RETICULATE MORAY Muraena retifera
This group includes a variety of species that live on or close to the bottom often in close association with rocky outcrops at Gray's Reef. Many are cryptically colored or secretive predators that use the reef as cover to hide from predators or prey. Others are night-active feeders that only use the reef as a refuge during daylight hours. Others prefer sandy bottoms but are often seen near rocky outcrops.
Body encased in bony rings; snout small and tubular; mouth toothless; tail prehensile, caudal fin absent; head projected forward at a right angle to the body. Coloration in this species is highly variable from almost white or orange with blotches, to almost black. Lines are sometimes visible along the sides and back. Two related species which have a caudal fin and straight body, the chain pipefish (Syngnathus Louisianae) and the banded pipefish (Micrognathus crinitis) have also been found at Gray's Reef. It is effectively camouflaged as it clings nearly motionless by its grasping tail to sea whips, hard corals and other reef growth, It feeds on tiny crustaceans. Nova Scotia to Argentina. 5 in.
Family Muraenidae (moray eels)
RETICULATE MORAY Muraena retifera
Body eel-like, mouth and teeth large, pectoral and pelvic fins lacking, well-defined reticulations forming light yellowish brown spots posteriorly, slightly darker head, gill opening dark, dark spot at the angle of the mouth. This genus is distinguished by tubular extensions of both the anterior and posterior nostrils. Despite their fearsome appearance most morays are nocturnal predators that are docile and shy, only their heads projecting from crevices during daylight hours. Massachusetts to eastern Gulf of Mexico. 20 in.
OCELLATED MORAY Gymnothorax saxicola
Body eel-like, mouth and teeth large, pectoral and pelvic fins lacking, color brownish with whitish spots becoming lines on the head and distinct black ocellated spots or patches along the margins of the dorsal and anal fins. A similar species, the blackedge moray (G. nigromarginatus), occurs in the western Gulf of Mexico. More common on deeper reefs. New Jersey to Florida and eastern Gulf of Mexico. 28-30 in.
Family Ophichthyidae (snake eels and worm eels)
PALESPOTTED EEL Ophichthus ocellatus
Distinct yellowish-white spots along the dark gray sides of the body, pores on the head rimmed with black, and a hard, pointed tail without a fin distinguish it from the key worm eel (Ahlia egmontis) which has a caudal fin, tiny dark spots covering the dorsal surface, long anal fin and lacks teeth on the vomer; the speckled worm eel (Myrophis punctatus) which has a caudal fin, small black spots covering the upper body and has an anal fin much shorter than dorsal; the sailfin eel (Letharchus velifer) which is uniformly brown with a contrasting white dorsal fin; and the conger eel (Conger oceanicus, family Congridae) which has a black medial fin margin and uniserial (a single row of) teeth. It uses its finless pointed tail to burrow backwards into the sand and is occasionally seem swimming snakelike at the surface at night. North Carolina to Brazil and northeastern Gulf of Mexico. 10 in.
Family Synodontidae (lizardfishes)
INSHORE LIZARDFISH Synodus foetens
Body elongate, snout sharp, jaws long, teeth sharp, coloration sandy camouflage with diamond-shapes on the sides of the body, small adipose (fleshy) fin behind the dorsal fin. The snakefish (Tracinocephalus myops), another lizardfish that occurs on the coast, is distinguished by a more rounded anterior profile, oblique mouth and a longer anal fin with 14-16 rather than 8-13 rays. Lizardfishes are occasionally seen very near the reef lying partially buried in the sand. Massachusetts to Brazil. 6-14 in.
Family Batrachoididae (toadfishes and midshipmen)
LEOPARD TOADFISH Opsanus pardus
Head large, broad and flat; mouth large; skin scaleless with fleshy projections especially at the margin of the lower jaw, color orange and tan on a lighter background with darker brown markings. Apparently this population is not identical to the leopard toadfish (O. pardus) of the Gulf of Mexico and southern Florida (Mr. Steve W. Ross, pers. comm.). Its camouflage coloration and fleshy skin flaps blend well with the sponges and sea squirt colonies encrusting the reef as it lies motionless on the bottom usually under ledges or crevices of the reef during the day. A similar but less colorful species, the oyster toadfish (O. tau), is found inshore. 5-10 in.
ATLANTIC MIDSHIPMAN Poriclttllysplectrodon
Head large, sides of body lined with rows of photophores (light-producing organs), opercule small with one spine, three dorsal spines. This venomous fish carries a toxin on its spines that can cause painful wounds. Its name results from the photophore rows that resemble the buttons on a naval uniform. Unlike most marine fishes, both toadfishes and midshipmen attach their eggs to hard substrates, Virginia to Argentina. 8 in.
Family Gadidae(codfishes)
CAROLINA HAKE Urophycis earlli
Snout blunt, single small chin barbel, pelvic fins filamentous, whitish spots on the sides, no dark blotch or spots on the sides of the head. The spotted hake (U. regia) has also been found at Gray's Reef and other hakes are known to occur in the midshelf, but apparently only the Carolina hake uses the reef for cover. Occasionally seen at the reef in crevices, its coloration resembles another common Gray's Reef resident, the finely-scaled whitespotted soapfish (Rypticus maculatus). North Carolina to northeast Florida. 7-10 in.
Family Grammistidae (soapfishes)
WHITESPOTTED SOAPFISH Rypticus maculatus
Scales small, color uniformly dark brown to tan with white spots on the sides and a white middorsal bar on the snout. It gets its name from a soapy mucous secretion produced in its skin. These wary reef residents are often seen in pairs in or near crevices and under ledges at Gray's Reef. The coloration of this small bass-like reef predator bears a striking resemblance to the unrelated Carolina hake (Urophysis earlii). North Carolina to northern Gulf of Mexico. 5-10 in.
