French Grunts -- St Kitts Marine Life Series. (Subtitled)

French Grunt

Haemulon flavolineatum
The French Grunt can grow up to 12 ins long.
Its name comes from the sound it makes by grinding its teeth.
There are over 100 species of Grunts.
This juvenile French Grunt was taking cover in the side of a barrel sponge.

Glasseye Snapper -- Marine Life Series. (Subtitled)

Glasseye Snapper

Heteropriacanthus cruentatus
The Glasseye Snapper can grow to 20 inches long.
It is a nocturnal fish, the large eyes are for night hunting.
During the day this solitary fish can be found in reef crevices and overhangs.

Green Filefish St Kitts Marine Life Series. (Subtitled)

Green Filefish

Monacanthus ciliatus
The Green Filefish has a body that is flattened and very thin from side to side. This body shape is ideal for picking tiny crustaceans and Invertebrates from cracks and crevices in a reef. This Filefish can grow up to 15 in long.

Green Moray Eel -- St Kitts Marine Life Series. (Subtitled)

Green Moray Eel

Gymnothorax funebris
The Green Moray eel can grow up to 9 ft long. The green color comes from a mucus that covers its skin.
During the day the eel will spend its time in holes in the reef. The constant opening and closing of the mouth is to keep water circulating over its gills.
Moray eels have 2 jaws, each has a set of teeth. When the moray captures prey, it first bites normally with its oral jaws, holding the prey. Then the pharyngeal jaws are brought forward and bite down on the prey to grip it; they then retract, pulling the prey down the moray eel’s gullet, allowing it to be swallowed.

Green Sea Turtle -- Marine Life Series. (subtitled)

Green Turtle

Chelonia mydasis
The Green sea turtle a critically endangered sea turtle.
Its name comes from the green fat found beneath its shell, the shell is actually an olive to black or brown color.
Although very similar to the Hawksbill Turtle, greens have a much shorter snout and a flatter beak.
This turtle lives part of its life in the open ocean, however it spends more time in shallow lagoons and coral reefs.
Green turtles grow up to 4 ft in length and can weigh 600 lbs. Life span can be 80 yrs.
These turtles are a CITES protected species and is prohibited to import or export turtle products. Also it is illegal to kill, capture, or harass them.

Grey Reef Sharks --St Kitts Marine Life Series. (Subtitled)

Grey Reef Shark

Carcharhinus perezi
The Caribbean Grey Reef Shark is a species of requiem shark. These Sharks can grow up to 10 ft long with weights up to 150 lbs. This is one of the largest apex predators on Caribbean reef systems.
These Sharks are known to be relatively passive and typically do not pose much of a threat to scuba divers.

Harlequin Bass -- St Kitts Marine Life Series. (Subtitled)

Harlequin Bass

Serranus tigrinus
Harlequin Bass are small fish growing only to about 4 in long. Its mottled coloring provides excellent camouflage against predators.
A carnivorous fish, it feeds mainly upon small crustaceans.

Hawksbill Sea Turtles -- St Kitts Marine Life Series. (Subtitled)

Hawksbill Turtle

Eretmochelys imbricata
The Hawksbill sea turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle.
This turtle lives part of its life in the open ocean, however it spends more time in shallow lagoons and coral reefs.
Hawksbill turtles grow up to 3 ft in length and can weigh 180 lbs
These turtles are a CITES protected species and is prohibited to import or export turtle products. Also it is illegal to kill, capture, or harass them.

Honeycomb Cowfish -- Marine Life Series. (Subtitled)

Honeycomb Cowfish

Acanthostracion polygonius
The Honeycomb Cowfish is also known as a Horned Boxfish.
Like all members of the boxfish family it is heavily armored with thick hexagonal scale plates. It can grow up to 19 inches long, one of the larger members of the boxfish family.

Lionfish -- St Kitts Marine Life Series. (Subtitled)

Lionfish

Pterios volitans (Red)
Pterios volitans (common)
The Red Lionfish and the Common Lionfish have established themselves as an invasive species here in the Caribbean.
With few predators they have been described as “one of the most aggressively invasive species on the planet”.
Everywhere in the Caribbean they pose a major threat to our reefs.
Lionfish carry 18 venomous spines which causes extreme pain in divers. The fish itself however is not toxic in any way and makes for a good eating fish with tasty firm white flesh.

Longlure Frogfish -- St Kitts Marine Life Series. (Subtitled)

Longlure Frogfish

Antennarius multiocellatus
The Longlure Frogfish does not swim, it uses its fins to “walk” across the bottom.
This Frogfish will sit on a sponge without moving, completely camouflaged. When it strikes its prey, it strikes fast.
This Frogfish is reported to be the fastest animal alive. It can move and suck in prey at speeds as quickly as 0.006 seconds
The name “longlure” comes from its ability to use the first spine of its dorsal fin as a “lure” wiggling it around to attract its prey.
The Frogfish will lie almost unseen in a sponge and wait for a fish to swim by, it is a master of disguise, look hard if you want to see them.

Peacock Flounder -- Marine Life Series. (Subtitled)

Peacock Flounder

Bothus lunatus
The Peacock Flounder is a flatfish. Unlike other flatfish which lie on their stomachs, Peacock Flounders lie on their sides, completely flat and swim sideways. Both eyes protrude from their “top-side”.
A master of camouflage, watch this flounder change colour as it settles down.

Pufferfish -- St Kitts Marine Life Series. (Subtitled)

Pufferfish

Tetraodontidae
Pufferfish are also known as Blowfish.
They have the unique ability to inflate their stomachs with water when threatened. This and the spines that protrude are usually enough to ward off most predators.
They can also change color to blend in with their surroundings. A Pufferfish body contains glands that harbor Tetrodotoxin, a poison deadly to humans.

Pufferfish on a St Kitts reef
Sand Diver -- Marine Life Series. (Subtitled)

Sand Diver

Synodus intermedius
Sand Divers are a member of the Lizardfish family.
Living on, or close to, the sea bed, they grow up to about 16 ins long.
They have a wide mouth and many needle like teeth.
Sand Divers are ambush predators and can strike very quickly at a passing fish.
They prop themselves up on their pectoral fins and wait for a tasty meal to come passing by!

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