Coastal fish, also called inshore fish or neritic fish, inhabit the sea between the

shoreline A shore or a shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In physical oceanography, a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past a ...

and the edge of the

continental shelf A continental shelf is a portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water, known as a shelf sea. Much of these shelves were exposed by drops in sea level during glacial periods. The shelf surrounding an island ...

. Since the continental shelf is usually less than deep, it follows that

pelagic The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean, and can be further divided into regions by depth (as illustrated on the right). The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or w ...

coastal fish are generally

epipelagic fish Pelagic fish live in the pelagic zone of ocean or lake waters—being neither close to the bottom nor near the shore—in contrast with demersal fish that do live on or near the bottom, and reef fish that are associated with coral re ...

, inhabiting the sunlit

epipelagic zone The photic zone, euphotic zone, epipelagic zone, or sunlight zone is the uppermost layer of a body of water that receives sunlight, allowing phytoplankton to perform photosynthesis. It undergoes a series of physical, chemical, and biological proc ...

.Moyle and Cech, 2004, page 585 Coastal fish can be contrasted with ''oceanic fish'' or ''offshore fish'', which inhabit the deep seas beyond the continental shelves. Coastal fish are the most abundant in the world. They can be found in tidal pools,

fjord In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Icel ...

s and

estuaries An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environme ...

, near sandy shores and rocky coastlines, around

coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of Colony (biology), colonies of coral polyp (zoology), polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, wh ...

s and on or above the continental shelf. Coastal fish include

forage fish Forage fish, also called prey fish or bait fish, are small pelagic fish which are preyed on by larger predators for food. Predators include other larger fish, seabirds and marine mammals. Typical ocean forage fish feed near the base of the f ...

and the

predator fish Predatory fish are hypercarnivorous fish that actively prey upon other fish or aquatic animals, with examples including shark, billfish, barracuda, pike/ muskellunge, walleye, perch and salmon. Some omnivorous fish, such as the red-belli ...

that feed on them. Forage fish thrive in inshore waters where high

productivity Productivity is the efficiency of production of goods or services expressed by some measure. Measurements of productivity are often expressed as a ratio of an aggregate output to a single input or an aggregate input used in a production proces ...

results from

upwelling Upwelling is an physical oceanography, oceanographic phenomenon that involves wind-driven motion of dense, cooler, and usually nutrient-rich water from deep water towards the ocean surface. It replaces the warmer and usually nutrient-depleted ...

and shoreline run off of nutrients. Some are partial residents that spawn in streams, estuaries and bays, but most complete their life cycles in the zone.Moyle and Cech, 2004, page 572

Coastal habitats

World map of bathymetric data - GEBCO 2014

Coastal fish are found in the waters above the

continental shelves A continental shelf is a portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water, known as a shelf sea. Much of these shelves were exposed by drops in sea level during glacial periods. The shelf surrounding an island ...

that extend from the continental

s, and around the

s that surround volcanic islands. The total world shoreline extends for World
The World Factbook, CIA. Retrieved 26 February 2010. and the continental shelves occupy a total area of 24.3 million km² (9 376 million sq mi). This is nearly 5% of the world's total area of 510 million km².

Nearshore fish

Nearshore fish, sometimes called littoral fish, live close to the shore. They are associated with the

intertidal zone The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide (in other words, the area within the tidal range). This area can include several types of habitats with various species ...

, or with

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into '' coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons ...

kelp forest Kelp forests are underwater areas with a high density of kelp, which covers a large part of the world's coastlines. Smaller areas of anchored kelp are called kelp beds. They are recognized as one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems on Ea ...

seagrass meadow A seagrass meadow or seagrass bed is an underwater ecosystem formed by seagrasses. Seagrasses are marine (saltwater) plants found in shallow coastal waters and in the brackish waters of estuaries. Seagrasses are flowering plants with stems an ...

s, or rocky or sandy bottoms, usually in shallow waters less than about deep.

Intertidal fish

Intertidal fish are fish that move in and out with the

tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables ...

in the

of the seashore, or are found in

rock pool A tide pool or rock pool is a shallow pool of seawater that forms on the rocky intertidal shore. Many of these pools exist as separate bodies of water only at low tide. Many tide pool habitats are home to especially adaptable animals that ...

s or under rocks. The

of rocky shores can contain indentations which trap pools of salty water, called

s. Living in these habitats are communities of hardy plant and animal species specially adapted for coping with the volatile environment around them. The plants and animals interact with each other and with the rock pool to form miniature

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syst ...

s, easily accessible to students and a source of fascination for young children. Plants such as

seaweed Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of '' Rhodophyta'' (red), ''Phaeophyta'' (brown) and '' Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...

s, cnidarians such as

sea anemone Sea anemones are a group of predatory marine invertebrates of the order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the '' Anemone'', a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemones are classified in the phylum Cnidaria, ...

s, arthropods like

barnacle A barnacle is a type of arthropod constituting the subclass Cirripedia in the subphylum Crustacea, and is hence related to crabs and lobsters. Barnacles are exclusively marine, and tend to live in shallow and tidal waters, typically in erosiv ...

s, and

mollusc Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is est ...

s such as the common

limpet Limpets are a group of aquatic snails that exhibit a conical gastropod shell, shell shape (patelliform) and a strong, muscular foot. Limpets are members of the class Gastropoda, but are polyphyletic, meaning the various groups called "limpets" ...

and the

common periwinkle The common periwinkle or winkle (''Littorina littorea'') is a species of small edible whelk or sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc that has gills and an operculum, and is classified within the family Littorinidae, the periwinkles.Reid, Dav ...

can be permanent residents of rock pools. But most rock pool animals, such as

crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all th ...

shrimp Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are ref ...

and fish are just temporary residents, occupying a rock pool only until the next tide takes them to a new location. Some rock pool fish which are temporary residents include the long-spined sea scorpion, the pipefish worm, the

rock goby The rock goby (''Gobius paganellus'') is a small coastal goby of eastern Atlantic waters, from Scotland to Senegal.Miller P.J. (1986) Gobiidae. In: Whitehead P.J.P., Bauchot M.-L., Hureau J.-C., Nielsen J., Tortonese E. (eds.) Fishes of the Nort ...

and the common

lumpsucker The Cyclopteridae are a family of marine fishes, commonly known as lumpsuckers or lumpfish, in the order Scorpaeniformes. They are found in the cold waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, and North Pacific oceans. The greatest number of species ...

