Tail-Botched Lizardfish

Synodus jaculum

Russel and Cressey 1979

Kuhl's Stingray
Neotrygon kuhli
(Müller & Henle, 1841)

Family: Dasyatidae (Stingrays)
Order: Rajiformes (skates and rays)
Class: Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays)

The bluespotted stingray or Kuhl's stingray, Neotrygon kuhlii, is a species of stingray, family Dasyatidae. It is light green with blue spots. Their disk width hovers around 67 cm. They are usually not distinguished from the Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray. The Ribbontail is rounder with brighter green and more/more vivid spots. The Bluespotted Stingray is also larger.

The maskrays are a genus, Neotrygon, of stingrays, family Dasyatidae, native to the Indo-West Pacific. They are so named because of a distinctive color pattern around their eyes, resembling a mask. The species in this genus were originally placed in the genus Dasyatis by most authors. However, recent morphological and molecular analyses have conclusively showed that they represent a distinct group, and so the genus Neotrygon was resurrected for them.

Aside from their mask-like color pattern, the maskrays are variable in coloration and can be plain or ornate. Their pectoral fin discs are largely smooth, with a single row of thorns along the dorsal midline. The mouth is small with two central papillae and a row of enlarged, long-cusped teeth halfway along the upper jaw on both sides. The nasal curtain, formed by the merging of the nasal flaps, is long and narrow. The tail is very short with well-developed dorsal and ventral fin folds and a filamentous tip, and is banded black and white past the stinging spine. In addition, Neotrygon species also differ from other stingrays in their buccal and skeletal morphology, as well as in the CO1 gene.

Snout very short and broadly angular; disc angular; tail as long as body with conspicuous black and white rings, and with a short upper caudal finfold but a longer lower one ending well behind tail tip; disc without thorns; usually one sting on tail. A solitary species found on sandy bottoms near rocky or coral reefs. Occasionally covers itself with sand, leaving only its eyes and tail visible. The venomous spine can inflict a painful wound.

Common Lionfish
Pterois volitans

Also known as Red Lionfish

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Scorpaenidae
Subfamily: Pteroinae
Genus: Pterois
Species: P. volitans

The red lionfish (Pterois volitans) is a venomous coral reef fish from the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. The red lionfish is also found off the east coast of the United States, and was likely first introduced off the Florida coast in the early to mid-1990s. By the summer of 2001, it was found along the Atlantic coast of the United States from Florida to Long Island, New York. The Caribbean is also suffering from an invasion, especially around the Bahamas.

Red lionfish have distinctive red, maroon, or brown and white stripes; fleshy tentacles above the eyes and below the mouth; fan-like pectoral fin; and long separated dorsal spines.[1] Adults can grow as large as 17 inches (43 cm), while juveniles may be as small as an inch or less. All of the spines on a lionfish are venomous, creating a danger primarily to divers and fishermen if stung. Although there have been no known fatalities caused by lionfish stings, they are reportedly extremely painful.

Pterois volitans is a predator on small fish, shrimps, crabs, and similarly sized animals. The species actively hunts in open water at night (Myers, 1991). Allen and Eschmeyer (1973) note a hunting behavior in which P. volitans spreads its pectoral fins to corral prey items which it then ingests in a single rapid motion.

Devil Walkman
Inimicus didactylus
Pallas, 1769

Also known as Demon Stinger Scorpionfish, Demon Stingerfish, Devilfish, Devil Stinger, Spiny Devilfish, Devil Scorpionfish, Devil Stinger Scorpionfish, Demon Rockfish, Goblinfish, Demon Goblinfish, Popeyed Sea Goblin, Bearded Ghoul, Bearded Ghoul Fish, Indian Walkman and Red Sea Walkman.

Inimicus didactylus has an elongate body and is without scales, with the exception of 13-15 buried in the lateral line. It is covered with skin glands that have the appearance of warts. No minimums or maximums in length are reported in the literature, but specimens seem to range approximately between 130 mm to 200 mm.

The species has a depressed head that is strongly concave on the dorsal side. The head is also covered with flaps of skin and raised ridges, and tentacles are present on the head, trunk, and fins. Its mouth points up almost vertically, and its eyes protrude visibly outwards. A raised knob at the end of its snout gives it the appearance of having an upturned nose.

The pectoral fins are large and their coloration is significant in identifying the different species of Inimicus. In I. didactylus, the underside of the pectoral fins bears broad dark bands (containing smaller, lighter spots) at the basal and distal ends. The lower 2 rays of its pectoral fins are free from the rest of the fin and used in "walking" along the bottom. This coloration is not sexually dimorphic. The caudal fin has dark bands at basal and subterminal positions. The dorsal fin is composed of 15 to 17 spines and 7 to 9 rays. With the exception of the first 3, the spines are almost entirely incised from membrane.

Using its 2 free pectoral rays, I. didactylus is able to slowly crawl along the seafloor. Coinciding with the method of hide-and-wait hunting typical of I. didactylus, members of the family Synancejidae are described as slow and sluggish, spending most of their life buried in mud or concealed in coral reefs. This sort of locomotion seems plausible given the lifestyle and morphology of I. didactylus.

Like other Synancejidae, I. didactylus possesses a powerful venom that is stored in glands at the bases of its dorsal spines that can be injected upon contact. As described above, this species also flashes the undersides of its pectoral fins when disturbed as a warning signal. These, in addition to its natural camouflage, discourage other organisms from feeding on it.

Found on open sandy or silty substrates of lagoon and seaward reefs. Often buries itself and easily overlooked. Uses pectoral fins to startle predators and shows color during courtship. Feeds on small fishes and crustaceans. The venom of this fish can be deadly to man. Its ability to camouflage itself by living half-buried presents a real danger