Common coral reef fishes of Cuba
Fairy basslet (www.aqua.org)
Contents
- 1 Introduction Cuba (Common coral reef fishes of Cuba) is an islandnation in the northern Carribean Sea consisting of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos.Over282 species of reef fishes have been identified during REEF Fish Surveys in Cuba.
- 2 25 most common species in Cuba
- 3 References and Further Reading
Introduction Cuba (Common coral reef fishes of Cuba) is an islandnation in the northern Carribean Sea consisting of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos.Over282 species of reef fishes have been identified during REEF Fish Surveys in Cuba.
25 most common species in Cuba
Bluehead- the most frequently observed reef fish in Cuba. Reef Fish Identification, New World Publications © 1994. The following ranking is based on the results of587REEF Fish Surveyscovering a bottom time of518 hours and11 minutes. (REEF Grographic Zone Report, May 28, 2009). The species are ranked by the percentage of surveys in which a species was observed. Abundance of fishes in REEF Fish Surveys are estimated using the following categories: 1- single =1 individual, 2-few = 2- 10 individuals, 3-many = 11-100 individuals, and 4-abundant > 100 individuals. The mean numeric abundance (ranging from 1 - 4) was calculated for each species.. The mean abundance category is determined as follows: mean abundance category 0 - 1.49 = single, 1.50 - 1.99 = single-few, 2.0 - 2.49 = few, 2.5 - 2.99 = few-many, 3.0 - 3.49 = many, 3.5 -3.99 = many-abundant, and 4.0 = abundant.
Brown chromis- the reef fish with the highest mean adundance in Cuba. Reef Fish Identification, New World Publications © 1994. |
Species |
% of surveys observed |
Mean abundance category |
|
1. Blue tang |
79.4 |
many |
|
2. Stoplight parrotfish |
76.8 |
few-many |
|
3. Foureye butterflyfish |
75.6 |
few |
|
4. Yellowtail snapper |
72.4 |
many |
|
5. Bluehead |
69.7 |
many |
|
6. Blue chromis |
69.7 |
many-abundant |
|
7. Fairy basslet |
69.2 |
many |
|
8. Bicolor damselfish |
60.1 |
many |
|
9. Rock beauty |
58.8 |
few |
|
10. French grunt |
58.1 |
few-many |
|
11. Banded butterflyfish |
57.9 |
few |
|
12. Black durgon |
56.9 |
few-many |
|
13. Bluestriped grunt |
52.1 |
few-many |
|
14. Squirrelfish |
51.6 |
few |
|
15. Creole wrasse |
49.7 |
many-abundant |
|
16. Princess parrotfish |
49.2 |
few-many |
|
17. Great barracuda |
48.7 |
single-few |
|
18. Bar jack |
48.0 |
few |
|
19. Yellowhead wrasse |
47.9 |
few-many |
|
20. Schoolmaster |
47.4 |
few-many |
|
21. Queen angelfish |
46.8 |
single-few |
|
22. Longspine squirrelfish |
46.2 |
few |
|
23. Graysby |
43.3 |
few |
|
24. Brown chromis |
42.1 |
many |
|
25. Gray angelfish |
41.9 |
single-few |
References and Further Reading
- Reef Environmental Education Foundation
- Geographic Zone Report- 05-28-2001
- REEF Fish Gallery
- Humann, P. and N. Deloach (Editor), 1994. Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas. New World Publications, Inc. Jacksonville, FL. ISBN: 1878348078