. However some other rock pool fish are territorial in nature, and will stay with the same pool for extended periods. Examples are the common blenny and its near relative the butterfish. * The common

blenny Blenny (from the Greek and , mucus, slime) is a common name for many types of fish, including several families of percomorph marine, brackish, and some freshwater fish sharing similar morphology and behaviour. Six families are considered "true ...

, also known as the shanny, is found in northern temperate waters. They hide under rocks and in crannies in rock pools when the tide is out. They feed on green seaweed and invertebrates such as barnacles. They can crawl on dry land, using their paired fins. About long, they have smooth skin, without scales, and are covered with soft slime. The slime prevents them drying if they are stranded on a shore between tides. So long as their skin stays moist, they can breathe out of water. They are sometimes called "sea frogs" because they bask in the sun on weeds outside the water, and like frogs, jump to safety when disturbed. They can change their colour to match their surroundings. The female lays eggs in crevices or under stones and the male guards them until they hatch. In the winter, when storms can be severe, they move out of their rock pools into the shallows. The common blenny is bold with strong teeth, and will bite humans if it feels threatened. * The

is a small fish, about , found in northern temperate waters. It is coloured black with white blotches, and hides under stones and amongst seaweed. It is a temporary resident of rock pools when the tide is out. The female rock goby lays eggs on the underside of rocks and shells and then leaves them. The male guards the eggs until they hatch. First-year rock gobies often visit rock pools in winter when the older fish have left. File:Australian blenny.jpg, Australian

File:Gobius_paganellus.jpg,

Rock goby The rock goby (''Gobius paganellus'') is a small coastal goby of eastern Atlantic waters, from Scotland to Senegal.Miller P.J. (1986) Gobiidae. In: Whitehead P.J.P., Bauchot M.-L., Hureau J.-C., Nielsen J., Tortonese E. (eds.) Fishes of the Nort ...

File:Long_Spined_Scorpion_Fish.jpg, Long-spined sea scorpion File:smooth lumpsucker.jpg, Smooth

inflated in a defensive response * The long-spined sea scorpion, a small stout fish which grows about long, is another temporary resident of rocky pools. They have large black eyes, a large mouth, and four long spines—two on each side on the gill cover—that stick out when the fish is removed from the water. They also have an organ like a finger on each side of their mouths which helps them catch prey. Because of their broad heads, they are also called "bullheads". They have a variety of effective camouflaged colours ranging from shades of browns with cream blotches, to orange and red with white blotches. They can also change their body colour to match their surroundings. They are found around the coasts of Northern Europe in shallow rocky waters hiding amongst seaweed. They are also found in rock pools and sometimes in waters deep. Long-spined sea scorpions lay eggs amongst seaweed or attached to rock crevices. The young hatch after two or three weeks, and go through several development stages before maturing into adults. *

Lumpsucker The Cyclopteridae are a family of marine fishes, commonly known as lumpsuckers or lumpfish, in the order Scorpaeniformes. They are found in the cold waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, and North Pacific oceans. The greatest number of species ...

s are found in temperate northern waters. They live on the seafloor, and are temporary residents of rocky pools in late winter and early spring when they spawn. The body of the lumpsucker is scaleless and covered with small lumps. They have a large sucking disc on their underside which they use to cling to surfaces. They are normally a blue to slate-grey colour, and are effectively camouflaged to look like stones. They are portly, nearly spherical, poor swimmers, reaching lengths up to . After the female lumpsucker lays eggs, the male takes over, clamping itself to a rock where it guards the eggs. When they hatch, lumpsuckers look like tiny tadpoles. They remain in shallow water and rock pools, hiding amongst seaweed and rocks, until they grow up.

Estuarine fish

Estuaries An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environme ...

are partly enclosed coastal bodies of water with one or more

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of ...

s or

stream A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long large streams ...

s flowing into them, and with a free connection to the open sea.Pritchard, D. W. (1967) ''What is an estuary: physical viewpoint''. p. 3–5 ''in:'' G. H. Lauf (ed.) ''Estuaries'', A.A.A.S. Publ. No. 83, Washington, D.C. These

brackish water Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuari ...

habitats form a transition zone between river environments and ocean environments, and

ecological succession Ecological succession is the process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time. The time scale can be decades (for example, after a wildfire) or more or less. Bacteria allows for the cycling of nutrients such as car ...

s can form along the way. Estuaries are subject to both marine influences, such as tides, waves, and the influx of saline water; and riverine influences, such as flows of fresh water and sediment. The inflow of both seawater and freshwater provide high levels of nutrients in both the water column and sediment, making estuaries productive natural habitats.McLusky, D.S. and Elliott, M. (2004) "The Estuarine Ecosystem: ecology, threats and management." New York: Oxford University Press Inc. Fishes that spend time in

(or

river mouth A river mouth is where a river flows into a larger body of water, such as another river, a lake/reservoir, a bay/gulf, a sea, or an ocean. At the river mouth, sediments are often deposited due to the slowing of the current reducing the carrying ...

s) need to be

euryhaline Euryhaline organisms are able to adapt to a wide range of salinities. An example of a euryhaline fish is the molly (''Poecilia sphenops'') which can live in fresh water, brackish water, or salt water. The green crab ('' Carcinus maenas'') is an ...

