Lesser Butterfly Ray

The lesser butterfly ray (Gymnura micrura) also sometimes known as smooth butterfly rays. They have no venomous barb. Some of their prey includes fish, crustaceans, and bivalves. Their dorsal side varies in colour from grey, to brown, to almost greenish. They prefer sandy environments and are often found in estuaries, bays, and off beaches.

Pinfish

Juvenile Pinfish near Jetty

Lagodon rhomboides, or more commonly known as the pinfish, is a species of fish in the family Sparidae, along with the breams and porgies. It is the only member in its genus that is known. Pinfish rarely swim in schools. Adults can reach 4.5" in length. The adult pinfish live in deeper waters of 30'-50', while juveniles prefer shallower waters around pilings, jetties, and seagrass beds. Their range includes Bermuda, and down the United States Coast from Massachusetts, down to the Mexican Gulf Coast.

Common Snook

Common snook off Lido

Common snook off Lido

Common snook off Lido

 The common snook (Centropomus undecimalis), is a species of snook common to Florida. Their lateral lines are very distinct and their lower jaw protrudes farther than their upper jaw. The common snook can reach lengths of up to four feet. There are five currently known species of snook in Florida waters, the common snook, the tarpon snook, the small scaled fat tarpon, the swordspine snook, and the large scaled fat snook. The tarpon snook has big eyes and dark tips on their anal fins. The swordspine snook is said to be shinier than the other species, and it's anal fin spike can sometimes reach it's tail. Scaled fat snooks have a broader body shape than

 other snooks. The large scaled fat snook is a more recently discovered species. Snook are usually thought of as a game fish, but there is so much more to snook than just being on the end of a line. Mote Marine Laboratory is doing a lot of research on the common snook, and are raising snook to restore native populations.



Yellow Stingray

The yellow stingray (Urobatis jamaicensis), is also sometimes called the yellow spotted stingray. Their range stretches out from North Carolina, to Northern South America. They have an interesting feeding technique. They will lift their front half up so they resemble a cave, then their prey goes right to them thinking that the stingray is a cave.

Snorkling Pictures

Common Snook (Centropomus undecimalis)

Sergeant Major (Abudefduf saxatilis)

Stone Crab (Menippe mercenaria)

A couple of weeks ago, I went snorkeling for the first time off a jetty on Lido. I saw lots of marine animals. These are a few of the better pictures that I took that day.
(you can click on the photos to enlarge.)

Sergeant Major (Abudefduf saxatilis)

Common Snook (Centropomus undecimalis)

Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus)

Scaled Sardine (Harengula jaguana)

Lesser Butterfly Ray (Gymnura micrura)

Pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides)

Stingrays, Stingrays, and More Stingrays!

Stingray Under The Sand

 Recently at Lido, there have been a lot of stingrays in the water. They're usually Atlantic stingrays, but we have also seen devil rays again in the water. The first stingray picture is covered with sand which makes it hard to identify. There has also been lots of fish washing up on shore. The ones that I have seen include: lots of cowfish, a grouper, a butterfly ray, and a toadfish. They have been becoming stranded more frequently than usual, probably because of all the recent storms.

Two Atlantic Stingrays

Cownose Ray

The cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonasus) is a species of ray. It gets it's name from the shape of it's head because it looks like a cow's nose. To find their prey, they will either flap there fins to stir up the sand, or they will move the sand around with their snouts. Once they have located there prey, they will rapidly flap their fins to reveal their prey. Cownose rays will migrate by the thousands from the Gulf of Mexico, and up the east side of the U.S.. Their natural predators include cobia and sharks. They are not commercially fished by people. However, the Virginia Sea Grant at VIMS is trying to persuade people to start eating cownose rays because a main part of their diet is oysters. But since cownose rays usually only have one pup at a time, it could cause a decrease in the population like the thylacines did. Cownose rays are commonly kept in touch tanks in aquariums. I don't think that I have ever been to a stingray touch tank where they did not have cownose rays.

Mandarin Dragonet

The mandarin dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus), is a tropical from the family Callionymidae. Mandarin dragonets go by many different names including mandarin goby and mandarin fish. They usually live in small groups in the wild. Mandarin dragonets produce a thick mucus that covers them and is toxic to whatever might try to eat it. Mandarin dragonets will dull in color when they are going to rest at night. Mandarin dragonets are popular in marine pet stores, despite the fact that they are difficult to feed because they eat amphipods and other small invertebrates.