Could use some help identifying several fishes

[blizzeye]

Hey everyone, I've shot quite a bit of pictures in Curacao and I've identified almost every fish in my photos except a few. If anyone could help me identify any of these fishes, I would be most pleased.

The second one looks like a parrotfish, but I have no idea what kind. The third looks like a goby fish of somekind, but I can't find any goby that looks this pitchblack. I have no idea what the first and fourth are.

[wgt]

I will need to look at #2 on a better monitor but it is a parrot fish.

1 = bone fish (Albula vulpes)
3 = red lip blenny (Ophioblennius atlanticus)
4 = creole fish (Paranthias furcifer)

In South America, #4 is often called a gringo fish.

[DevilDiver]

Please let me know if you feel these are wrong....

1) White Mullet (Mugil curema)

2) Possible: Rosy Rasorfish or a Wrasse, hard to see.

3) Redlip Blenny (Ophioblennius macclurei)

4) Possible: Creolefish

[DevilDiver]

Arrhhhh..... wgt, you beat me to it. I am sticking to White Mullet for #1.

[wgt]

I think that #2 might be a striped parrot fish.

What do you think, Devil?

Originally Posted by blizzeye

Hey everyone, I've shot quite a bit of pictures in Curacao and I've identified almost every fish in my photos except a few. If anyone could help me identify any of these fishes, I would be most pleased.

The second one looks like a parrotfish, but I have no idea what kind. The third looks like a goby fish of somekind, but I can't find any goby that looks this pitchblack. I have no idea what the first and fourth are.

[wgt]

I think that I now agree on the mullet. The dorsal fin looks too far back to make it a bone fish. Besides, they are swimming quite close to the surface. Good eyes, Devil.

Originally Posted by DevilDiver

Please let me know if you feel these are wrong....

1) White Mullet (Mugil curema)

2) Possible: Rosy Rasorfish or a Wrasse, hard to see.

3) Redlip Blenny (Ophioblennius macclurei)

4) Possible: Creolefish

[DevilDiver]

#2 Well the shape is right, not sure of the colors but if it is a Parrot age and orientation is a factor. I will go with the Striped Parrot, good call.

Originally Posted by wgt

I think that #2 might be a striped parrot fish.

What do you think, Devil?

[blizzeye]

Thanks for the replies people, now I can finally give a name to them . Not too sure about the #2 being a striped parrotfish tbh. The fish isn't that big so I guess it's pretty young, but afaik juvenile striped parrotfish have clear stripes on their sides. Or is the color a difference between male/female?

[wgt]

I don't think that either Devil or I are certain on #2. There is a lot of open bottom in that shot, and not very much fish. Also, the orientation of the fish increases the difficulty. Put very simply, if Devil is not sure, then it must be a very tough call (not uncommon with the parrots). It could also be an immature blue parrot, for example. Our best collective guess at the moment is the striped, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it. I tend to find that the stripes on the striped tend not to be terribly vivid, in any event.

This ID may remain open for debate, but that is one of the things that I apreciate about fish ID. Even well justified opinions can be dead wrong.

We hope that you will keep contributing to our small but growing club of ID enthusiasts. Devil, chinacat, maggs_the...are always up for a new challenge.

Originally Posted by blizzeye

Thanks for the replies people, now I can finally give a name to them . Not too sure about the #2 being a striped parrotfish tbh. The fish isn't that big so I guess it's pretty young, but afaik juvenile striped parrotfish have clear stripes on their sides. Or is the color a difference between male/female?

[Splitlip]

Originally Posted by blizzeye

Thanks for the replies people, now I can finally give a name to them . Not too sure about the #2 being a striped parrotfish tbh. The fish isn't that big so I guess it's pretty young, but afaik juvenile striped parrotfish have clear stripes on their sides. Or is the color a difference between male/female?

Did it have a beak? Did you see it "making sand".

My first thought was Parrotfish. Otherwise some kind of Wrasse.