(tolerant to a range of salinities). Estuaries provide an unstable environment for fish, where the salinity changes and the waters are often muddy and turbulent. In warmer climates, estuaries have

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in severa ...

s around their edges. At times there may be only a few different fish species present in an estuary, but seasonal migrants, including eels,

salmonid Salmonidae is a family of ray-finned fish that constitutes the only currently extant family in the order Salmoniformes . It includes salmon (both Atlantic and Pacific species), trout (both ocean-going and landlocked), chars, freshwater whitefi ...

s, and some

such as

herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Ocean ...

s and

sprat Sprat is the common name applied to a group of forage fish belonging to the genus '' Sprattus'' in the family Clupeidae. The term also is applied to a number of other small sprat-like forage fish ('' Clupeoides'', '' Clupeonella'', '' Corica'' ...

s increase the

diversity Diversity, diversify, or diverse may refer to: Business *Diversity (business), the inclusion of people of different identities (ethnicity, gender, age) in the workforce *Diversity marketing, marketing communication targeting diverse customers * ...

in the estuary. River estuaries form important staging points during the migration of anadromous and catadromus fish species, such as

salmon Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus '' Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Onco ...

and eels, giving them time to form social groups and to adjust to the changes in salinity. Salmon are anadromous, meaning they live in the sea but ascend rivers to spawn; eels are catadromous, living in rivers and streams, but returning to the sea to breed. Besides the species that migrate through estuaries, there are many other fish that use them as "nursery grounds" for spawning or as places young fish can feed and grow before moving elsewhere. For example,

and

plaice Plaice is a common name for a group of flatfish that comprises four species: the European, American, Alaskan and scale-eye plaice. Commercially, the most important plaice is the European. The principal commercial flatfish in Europe, it is al ...

are two commercially important species that use the Thames Estuary for this purpose.

Mangrove swamp Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangroves cannot withstand fre ...

s are associated brackish water habitats. Many, though not all, mangrove swamps fringe estuaries and lagoons where the salinity changes with each tide. Among the most specialised residents of mangrove forests are mudskippers, fish that forage for food on land, and

archer fish The archerfish (spinner fish or archer fish) form a monotypic family, Toxotidae, of fish known for their habit of preying on land-based insects and other small animals by shooting them down with water droplets from their specialized mouths. The ...

, perch-like fish that "spit" at insects and other small animals living in the trees, knocking them into the water where they can be eaten. Like estuaries, mangrove swamps are important breeding grounds for many fish, with species such as snappers,

halfbeak Hemiramphidae is a family of fishes that are commonly called halfbeaks, spipe fish or spipefish. They are a geographically widespread and numerically abundant family of epipelagic fish inhabiting warm waters around the world. The halfbeaks ar ...

s, and

tarpon Tarpons are fish of the genus ''Megalops''. They are the only members of the family Megalopidae. Of the two species, one (''M. atlanticus'') is native to the Atlantic, and the other (''M. cyprinoides'') to the Indo-Pacific Oceans. Species a ...

spawning or maturing among them.

Coral reef fish

In tropical waters, coral reef fish live amongst or in close relation to

s. Coral reefs form complex

s with tremendous

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic ('' genetic variability''), species ('' species diversity''), and ecosystem ('' ecosystem diversity'') ...

. Coral reef fish can be particularly colourful and interesting to watch. Hundreds of species can exist in a small area of a healthy reef, many of them hidden or well camouflaged. Reef fish have developed many ingenious specialisations adapted to survival on the reefs. Coral reefs occupy less than one percent of the surface area of the world oceans, yet they provide a home for 25 percent of all marine fish species. Coral reefs often depend on other habitats in the surrounding area for the supply of nutrients, such as

s and

mangrove forest Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangroves cannot withstand fre ...

s. Seagrass and mangroves supply dead plants and animals which are rich in nitrogen and also serve to feed fish and animals from the reef by supplying wood and vegetation. Reefs in turn protect mangroves and seagrass from waves and produce

sediment Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sand ...

for the mangroves and seagrass to root in. Juwelen-Fahnenbarsch Pseudanthias squamipinnis 0511173 Weibc

Anthias are members of the family

Serranidae The Serranidae are a large family of fishes belonging to the order Perciformes. The family contains about 450 species in 65 genera, including the sea basses and the groupers (subfamily Epinephelinae). Although many species are small, in some ca ...

and make up the subfamily Anthiinae. They are widespread in tropical waters. They have been called the "quintessential

reef fish Coral reef fish are fish which live amongst or in close relation to coral reefs. Coral reefs form complex ecosystems with tremendous biodiversity. Among the myriad inhabitants, the fish stand out as colourful and interesting to watch. Hundreds ...

", and make up a sizeable portion of the colourful

fish Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...

es seen swarming in

photography. Anthias are mostly small, peaceful, beautiful and popular as

ornamental fish Lists of aquarium life include lists of fish, amphibians, invertebrates and plants in freshwater, brackish and marine aquariums. In fishkeeping, suitable species of aquarium fish, plants and other organisms vary with the size, water chemistry an ...

. They are mainly

zooplankton Zooplankton are the animal component of the planktonic community ("zoo" comes from the Greek word for ''animal''). Plankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents, and consequently drift or are carried along by ...

feeders. Anthias shoal and school in large numbers, operating more intimate "harems" within the schools. These harems contain a dominant and colourful male, between 2 and 12 females — who operate a hierarchy among themselves — and one or two "subdominant" males, often less brightly coloured and non-territorial. Within the swarm of females, territorial males perform acrobatic U-swim displays and vigorously defend an area of the reef and its associated harem. Anthias are

protogynous Sequential hermaphroditism (called dichogamy in botany) is a type of hermaphroditism that occurs in many fish, gastropods, and plants. Sequential hermaphroditism occurs when the individual changes its sex at some point in its life. In particular, ...

hermaphrodite In reproductive biology, a hermaphrodite () is an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes. Many taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrates) do not have ...

s. All anthias are born female; if a dominant male perishes, the largest female of the group will often change into a male to take its place. This may lead to squabbling between the next largest male and the transforming female, whose hormones are now surging with testosterone. This can turn quite vicious in the limited confines of captivity. Four-Eye Butterflyfish

Butterflyfish The butterflyfish are a group of conspicuous tropical marine fish of the family Chaetodontidae; the bannerfish and coralfish are also included in this group. The approximately 129 species in 12 genera are found mostly on the reefs of the Atlan ...

are group of about 120 species belonging to the family Chaetodontidaeof Perchiformes. They include

bannerfish The butterflyfish are a group of conspicuous tropical marine fish of the family Chaetodontidae; the bannerfish and coralfish are also included in this group. The approximately 129 species in 12 genera are found mostly on the reefs of the Atla ...

and coralfish. They are widespread on coral reefs. Butterflyfish are mostly between in length. The largest species, the

lined butterflyfish The lined butterflyfish (''Chaetodon lineolatus'') is a species of marine ray-finned fish. a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae, one of the largest species in the genus ''Chaetodon''. It has a wide range from the Red Sea to Sou ...

and

saddle butterflyfish The saddle butterflyfish (''Chaetodon ephippium'') is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans from Sri Lanka and the Cocos-Keeling Islands to the ...

