Fish

Fish  |  Corals: Hard and Soft  |  Nudibranchs & Sea Slugs  |  Shells

Bermuda's reefs, wrecks and shallows are full of fish. These are some you are most likely to see snorkelling or diving.

protected protected by Bermuda law   found only in Bermuda endemic   introduced brought in by people (Bermuda’s protected species)

Atlantic Sergeant Major Abudefduf saxatilisYellow with five black bars; males guard patches of purple eggs on the rocks.Photo: Brian Gratwicke (CC BY)

Rainbow Parrotfish Scarus guacamaiaprotectedOne of the largest parrotfish, in bright orange and green.Photo: Matteo Cassella (CC BY-SA)

Queen Parrotfish Scarus vetulaprotectedBlue-green males; parrotfish sleep in a bubble of mucus at night.Photo: LASZLO ILYES / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Stoplight Parrotfish Sparisoma virideprotectedNamed for the yellow "stoplight" spot on the males.Photo: Tom Kennedy (CC BY)

Blue Angelfish Holacanthus bermudensisNamed after Bermuda: a beautiful blue and yellow angelfish.Photo: Pauline Walsh Jacobson (CC BY)

Four-eyed Butterflyfish Chaetodon capistratusA false "eye" near the tail confuses predators.Photo: Pauline Walsh Jacobson (CC BY)

Atlantic Blue Tang Acanthurus coeruleusBright yellow as juveniles, deep blue as adults.Photo: Brian Gratwicke (CC BY)

Caribbean Bluehead Wrasse Thalassoma bifasciatumOnly the large males have the blue head.Photo: Pauline Walsh Jacobson (CC BY)

Puddingwife Wrasse Halichoeres radiatusA colourful wrasse that buries itself in the sand at night.Photo: Pauline Walsh Jacobson (CC BY)

Bermuda Bream Diplodus bermudensisfound only in BermudaFound only in Bermuda; common around rocks and docks.Photo: Brian Gratwicke (CC BY)

Bermuda Chub Kyphosus sectatrixOften in schools near the surface, and curious about snorkellers.Photo: Bill Levine (CC BY)

Gray Snapper Lutjanus griseusGathers around wrecks, docks and mangroves.Photo: LASZLO ILYES (CC BY)

Yellowtail Snapper Ocyurus chrysurusA yellow stripe along the side and a forked yellow tail.Photo: Fred Hsu / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

French Grunt Haemulon flavolineatumGrunts make their noise by grinding their teeth.Photo: Matteo Cassella (CC BY-SA)

Bluestriped Grunt Haemulon sciurusBlue stripes on yellow; often in groups under ledges.Photo: Brian Gratwicke (CC BY)

Hogfish Lachnolaimus maximusUses its pig-like snout to root in the sand for food.Photo: no rights reserved (CC0)

Spanish Hogfish Bodianus rufusPurple and yellow; young ones clean parasites off other fish.Photo: Jay Brasher (CC BY)

Longspine Squirrelfish Holocentrus rufusBig eyes for hunting at night; hides in crevices by day.Photo: Dan Schofield (CC BY)

Western Atlantic Trumpetfish Aulostomus maculatusHangs head-down among sea rods to ambush its prey.Photo: Paul and Jill (CC BY)

Red Hind Epinephelus guttatusA small grouper covered in red spots.Photo: Matteo Cassella (CC BY-SA)

Great Barracuda Sphyraena barracudaCurious and often follows snorkellers, but harmless.Photo: Quinn (CC BY)

Scrawled Cowfish Acanthostracion quadricornisA boxy body with two little "horns".Photo: Pauline Walsh Jacobson (CC BY)

Longspined Porcupinefish Diodon holocanthusPuffs up and raises its spines when threatened.Photo: Dan Schofield (CC BY)

Longsnout Seahorse Hippocampus reidiprotectedHides among seagrass and sea rods; look carefully!Photo: Andreas März (CC BY)

Spotted Eagle Ray Aetobatus narinariprotectedWhite-spotted rays that glide over the sand flats.Photo: john norton / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Common Lionfish Pterois volitansintroducedBermuda has two lionfish, this red lionfish and the almost identical devil firefish (Pterois miles). Both are invasive Pacific fish with venomous spines: look, but don't touch. Delicious to eat!Photo: Jens Petersen (CC BY)

Bermuda killifish Fundulus bermudaefound only in BermudaprotectedA small fish found only in Bermuda, living in a handful of brackish ponds and mangrove pools. Protected.No photo available

Lover's Lake killifish Fundulus relictusfound only in BermudaprotectedFound only in Bermuda; named after Lover's Lake at the East End, one of the very few ponds where it lives. Protected.No photo available

Bermuda halfbeak Hyporhamphus colletteifound only in BermudaA slender halfbeak, with a long lower jaw, found only in Bermuda.No photo available

Bermuda tilefish Caulolatilus bermudensisfound only in BermudaA deep-water fish found only around Bermuda; you will not see it snorkelling.No photo available

See the complete list of every fish species recorded in Bermuda »

Species chosen from research-grade sightings recorded in Bermuda on iNaturalist. Photos are used under their Creative Commons or public-domain licences; click a credit to see the original. « Flora & Fauna of Bermuda  |  Scuba Diving in Bermuda