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Wrecks, sharks, goliath groupers, sharks and plenty of sea turtles. There’s no doubt that the waters of Palm Beach County offer plenty of large attractions. But while you are taking in the big stuff, don’t rule out the little things, including a broad spectrum of small, colorful reef fish. 

Thumb through a copy of Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach’s Reef Fish Identification for Florida, Caribbean and the Bahamas and you’ll discover more than 350-plus species of fish that might show up off our shores. But rather than try to cover them all, let’s focus on a few that are both special and worthy of a diver’s or photographer’s attention.

 

Angels of the Reef

With their often-striking coloration and deep, laterally compressed bodies, marine angelfishes are certainly one of the most conspicuous residents of the reef. Between the five primary species (Blue, Queen, French, Grey and Rock Beauty) of the family Pomacanthidae found in Florida, the Blue Angel (Holacanthus bermudensis) is the one you most are likely to see around Palm Beach.

It’s not unusual to come across groups of 4 to 7 blue angels collectively feeding among the corals. The most explainable answer to why these fish is more prevalent along Florida’s east coast (particularly north of Miami) is their physical ability in handle cooler temperature ranges than other angelfish species found in the Tropical Atlantic. In fact, they may be found as far north as North Carolina, and as far away as the island of Bermuda.

While the physical build of a Blue Angel is nearly identical to the Queen (Holacanthus ciliaris), the most distinguishing feature that separates one from another is the distinctive crown-like marking the queen bares on its forehead.

Although an adult blue’s blue body coloration is somewhat drabber in appearance than a queen, put a quarter-size juvenile Blue next to an equal size Queen and the differences are not so apparent. The most telling trademark is that Blues have yellow faces while the Queen’s faces are orange.

Should you see what looks like an adult blue, but with a crown like a queen, you are not seeing things. Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back for finding what is referred to as a Townsend Angelfish. This fish is the result of an interspecies mixing of a blue and a queen angle, creating the rare Townsend bermudensis/ciliaris hybrid.

 

The Littlest Angel

On the subject of rare angels, we are not done yet, as the Palm Beaches are also home to one of the smallest variety of angelfish found in the world.

Sometimes referred to as pygmy angel or Cherubfish (Centropyge argi), this species rarely exceeds a length of 3-inches when fully grown. Cherubfish are not rare on Palm Beach County’s reefs, but they are often overlooked due to their small size, along with getting mis-identified due to their behavior. Cherubfish seem hyperactive as they dash here and there among patches of coral rubble on the bottom, causing most divers to mistake this little dark-blue colored fish for a damselfish. To confirm that what you are seeing is in fact one of these pygmy angels, look for deep orange coloration around its face and down its chest, along with relatively large eyes for its size. 

Finding a pygmy angel can be somewhat challenging, as the depth they are most often found at depths between 60 and 100 feet. Photographing one can prove to be downright daunting. Local underwater photographer Walt Stearns describes the task to playing a game of whack-a-mole. “As you attempt to get one in focus for the shot, says Walt, “the little bugger disappears down a hole, only to be replace by another (pygmy angels coexist in colonies numbering up to a dozen or more) popping up nearby drawing your attention long enough to see them to pull the same vanishing act.”

 

A Deep Reef Special

In addition to the Cherubfish, deeper reefs in the 70 to 100 plus-foot range are home to several more dazzling reef beauties. Topping the list is the Spotfin Hogfish (Bodianus pulchellus) recognizable for the flamboyant red coloration that runs across the bulk of its body, ending in bright yellow over much of its tail.

Also referred to as the Cuban Hogfish among those familiar to the aquarium trade, juvenile Spotfins start off entirely yellow with a small deep maroon spot (from which the fish gets its name) on the front of its dorsal fin. As the fish grows to a length above an inch, this spot will have expanded, spreading first forward then downward, and at the same time beginning a transition from maroon to its more telltale vivid red.

Listed as highly uncommon in the Caribbean and Bahamas, Spotfins are a commonplace resident of Palm Beach reefs, rock piles and wrecks below depths of 60 feet, and on down to depths of nearly 400 feet. Spotfins, like most wrasses in the Labridae family, are efficient carnivores who prey includes a wide range of small invertebrates. One the common roles juveniles take on is that of a cleaner fish, picking bothersome parasites from other fish. 

 

More Unique & Rare Finds

Of the various small and colorfully hued species of basslets native to the Tropical Atlantic and Caribbean, there is one that is almost exclusive to Florida’s Treasure Coast.

This is the Wrasse Basslet (Liopropoma eukrines). Measuring 1 to 4 inches in length, this highly colorful little dandy is identifiable by the presence of a wide, deep reddish-brown mid-body stripe that is fringed by gold-colored piping top and bottom, running from the tip of the snout to very edge of its tail. The rest of the fish’s body is generally augmented by a mix of pinkish/purple and white, creating one the most striking color patterns of any reef found here.