, grow to . Many species are brightly coloured and strikingly patterned, though other species are dull in colour. Many have eyespots on their flanks and dark bands across their eyes, not unlike the patterns seen on

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group compris ...

wings. Their deep, laterally narrow bodies are easily noticed through the profusion of reef life. The conspicuous colouration of butterflyfish may be intended for interspecies communication. Butterflyfish have uninterrupted

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin located on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates within various taxa of the animal kingdom. Many species of animals possessing dorsal fins are not particularly closely related to each other, though through c ...

s with tail fins that may be rounded or truncated, but are never forked. Generally diurnal and frequenting waters of less than (though some species descend to ), butterflyfish stick to particular home ranges. The

coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and se ...

livores are especially territorial, forming mated pairs and staking claim to a specific coral head. Contrastingly, the

feeders form large conspecific groups. By night butterflyfish hide in reef crevices and exhibit markedly different colouration. Their colouration also makes butterflyfish popular

aquarium An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...

fish. However, most species feed on

polyps and

s, which can result in problems for the hobby aquarists. Amphiprion clarkii

Clownfish Clownfish or anemonefish are fishes from the subfamily Amphiprioninae in the family Pomacentridae. Thirty species of clownfish are recognized: one in the genus '' Premnas'', while the remaining are in the genus '' Amphiprion''. In the wild, t ...

anemonefish Clownfish or anemonefish are fishes from the subfamily Amphiprioninae in the family Pomacentridae. Thirty species of clownfish are recognized: one in the genus ''Premnas'', while the remaining are in the genus ''Amphiprion''. In the wild, the ...

and damselfish are among about 360 species classified in the family

Pomacentridae Pomacentridae is a family of ray-finned fish, comprising the damselfishes and clownfishes. This family were formerly placed in the order Perciformes but are now regarded as being ''incertae sedis'' in the subseries Ovalentaria in the clade Perc ...

. Most Pomacentrids are associated with coral reefs in the Indo-West Pacific, with a few species occurring in temperate waters. Some species are native to freshwater or brackish

estuarine An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environmen ...

environments. Most live in shallow water, from , although some species are found below . Most species are specialists, living in specific parts of the reef, such as sandy lagoons, steep reef slopes, or areas exposed to strong wave action. In general, the coral is used as shelter, and many species can only survive in its presence. The bottom-dwelling species are territorial, occupying and defending a portion of the reef, often centred around an area of shelter. By keeping away other species of fish, some pomacentrids encourage the growth of thick mats of algae within their territories, leading to the common name farmerfish. Different species display a wide range of colours, although some are relatively drab. Pomacentrids are omnivorous or herbivorous, feeding off algae,

plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in water (or air) that are unable to propel themselves against a current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankters. In the ocean, they provide a cruc ...

, and small bottom-dwelling

crustacean Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapoda, decapods, ostracoda, seed shrimp, branchiopoda, branchiopods, argulidae, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopoda, isopods, barnacles, copepods, ...

s. A small number eat coral. yellowfin goatfish

Goatfish The goatfishes are perciform fish of the family Mullidae. The family is also sometimes referred to as the red mullets, which also refers more narrowly to the genus '' Mullus''. The family name and the English common name mullet derived from La ...

es are a family Mullidae of about 55 species of perciform fishes, associated worldwide with tropical

reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes—deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock ...

s. They are typically about 20 cm long, though the dash-and-dot goatfish, grows to 55 cm. Goatfish are tireless

benthic The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean, lake, or stream, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. The name comes from ancient Greek, βένθος (bénthos), meaning " ...

feeders, possess a pair of long

chemosensory A chemoreceptor, also known as chemosensor, is a specialized sensory receptor which transduces a chemical substance ( endogenous or induced) to generate a biological signal. This signal may be in the form of an action potential, if the chemorecep ...

barbels In fish anatomy and turtle anatomy, a barbel is a slender, whiskerlike sensory organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, the hagfish, the sturgeon, the zebrafish, the black dragonfish and some s ...

("whiskers") protruding from their chins resembling a goat's beard. They use these to rifle through the sediments in search of a meal. Like goats, they seek anything edible;

worm Worms are many different distantly related bilateral animals that typically have a long cylindrical tube-like body, no limbs, and no eyes (though not always). Worms vary in size from microscopic to over in length for marine polychaete wor ...

crustacea Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean group c ...

ns,

s and other small

invertebrate Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chorda ...

s are staples. Many species of goatfish are conspicuously coloured and have the ability to change their colouration depending on their current activity. By day, many form large inactive (non-feeding) schools: these aggregates may contain both conspecifics and heterospecifics. For example, the yellowfin goatfish school with blue-striped snappers. When they do that, the yellowfins changes its colouration to match that of the snapper. By night the schools disperse and individual goatfish head their separate ways to loot the sands. The diurnal goldsaddle goatfish changes from a lemon-yellow to a pale cream when feeding. Other nocturnal feeders will shadow the active goatfish, waiting patiently for overlooked morsels. Goatfish stay within the shallows, going no deeper than about 110 metres. Most species do not tolerate

brackish Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estua ...

water, so they do not enter

or the mouths of

Other nearshore fish

Other nearshore or shallow water fish live near the shore in depths of less than 10 metres. They occupy the areas over sandy or rocky bottoms, and can be associated with

s and

s. They can be divided into

demersal fish Demersal fish, also known as groundfish, live and feed on or near the bottom of seas or lakes (the demersal zone).Walrond Carl . "Coastal fish - Fish of the open sea floor"Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Updated 2 March 2009 They oc ...

and

pelagic fish Pelagic fish live in the pelagic zone of ocean or lake waters—being neither close to the bottom nor near the shore—in contrast with demersal fish that do live on or near the bottom, and reef fish that are associated with coral re ...

