LONGSPINE PORGY Stenotomus caprinus
Family Sparidae (porgies)
LONGSPINE PORGY Stenotomus caprinus
Third, fourth, and fifth dorsal spines long; body oval and compressed; mouth small; teeth small, close set in bands; color silvery white sometimes with irregular wide dark blotches or bars. A short-spine form is also common at Gray's Reef and is virtually identical to the scup (S.chrtsops) which occurs from Nova Scotia to North Carolina. Both forms school loosely with tomtates, wrasses and other porgies close to the sand near rocky outcrops. They often follow divers in search of prey in disturbed sand. North Carolina to Georgia and Gulf of Mexico to Yucatan. 4-5 in.
SHEEPSHEAD Archosargus probatocephalus
Body moderately deep, five to six dark vertical bars on a silvery background, anterior teeth incisor-like, other teeth rounded (molariform). Its molariform teeth are used for crushing mollusks and crustaceans. Largest of the porgies, it is normally found close to the reef or under ledges. It is a year-round resident at Gray's Reef, but may be relatively inactive under ledges during cold winter periods. The Atlantic spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber) also has dark bars but has a deeper body, long median fins and is usually seen in schools. Nova Scotia to Brazil. 23 in.
WHITEBONE PORGY Calamus leucosteus
Anterior teeth conical rather than incisor-like, posterior nostril slit-like rather than round, color silvery with irregular blotches and bars that may fade rapidly under the fish's control. This is the largest of the silvery whitish porgies at Gray's Reef. North Carolina to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. 13 in.
SPOTTAIL PINFISH Diplodus holbrooki
Dorsal and ventral profile equally curved, muted stripes that roughly follow the scale rows, a large dark spot or saddle on the caudal peduncle. It is abundant at Gray's Reef and usually seen schooling loosely with scups and the tomtates. Chesapeake Bay to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. 6-7 in.
PINFISH Lagodon rhomboides
Numerous yellow and blue stripes and spots; traces of six vertical bars in adults; a prominent dark spot above the pectoral fin on the lateral line; caudal, anal, and pectoral fins yellow. Massachusetts to Mexico. 7-10 in.
RED PORGY, SILVER SNAPPER Pagrus pagrus
Similar to the whitebone porgy (Calamus leucosteus), its teeth are conical rather than incisor-like but, unlike the whitebone porgy, it has a rounded rather than slit-like posterior nostril and its body color is silvery pinkish-white. A smaller mouth and an upper jaw (maxilla) which does not slip into a cheek groove distinguish it from the red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus). New York to Argentina. 16 in.
PIGFISH Orthopristis chrysoptera
Dorsal profile more convex than ventral profile, mouth small, dorsal and anal fin spines fold into sheaths, color silvery to blue-gray with blue-bronze scale spots forming oblique rows above the lateral line and stripes below it, bronze spots on the head. Often considered a sandy shore species, they seek refuge and act fiercely territorial toward each other under ledges at Gray's Reef. Massachusetts to Yucatan. 8-12 in.
TOMTATE Haemulon aurolineatum
Adults silvery with a yellow or bronze midlateral stripe, dark spot at the base of the caudal fin, inside of the mouth bright red-orange. Juveniles have 2-3 dark stripes and very small juveniles have bars. This is one of the most abundant fishes at Gray's Reef. Juveniles often aggregate in small groups near crevices while adults roam just above the reef during the day in schools as large as several hundred individuals. The similar white grunt (H. plumieri), which occurs from Chesapeake Bay to Brazil, is absent or very rare at Gray's Reef. It is silvery white with a yellow bronze head above and has a series of distinctive dark blue stripes margined with bronze on the head and anterior portion of the body. Massachusetts to Brazil. 7-8 in.
Family Mullidae (goatfishes)
RED GOATFISH Mullus auratus
Two distinct dorsal fins, two prominent chin barbels, no teeth on the roof of the mouth, color generally whitish with reddish blotches or bars, two yellowish stripes on body and two dark stripes on dorsal fin. The spotted goatfish (Pseudupeneus maculatus), which may also occur here, has teeth on the roof of the mouth, an opercular spine and three large blackish blotches on the sides of the body. Individuals, pairs and small schools are occasionally observed near rocky outcrops at Gray's Reef probing the sand for food with their long chin barbels. Nova Scotia to Central America. 8 in.
SLIPPERY DICK Halichoeres bivittatus
Body compressed, cigar-shaped; nipping canine teeth prominent; two longitudinal stripes sometimes broken into spots (the ventral stripe is sometimes faint); dark spot at the upper anterior margin of the opercle; axil dark; dark spot on the caudal base; anal fin dark with light edge; terminal phase adult covered with subtle markings in pastel shades of red, yellow, green, and iridescent blue. The painted wrasse (H. caudalis), which also occurs at Gray's Reef, has one rather than 2-3 pores on each anterior lateral line scale, a dark spot posterior to the eye rather than on the opercular margin, and a light axil and anal fin. Most wrasses swim using the pectoral fins, dragging the tail behind. Ubiquitous at Gray's Reef. North Carolina to Brazil. 7-8 in.
PEARLY RAZORFISH Hemipteronotus novacula
Body compressed, head steep, scales large, color pale with pastel pink and yellow with thin blue and pink bars below the eye on the cheek and on the anal and caudal fins. Occasionally seen near reefs over coarse sandy bottoms, this wrasse dives into the sand when threatened. North Carolina to Brazil. 7-8 in.
TAUTOG Tautoga onitis
Body robust, scales and lips large, mouth protrusible, color brown to dark gray with indistinct blotches of tan. Large adults are occasionally seen close to rocky outcrops at Gray's Reef which is roughly the southernmost limit of this northern wrasse. Nova Scotia to Georgia. 15 in.