To see just special this guy is, Paul Humann and Ned Deloach’s Reef Fish Identification book describes the abundance and distribution of this fish as “occasional eastern Florida to the Keys” (although sightings in the later are very rare), yet listed as locally common between the northwestern region of the Gulf of Mexico and northern Florida to North Carolina.

With that in mind, the best place to begin a search in Palm Beach waters is to the north in the Juno and Jupiter area. But here’s the catch, the reefs to search lie between the 70 and 120-foot mark. Plus, you will need to spend a lot of time poking your nose in dark recesses of a reef’s ledge formation, as this little guy is not likely to advertising itself out in the open.

A hunt for a Wrasse Basslet might yield other rare finds. While aiming your handheld light at the back of the same nooks and crannies that hold Wrasse Basslets, you could suddenly illuminate a very a strange-looking little black-colored fish hovering in place with an undulating motion of its somewhat elongated, eel-like body.

The Black Brotula (Stygnobrotula latebricola), sometimes called a black widow, is a distant relative of cusk eels, which includes that blind cave fish found in the Bahamas. This explains why you will find them lurking in the dark corners.

When you see a Black Brotula, there is no mistaking it for anything else yon the reef. Recorded to reach a maximum length 3 inches, the body is distinctly compressed, tapering to rear with the dorsal fin array (starting from just behind the head) and continuing unbroken all the way to the tip of the tail and on around to the belly. Sometimes found in pairs, the deep dusky brown and black coloration along the entire length of body can make black widows rather tough to find amongst shadowy confines of the reef. Between a face looking a little like Mr. Potato Head and a less than lively coloration, this fish may not win a beauty contest, but consider the adage “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

 

Unique to the Area

When a fish is described as rare, it may not refer to a small overall population, but to one that is widely dispersed and therefore difficult to find. But when otherwise rare fish are habitually sighted in greater numbers in one place, to the point of being labeled as commonplace, then it is considered ‘Unique to the Area.’

This term describes the Striated Frogfish (Antennarius striatus), a member of the anglerfish that are masters of camouflage, and homely to the point of being downright cute, they are. It wasn’t until 2008/2009 that divers even knew they existed in Palm Beach. At that time, a few underwater photographers began seeing them around the Blue Heron Bridge.

Striated Frogfish have a pretty extensive range from the Indo-pacific, all the way across the Indian Ocean and up the Red Sea, and yes, both sides of the Tropical Atlantic. The twist is, they are surprisingly uncommon to the point of being considered exceptionally rare in the Bahamas and Caribbean, yet here they are in Palm Beach.

The most telltale feature of a frogfish is that they are a fish that goes fishing, using a cutaneous appendage on their forehead that resembles a worm on the end of a small rod. By wiggling this lure, dinner basically comes to them. When their prey is well within striking distance, the frogfish take a sudden, massive gulp, and its down the hatch.

Striateds run a variable range of colors from greenish gray, tan, brown and black, to even a few different shades of yellow and orange. In addition to elongated blotches and stripes running across its body, these fish are generally covered with numerous hair-like filaments and tabs across the head body and fins. This is the origin for their nickname, the hairy frogfish. Calling something that looks like it is dressed up in a ghillie suit beautiful or even handsome might be a bit of a stretch. But one thing is certain, hairy frogfish do have a rather powerful cute factor.

 

Florida Neon Goby

When it comes to very small, yet highly captivating varieties of reef fish, the Florida Neon Goby (Elacatinus oceanops) is one that certainly comes mind. Like most all members of the Genius Elacatinus (which covers 14 species between the Caribbean and Tropical Atlantic), the Neon Goby has an elongated body shape. These fish are between 1 and 1-3/4 inches in length, with pronounced body striping down both sides, in either an eye-catching shade of yellow and/or blue. What makes this little fellow particular flashy is the presence of ‘full on’ electric blue stripe (hence the name) beginning just in front of the eye that runs all the way to end of the tail.

Some might confuse a Florida Neon Goby with either the Caribbean Neon Goby (E. lobeli), or the Barsnout Goby (E. illecabrosus). One way to tell the difference is that the signature blue stripe running the length of its body is broader than the other two species. And keep in mind that neither of the others are found in Florida. The Florida Neon Goby has been reported in both the northern Yucatan and Texas Flower Gardens, it’s predominately a fish found in the waters of the Sunshine State.

Another cool factoid of the Florida Neon Goby is that it is a cleaner fish that makes its living by plucking off of bothersome parasites from larger fish. Chances are that if you find one, you are likely going to find a cleaning station, as neon gobies generally congregate as a group to better advertise their services.

So, as come to the end of our list of reef beauties, keep them in mind the next time you on a dive with one of Palm Beach County’s local dive charters. Be sure to take a closer look at what might among the rocks, corals and sponges to see what’s there. An to ensure your chances at seeing one or more of these little beauties, don’t hesitate to ask your guide, as they might know where to find them.