. Demersal fish live on or near the sea floor, while pelagic fish live in the

water column A water column is a conceptual column of water from the surface of a sea, river or lake to the bottom sediment.Munson, B.H., Axler, R., Hagley C., Host G., Merrick G., Richards C. (2004).Glossary. ''Water on the Web''. University of Minnesota-D ...

away the sea floor. Examples of such shallow water demersal fish, found in both tropical and temperate waters around the world, are triplefins, seahorses, wrasse and flounder. As demersal fish, all these fish spend most of their time on or near the sea floor. *

Flatfish A flatfish is a member of the ray-finned demersal fish order Pleuronectiformes, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a suborder of Perciformes. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating ...

are superbly adapted

groundfish Demersal fish, also known as groundfish, live and feed on or near the bottom of seas or lakes (the demersal zone).Walrond Carl . "Coastal fish - Fish of the open sea floor"Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Updated 2 March 2009 They oc ...

, found on muddy and sandy sea floors. In many species both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating through and around the head during development. Some species face their "left" side upward, some face their "right" side upward, and others face either side upward. Some flatfish can camouflage themselves on the ocean floor. *

Wrasse The wrasses are a family, Labridae, of marine fish, many of which are brightly colored. The family is large and diverse, with over 600 species in 81 genera, which are divided into 9 subgroups or tribes. They are typically small, most of them le ...

are a large family of mainly small fish, usually less than long. Most wrasse are loners that prefer habitats such as coral reefs and rocky shores. They live close to the substrate, eating small invertebrates and almost anything else that lurks on the bottom. Many are brightly coloured. They have thick lips and use their sharp teeth to pick small creatures off the rocks. Many smaller wrasses follow the feeding trails of larger fish, picking up invertebrates disturbed by their passing. *

Triplefin Threefin or triplefin blennies are blenniiforms, small percomorph marine fish of the family Tripterygiidae. Found in tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, the family contains about 150 species in 30 genera. Th ...

s are a

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

of fish. They are usually found around

coral reefs A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups. ...

and rocks, usually in shallow, clear sunlit waters such as lagoons and seaward reefs. Triplefins have three

s (hence the name). They are small fish, usually less than six cm long. Brightly coloured, often for reasons of camouflage, they are nervous and retreat to rock crevices at any perceived threat. *

Seahorse A seahorse (also written ''sea-horse'' and ''sea horse'') is any of 46 species of small marine fish in the genus ''Hippocampus''. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek (), itself from () meaning "horse" and () meaning "sea monster" or ...

s are a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of fish. They prefer sheltered harbours, estuaries and other shallow coastal waters, where they hunt tiny crustaceans. They bob around in sheltered areas such as

s, mangrove stands and

s and

. They are camouflaged with murky patterns that blend into kelp and sea grass backgrounds. During social moments or in unusual surroundings, seahorses can turn on bright colours. File:Hippocampus.jpg, Seahorse File:Pseudopleuronectes americanus.jpg, Flatfish File:Cleaning station.JPG, Cleaner wrasses working on a dragon wrasse File:Common triplefin.png, Common triplefin Examples of shallow water pelagic fish, found in both tropical and temperate waters around the world, are grey mullet, sprats and garfish. As pelagic fish, all these fish spend most of their time living in the

away the sea floor. * The

grey mullet Grey mullet can mean any of several fish in the family ''Mugilidae'' (the mullets) and having a greyish hue: * Flathead grey mullet, ''Mugil cephalus'' * Thicklip grey mullet, '' Chelon labrosus'' * Boxlip grey mullet, ''Oedalechilus labeo The b ...

are medium size fish, typically about long. They are often caught with seine nets. * The

garfish The garfish (''Belone belone''), also known as the garpike or sea needle, is a pelagic, oceanodromous needlefish found in brackish and marine waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Black, and Baltic Seas. Description The ...

is a long, slender fish, looking like a spear, which feeds on seagrass fragments, shrimps and crab larvae. In turn it is preyed on by larger fish and, since it is often near the surface,

cormorant Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed, but in 2021 the IOC adopted a consensus taxonomy of seven ge ...

s and

gannet Gannets are seabirds comprising the genus ''Morus'' in the family Sulidae, closely related to boobies. Gannets are large white birds with yellowish heads; black-tipped wings; and long bills. Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the ...

s. File:Mucep u0.gif, Grey mullet File:Belone belone1.jpg,

Garfish The garfish (''Belone belone''), also known as the garpike or sea needle, is a pelagic, oceanodromous needlefish found in brackish and marine waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Black, and Baltic Seas. Description The ...

Coastal pelagic fish

Plankton feeding

At the base of

food chain A food chain is a linear network of links in a food web starting from producer organisms (such as grass or algae which produce their own food via photosynthesis) and ending at an apex predator species (like grizzly bears or killer whales), de ...

s are the

primary producer Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works * ...

s. In the ocean these primary producers are mainly a type of

, microscopic

phytoplankton Phytoplankton () are the autotrophic (self-feeding) components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater ecosystems. The name comes from the Greek words (), meaning 'plant', and (), meaning 'wanderer' or 'drifter'. ...

which drift in the

. Phytoplankton need sunlight for

photosynthesis Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored in ...

to power

carbon fixation Biological carbon fixation or сarbon assimilation is the process by which inorganic carbon (particularly in the form of carbon dioxide) is converted to organic compounds by living organisms. The compounds are then used to store energy and as ...

, so they are mainly located in sunlit surface waters. Phytoplankton also need and rapidly use nutrients in the water column.Anderson, G (2003
Coral Reef Formation
''Marine Science''. The phytoplankton are eaten by

, which in turn are eaten by predatory zooplankton.