Family Antennariidae (frogfishes)
OCELLATED FROGFISH Antennarius ocellatus
Body short, fat and lumpy; color brown or tan to yellow or pink; three large ocellated spots on the posterior body, dorsal and caudal fin. The single spot frogfish (A. radiosus), splitlure frogfish (A. scaber), and sargassumfish (Histrio histrio) have also been reported from the Georgia coast. Frogfishes, like other anglerfishes, sit motionless on the reef or sand 'fishing' for prey with a fleshy lure (a bulb with many filaments) at the tip of a modified first dorsal spine. Their prey are engulfed whole in a single high-speed motion. North Carolina to Venezuela. 10 in.
Family Ogcocephalidae (batfishes)
BATFISH Ogcocephalus spp. and Halieuticlttltys sp.
Body broad and depressed, pectoral fins arm-like, skin with spiny tubercles. Several species in the genus Ogcocephalus and one in the genus Halieutichthys occur on the coast. Like frogfishes, these grotesque-looking fishes are anglers that use a modified dorsal spine extending just above the mouth to lure prey. They prefer sandy bottoms sitting partially buried in the sand or 'hopping' along on their pectoral fins. Tropical and temperate waters worldwide. 4-7 in.
Family Apogonidae (cardinalfishes)
TWOSPOT CARDINALFISH Apogon pseudomaculatus
Body small, color bright red with distinctive black spots below the second dorsal fin and on the caudal peduncle. Two other cardinalfish species have been found at Gray's Reef: the flamefish (A. maculatus) which has a dark saddle across the caudal peduncle and the dusky cardinalfish (Phaeoptyx pigmentaria) which has a dark spot on each scale. It is common under ledges and in crevices at Gray's Reef during the day, emerging at night to prey upon worms and other nocturnally active invertebrates. Massachusetts to Brazil. 3 in.
Family Bothidae (lefteye flounders)
DUSKY FLOUNDER Syacium papillosum
Both eyes and coloration on the left side of the body, preopercle not covered with skin, gill rakers short and stout, eye side brown without spotting, blind side may have some coloration. A large number of flatfish species in four families occur in sandy areas of the inner and midshelf but few are seen close to reefs. Most are well camouflaged and often lie covered with sand on the bottom. North Carolina to Brazil. 11 in.
Family Sciaenidae (drums, croakers, and sea trouts)
CUBBYU Pareques umbrosus
Adults are uniformly dark brown with indistinct stripes while juveniles are boldly striped with the middle stripe extending into the caudal fin and a high dorsal fin with black and white bars. Juveniles resemble two other drums that are occasionally seen at Gray's Reef: the highhat (Equetus acuminatus) which has dark stripes and a long triangle beneath the dorsal fin, and the jackknife-fish (E. lanceolatus), which has a midlateral stripe curving upward to join the dark bar on the dorsal fin. Unlike the cubbyu, the young of both have greatly elongate dorsal and caudal fins. This is one of only a few reef-dwelling drums and is common year-round under ledges and in crevices during the day at Gray's Reef. North Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico. 5-6 in.
Family Bythitidae (cusk-eels and brotulas)
BROTULA Obilbia sp.
Head large; body long and tapering; dorsal and anal fins elongate; pelvic fins thread-like with no more than two separate rays located under the posterior part of the head; caudal fin separate from dorsal and anal fins. This secretive reef dweller inhabits small deep crevices of Gray's Reef. Tropical seas worldwide. 2 in.
Family Ophidiidae (cusk-eels)
BANK CUSK-EEL Ophidion holbrooki
Head large; body long and tapering; dorsal and anal fins elongate; pelvic fins thread-like with no more than two separate rays located on the chin; caudal fin continuous with dorsal and anal. Three other genera of cusk eels have been reported from Georgia: Lepophidium, Otophidium, and Rissola. Cusk-eels are more common in deeper water but occasionally occur in the vicinity of Gray's Reef. North Carolina to Gulf of Brazil. 8 in.
Family Scorpaenidae (scorpionfishes)
BARBFISH Scorpaena brasiliensis
Head very spiny, mouth large, large dark spot on shoulder, small dark spots on the axil (inside base of the pectoral fin), camouflage coloration matches the red, orange and white sponge/tunicate growth on the reef. The barbfish and the similar spotted scorpionfish (S. plumieri), which has small white spots on the axil, seem to be the commonest scorpionfishes found near reefs in this area. The hunchback scorpionfish (S. dispar), the smoothhead scorpionfish (S. calcarata) and the longfin scorpionfish (S. agassizi) have also been reported from Georgia. Scorpionfishes sit motionless on the bottom to ambush prey that approach too closely; they produce toxic skin secretions that can cause a painful wound if a spine punctures the skin. Virginia to Brazil. 5-7 in.
Family Triglidae (searobins)
NORTHERN SEAROBIN Prionotus carolinus
Pectoral fins large and wing-like with lower rays detached as feelers, head wide and armored with spines, chest completely scaled, opercular flap naked, reddish spots on body elongate, pectoral fin dusky to nearly black, partly ocellated spot near margin of dorsal fin not extending past fifth spine, second dorsal and caudal fins with many small diffuse spots. At least four other species are fairly common on midshelf sandy bottoms: the striped searobin (P. evolans), the bandtail searobin (P. ophryas), the bluespotted searobin (P. roseus), and the leopard searobin (P. scitulus). Their pectoral free rays are used as walking 'legs' and as feelers to find prey in the sand. Nova Scotia to Florida. 12 in.