are emerald green and have an orange to yellow crescent on the caudal fin and a bright yellow spot at the upper corner of the gill cover.
Reproduction: Parrotfish exhibit protogynous hermaphroditism (changes sex from females to males). Primary males are born male and remain so throughout their lives while secondary males are born female, changing both sex and colour to
Behaviour: Solitary swimmers, they use their pectoral fins for quick, vertical movements which propel them forward, while the caudal fin is used only for bursts of speed. They are herbivores and unlike other parrotfish that graze by scraping algae off dead coral surfaces, they additionally gouge out algae growing below the coral structure’s surface, often leaving white bite marks on Boulder Star Coral and Boulder Brain Coral. Coral skeletal material (calcium carbonate) is finely ground by specialized teeth, passed through the digestive system and excreted as clouds of chalky residue forming deposits of white coral sand all over the reef.
Habitat: The Stoplight Parrotfish is found from depths of 15ft. to 80 ft. and is strictly diurnal, spending the night sleeping on the bottom, seeking a safe haven inside reef pockets and crevices.
become male in the TP. Stoplights are polygamous, often living only in territorial harems composed of a single terminal male and from 2 to 14 initial phase females, when food resources are limited. Pelagic spawning occurs during 90 minute periods daily throughout the year in deep reef areas, after which the adult fish return to shallow waters.
Stoplight Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride)
Behaviour: The four eye’s first instinct when threatened is to flee, positioning its rear end with the black spot, closer to the predator than its head. Most predators would aim for the eyes and this is an effective form of deception that enables a headfirst escape. This energetic little fish tends to ignore divers and snorkellers as it frolics, but will move away if approached too closely.
Habitat: This subtropical fish inhabits shallow coral reefs and related sea grass beds at depth ranges of 6 to 65 ft. Young are usually solitary while adults are seen in pairs and are thought to be monogamous. If an adult pair gets separated, one partner makes and effort to find and rejoin the other. Since they are diurnal fish, they are susceptible to nocturnal predators like morays and sharks so they seek hiding places at night as shelter for rest and protection.
4,000 small, pelagic eggs per night that hatch overnight. The larvae, called tholichthys are characteristic of butterflyfish only and are silvery-grey and almost transparent. Transformation is so rapid that overnight they begin to resemble colour patterns of juveniles.
Four Eye Butterflyfish (Chaetodon capistratus) Found: The four eye butterflyfish is very common in the tropical western Atlantic. It ranges along the North and South American coasts from Massachusetts to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Description: The four eye gets its name from the large, dark spot of the rear portion of its body, surrounded by a brilliant white ring. This spot acts as a false eye, which may result in a predator confusing the rear end of the fish for the front end. Juvenile forms have a second smaller black spot on the rear dorsal fin, just above the larger one. A black vertical bar runs over the true eye making it less visible. There are prominent spines on the dorsal and anal fins which can deter predators when made erect, as a form of self defence. They travel alone or often in pairs, using keen eyesight to spot tiny worms, exposed coral polyps and other small invertebrates. Adults may reach 6 inches in length. Reproduction: Courtship between the two is prolonged and vivacious, first with an encircling dance, followed by a break away chase all over the reef, totally ignoring any other lone foureyes that may approach them during this ritual. Actual spawning occurs at dusk when the female releases 3,000 to