Filter feeder Filter feeders are a sub-group of suspension feeding animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized filtering structure. Some animals that use this method of feedin ...

s then eat the plankton and larger

predatory fish Predatory fish are hypercarnivorous fish that actively prey upon other fish or aquatic animals, with examples including shark, billfish, barracuda, pike/ muskellunge, walleye, perch and salmon. Some omnivorous fish, such as the red-bellie ...

eat the filter feeders (see diagram at the right).Mann, K.H., Lazier, J.R.N. (2006) ''Dynamics of Marine Ecosystems: Biological-Physical Interactions in the Oceans''. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Most filter-feeding pelagic fish found in coastal waters are small, silvery

. Forage fish include fishes of the family

Clupeidae Clupeidae is a family of ray-finned fishes, comprising, for instance, the herrings, shads, sardines, hilsa, and menhadens. The clupeoids include many of the most important food fishes in the world, and are also commonly caught for producti ...

(

shad The Alosinae, or the shads,Alosinae
sardine "Sardine" and "pilchard" are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring family Clupeidae. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century, a folk etymology says it comes from the It ...

s and

pilchard "Sardine" and "pilchard" are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring family Clupeidae. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century, a folk etymology says it comes from the I ...

hilsa The ilish (''Tenualosa ilisha'') ( bn, ইলিশ, translit=iliś; also known as the ilishi, hilsa, hilsa herring or hilsa shad, is a species of fish related to the herring, in the family Clupeidae. It is a very popular and sought-after food ...

menhaden Menhaden, also known as mossbunker and bunker and "the most important fish in the sea", are forage fish of the genera ''Brevoortia'' and ''Ethmidium'', two genera of marine fish in the family Clupeidae. ''Menhaden'' is a blend of ''poghaden' ...

and

s), as well as

anchovies An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water, and some in South America are restricted to fresh water. More than 140 species are placed in 1 ...

capelin The capelin or caplin (''Mallotus villosus'') is a small forage fish of the smelt family found in the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Arctic oceans. In summer, it grazes on dense swarms of plankton at the edge of the ice shelf. Larger capelin ...

and

s. They use schooling strategies to avoid predators, and different schools of forage fish often associate with each other in open coastal waters. Forage fish feed near the base of the food chain on

and fry (recently hatched fish), often by

filter feeding Filter feeders are a sub-group of suspension feeding animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized filtering structure. Some animals that use this method of feedin ...

. In turn, they are preyed on by larger predatory fish,

seabird Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same envir ...

s and

marine mammal Marine mammals are aquatic mammals that rely on the ocean and other marine ecosystems for their existence. They include animals such as seals, whales, manatees, sea otters and polar bears. They are an informal group, unified only by their ...

s. Worldwide, there are five major coastal currents associated with upwelling areas: the

Canary Current The Canary Current is a wind-driven surface current that is part of the North Atlantic Gyre. This eastern boundary current branches south from the North Atlantic Current and flows southwest about as far as Senegal where it turns west and later j ...

(off

Northwest Africa The Maghreb (; ar, الْمَغْرِب, al-Maghrib, lit=the west), also known as the Arab Maghreb ( ar, المغرب العربي) and Northwest Africa, is the western part of North Africa and the Arab world. The region includes Algeria, ...

), the Benguela Current (off

southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number o ...

), the

California Current The California Current is a cold water Pacific Ocean current that moves southward along the western coast of North America, beginning off southern British Columbia and ending off southern Baja California Sur. It is considered an Eastern bound ...

(off

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

and

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

), the

Humboldt Current The Humboldt Current, also called the Peru Current, is a cold, low-salinity ocean current that flows north along the western coast of South America.Montecino, Vivian, and Carina B. Lange. "The Humboldt Current System: Ecosystem components and pro ...

(off

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

and

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

), and the

Somali Current The Somali Current is a warm ocean boundary current that runs along the coast of Somalia and Oman in the Western Indian Ocean and is analogous to the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean. This current is heavily influenced by the monsoons and is th ...

(off

Western India Western India is a loosely defined region of India consisting of its western part. The Ministry of Home Affairs in its Western Zonal Council Administrative division includes the states of Goa, Gujarat, and Maharashtra along with the Union ...

). All of these currents support major fisheries. Many forage fish are important commercial species, and the schools can be targeted by spotter planes. The fish are caught by

purse seiner A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish in the sea, or on a lake or river. Many different kinds of vessels are used in commercial, artisanal and recreational fishing. The total number of fishing vessels in the world in 2016 was es ...

s—fishing boats that use nets to enclose the fish—and can be

overfished Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish (i.e. fishing) from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally (i.e. the overexploitation of the fishery's existing fish stock), resulting in ...

. File:Anchovy closeup.jpg, Schooling

File:Clupea sprattus.jpg,

European sprat The European sprat (''Sprattus sprattus''), also known as bristling, brisling, garvie, garvock, Russian sardine, russlet, skipper or whitebait, is a species of small marine fish in the herring family Clupeidae. Found in European waters, it has si ...

File:Herring2.jpg,

Atlantic herring Atlantic herring (''Clupea harengus'') is a herring in the family Clupeidae. It is one of the most abundant fish species in the world. Atlantic herrings can be found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, congregating in large schools. They can ...

File:Heringsschwarm.gif, Underwater video loop of a school of herrings migrating to their spawning grounds in the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

Predatory

Predatory pelagic fishes found on continental shelves worldwide in both tropical and temperate waters include

porgies The Sparidae are a family of fish in the order Perciformes, commonly called sea breams and porgies. The sheepshead, scup, and red seabream are species in this family. Most sparids are deep-bodied compressed fish with a small mouth separated by ...

barracuda A barracuda, or cuda for short, is a large, predatory, ray-finned fish known for its fearsome appearance and ferocious behaviour. The barracuda is a saltwater fish of the genus ''Sphyraena'', the only genus in the family Sphyraenidae, which ...

amberjack Amberjacks are Atlantic and Pacific fish in the genus '' Seriola'' of the family Carangidae. They are widely consumed across the world in various cultures, most notably for Pacific amberjacks in Japanese cuisine; they are most often found in th ...

s and

cutlassfish The cutlassfishes are about 45 species of predatory fish in the family Trichiuridae of the order Scombriformes found in seas throughout the world. Fish of this family are long, slender, and generally steely blue or silver in colour, giving ris ...

