2012 Week 2

Among the amazing and abundant animals that inhibit the BVI, the southern stingray surpasses all other forms of marine life in grace and maneuverability. The southern stingray has a diamond shaped body and dwells on the bottom of the sea, often times relying on sand to camouflage and avoid predators. Among the most recognized features of the stingray is...

The butterfly fish are some of the most colorful fish in all of the marine fishes. The genus name for this family translates from Latin to "tooth hair" which refers to the flowing soft teeth in their mouths.the butterfly fish look very similar to the the angle fish but they are slightly larger. There are 114 species of butterfly...

Moral Eels are snake-like fish live in holes in the reef. You can distiguish moray eels by their moray long, slender, snake-like body, combined with a large set of jaws. Most species have long, sharp canine teeth but some do have low, nodular teeth. They are usually one to two metres long, though some species will reach up...

What is a Basslet? Basslets are mostly found in the Western Atlantic and thrive around reef systems. Basslets are very colorful, but don't let their playful patterns fool you, they can become very territorial. They feed on zooplankton and small crustaceans. An adult basslet is typically two inches in length and loves darting in and out of reef structures.

The Caribbean Reef Shark can measure up to 3 meters in length. This length makes them one of the largest apex predators in the reef ecosystem. They can be identified by their streamline shape, dark grey or grey brown color, an anal and caudal fin, their snout is short and round. This creature is closely related to...

Here are a few action shots from our classroom portion of the 2012 Marine Biology Program! Great shot of some of our "Seniors" Working together on Invertebrate Evolution The World at their Fingertips... Exploring the Starfish Starfish Dissection Squid Dissection

The basslet is a small fish of the Grammatidae family, in the order Perciformes that reach no larger than 10 centimeters in length. They are very bright, multicolored fish that are popular in marine aquaria. In the wild, however, basslets can be found in the western Atlantic, as well as the Caribbean. As hermaphroditic fish, basslets...

Boxfishes, or smooth trunkfish have an angular body sheathed in plate-like scales. It has maximum length of 19 inches. It is also triangular in shape with polkadots on its body. Its fins are usually yellow. The smooth trunkfish usually keeps to itself but sometimes may be found in small groups. Additionally, it shoots water onto the sandy seabed to...

The basslet fish are no more than 10 cm long, with the male most commonly being larger than the females. This species of fish is found in the western Atlantic and Caribbean areas. The central area of where this fish is located is florida. The twelve members of the basslets I the order of are found in this...