es. They tend to be larger fish, and are carnivorous, feeding on the smaller, silvery

that eat plankton (see section above). Some species also feed on crabs and other invertebrates, foraged from the sea floor. *

Mackerel Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of pelagic fish, mostly from the family Scombridae. They are found in both temperate and tropical seas, mostly living along the coast or offshore in the oceanic environment. ...

scom* *

Porgies The Sparidae are a family of fish in the order Perciformes, commonly called sea breams and porgies. The sheepshead, scup, and red seabream are species in this family. Most sparids are deep-bodied compressed fish with a small mouth separated by ...

sometimes called sea breams, are any of about 100 species belonging to the family Sparidae. Porgies usually have high backs and a single dorsal fin, like snapper or grunt fishes (grunts are named for the sound they make grinding their teeth). They are bottom feeding pelagic fishes, with small mouths equipped with strong teeth adapted for handling small fishes and invertebrates with hard shells. Most do not exceed a size of about , but some may grow to four times that length. They often school, and will migrate between reefs. Larger fish enter estuaries and harbours. *

Barracuda A barracuda, or cuda for short, is a large, predatory, ray-finned fish known for its fearsome appearance and ferocious behaviour. The barracuda is a saltwater fish of the genus ''Sphyraena'', the only genus in the family Sphyraenidae, which ...

have long slender bodies typically about long. They have a wicked set of teeth and are ferocious predators. They feed on

crustaceans Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean g ...

cephalopods A cephalopod is any member of the molluscan class Cephalopoda (Greek plural , ; "head-feet") such as a squid, octopus, cuttlefish, or nautilus. These exclusively marine animals are characterized by bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head, a ...

and small fish like

anchovy An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water, and some in South America are restricted to fresh water. More than 140 species are placed in 1 ...

and

. Barracouta often hunt in schools near the bottom or midwater, and sometimes even near the surface at night. File:Calamus bajonado.jpg, The jolthead porgy is a porgi gruntPollnac, R.B. 1998 Aspects of the human ecology of the coral reefs of Discovery Bay. p. 141-199. In R.B. Pollnac (ed.) Rapid assessment of management parameters for coral reefs. Coastal Resources Center, University of Rhode Island. CMR 2205, ICLARM 1445. File:Great Barracuda off the Netherland Antilles.jpg, Great barracuda and jacks File:Seriolalalandii.jpg, The

yellowtail amberjack The yellowtail amberjack, yellowtail kingfish, hiramasa or great amberjack (''Seriola lalandi'') is a large fish found in the Southern Ocean. Although previously thought to be found in all oceans and seas, recent genetic analysis restricts ''S. ...

, pound for pound, is one of the hardest fighting fish in the ocean. File:Atlantic_cutlassfish.jpg, The

largehead hairtail The largehead hairtail (''Trichiurus lepturus'') or beltfish is a member of the cutlassfish family, Trichiuridae. This common to abundant species is found in tropical and temperate oceans throughout the world. The taxonomy is not fully resolved ...

is a

Carcharias taurus in UShaka Sea World 1079-a

Cutlassfish The cutlassfishes are about 45 species of predatory fish in the family Trichiuridae of the order Scombriformes found in seas throughout the world. Fish of this family are long, slender, and generally steely blue or silver in colour, giving ris ...

es are a group of about 40 species belonging to the family Trichiuridae. They are ocean fish which regularly stray into coastal waters around the world. Fish of this family are long, slender, and generally steely blue or silver in colour, giving rise to their name. They have reduced or absent pelvic and

caudal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

s, giving them an eel-like appearance, and large fang-like teeth. * Jacks,

pompano Pompanos ( ) are marine fishes in the genus ''Trachinotus'' in the family Carangidae (better known as "jacks"). Pompano may also refer to various other, similarly shaped members of the Carangidae, or the order Perciformes. Their appearance is o ...

horse mackerel Horse mackerel is a vague vernacular term for a range of species of fish throughout the English-speaking world. It is commonly applied to pelagic fishes, especially of the Carangidae (jack mackerels and scads) family, most commonly those of the gen ...

, scads, leatherjackets and

trevally The Carangidae are a family of ray-finned fish which includes the jacks, pompanos, jack mackerels, runners, and scads. It is the largest of the six families included within the order Carangiformes. Some authorities classify it as the only fami ...

are fish of the family ''

Carangidae The Carangidae are a family of ray-finned fish which includes the jacks, pompanos, jack mackerels, runners, and scads. It is the largest of the six families included within the order Carangiformes. Some authorities classify it as the only family ...

''. Found in most coastal waters, they are fast predatory fishes that hunt in the waters above

s and in the open sea; some dig in the sea floor for invertebrates (some can also filter feed, such as the

white trevally The white trevally (''Pseudocaranx dentex''), also known as striped jack,) is a jack of the family Carangidae widespread in tropical and warm temperate areas between 40°N and 47°S, in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. It h ...

). The largest fish in the family, the

giant trevally The giant trevally (''Caranx ignobilis''), also known as the lowly trevally, barrier trevally, ronin jack, giant kingfish or ''ulua'', is a species of large marine fish classified in the jack family, Carangidae. The giant trevally is distribute ...

, grows up to 1.7 m in length; most fish in the family reach a maximum length of 25–100 cm. The family contains many important commercial and game fish, notably the

Pacific jack mackerel The Pacific jack mackerel (''Trachurus symmetricus''), also known as the Californian jack mackerel or simply jack mackerel, is an abundant species of pelagic marine fish in the jack family, Carangidae. It is distributed along the western coast o ...

and the other jack mackerels in the genus ''

Trachurus Jack mackerels or saurels are marine fish in the genus ''Trachurus'' of the family Carangidae. The name of the genus derives from the Greek words ''trachys'' ("rough") and ''oura'' ("tail"). Some species, such as ''T. murphyi'', are harvested in ...

''. The

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specim ...

of this genus is the

Atlantic horse mackerel The Atlantic horse mackerel (''Trachurus trachurus''), also known as the European horse mackerel or common scad, is a species of jack mackerel in the family Carangidae, the jacks, pompanos and trevallies. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocea ...

. Jack mackerels are an important inshore commercial species. **

Amberjack Amberjacks are Atlantic and Pacific fish in the genus '' Seriola'' of the family Carangidae. They are widely consumed across the world in various cultures, most notably for Pacific amberjacks in Japanese cuisine; they are most often found in th ...

s are a group of nine species belonging to the genus ''Seriola'' within the family Carangidae. Mainly open water fish, they can follow small

into estuaries and enclosed waters, where they will also hunt for crustaceans. Amberjacks are fast swimming and aggressive predators that often hunt in schools around offshore reefs. The

can reach 1.8 m in length and weigh 60 kilograms.

Demersal pelagic fish

Fish that live on or in close association with the sea floor are called

. This section discusses the coastal demersal fish that live on the continental shelf, but are living further from the coast and in deeper water than the nearshore fish discussed above. Demersal fish are white fish. Unlike

oily fish Oily fish are fish species with oil (fats) in soft tissues and in the coelomic cavity around the gut. Their fillets may contain up to 30% oil, although this figure varies both within and between species. Examples of oily fish include sma ...

, white fish contain

oils An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

only in their

liver The liver is a major organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for digestion and growth. In humans, it i ...

, rather than in the gut, and can therefore be gutted as soon as they are caught, on board the ship. White fish has dry and white flesh. They can be divided into

benthopelagic fish Demersal fish, also known as groundfish, live and feed on or near the bottom of seas or lakes (the demersal zone).Walrond Carl . "Coastal fish - Fish of the open sea floor"Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Updated 2 March 2009 They o ...

(mostly "round" fish) which live ''near'' the sea bed, such as cod, and

benthic fish Demersal fish, also known as groundfish, live and feed on or near the bottom of seas or lakes (the demersal zone).Walrond Carl . "Coastal fish - Fish of the open sea floor"Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Updated 2 March 2009 They o ...

(

flatfish A flatfish is a member of the ray-finned demersal fish order Pleuronectiformes, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a suborder of Perciformes. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating ...

) such as

which live ''on'' the sea bed. Benthic fish tend to be "flat", so they can lie on the bottom. * Cod-like fishes are a number of round benthopelagic species belonging to the order Gadiformes, such as

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

and

Pacific cod The Pacific cod (''Gadus macrocephalus)'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Gadidae. It is a bottom-dwelling fish found in the northern Pacific Ocean, mainly on the continental shelf and upper slopes, to depths of about . It can gro ...

, morid cod, haddock and

pollock Pollock or pollack (pronounced ) is the common name used for either of the two species of North Atlantic marine fish in the genus ''Pollachius''. '' Pollachius pollachius'' is referred to as pollock in North America, Ireland and the United Kingd ...

, including the highly commercial

Alaska pollock The Alaska pollock or walleye pollock (''Gadus chalcogrammus'') is a marine fish species of the cod genus '' Gadus'' and family Gadidae. It is a semi-pelagic schooling fish widely distributed in the North Pacific, with largest concentrations ...

. Cod-like fishes are often found in large schools over sandy or muddy bottoms. They have a barbel (fleshy filament) on their lower jaw which they use to detect prey buried in the sand or mud. Some migrate to warm water in winter to spawn. *

John Dory John Dory, St Pierre or Peter's fish, refers to fish of the genus ''Zeus'', especially ''Zeus faber'', of widespread distribution. It is an edible demersal coastal marine fish with a laterally compressed olive-yellow body which has a large dark ...

are fishes of the genus ''Zeus''. They have a widespread distribution and are typically found near the seabed in depths from . The John Dory grows to a maximum length of . Although it is a benthopelagic fish, its body is flat and it can hardly be seen from the front because it is so thin. It is a poor swimmer with long spines on the dorsal fin. It has a large dark eyespot on the side of its body which is used to confuse prey, which are scooped up in its big mouth. Large eyes at the front of the head provide it with bifocal vision and depth perception, which are important for predators. The John Dory usually gets its food by stalking it then shooting out a tube in its mouth to capture its prey. It eats forage fish, and occasionally

squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fittin ...

and

cuttlefish Cuttlefish or cuttles are marine molluscs of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique internal shell, the cuttlebone, which is used for control of ...

. In turn, they are preyed on by sharks, like the dusky shark, and other large bony fish. They are normally solitary. * Turbot and brill are benthic flatfish, resembling flounder and sole, but found in deeper offshore waters on the continental shelf. They are brownish-green, with dark blotches on the turbot and mottling on the brill. They are fished by coastal trawlers. File:Boreogadus saida.jpg, The

polar cod ''Boreogadus saida'', known as the polar cod or as the Arctic cod, is a fish of the cod family Gadidae, related to the true cod (genus ''Gadus''). Another fish species for which both the common names Arctic cod and polar cod are used is ''Arct ...

is found further north than any other fish species. It frequents river mouths and feeds on

and

krill Krill are small crustaceans of the order Euphausiacea, and are found in all the world's oceans. The name "krill" comes from the Norwegian word ', meaning "small fry of fish", which is also often attributed to species of fish. Krill are consi ...

. It is preyed on by

narwhal The narwhal, also known as a narwhale (''Monodon monoceros''), is a medium-sized toothed whale that possesses a large " tusk" from a protruding canine tooth. It lives year-round in the Arctic waters around Greenland, Canada and Russia. It is ...

s, belugas,

ringed seal The ringed seal (''Pusa hispida'') is an earless seal inhabiting the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. The ringed seal is a relatively small seal, rarely greater than 1.5 m in length, with a distinctive patterning of dark spots surrounded by light ...

s and

s. File:MacGillivray, William John Dory.jpg, The

is so thin it can hardly be seen from the front. The large eyespot on the side of its body confuses its prey. File:Psetta_maxima_Luc_Viatour.jpg, The turbot is a large left-eyed

usually found not too far from shore in sandy shallow waters. It is a prized food fish. File:Helidonichthys_spinosus.jpg, The red gurnard is a mail-cheeked fish found to depths of around 180 metres. They often grunt when captured as air is expelled from its air bladder. * Mail-cheeked fishes belong to a group of about 30 species in the order Scorpaeniformes. Mail-cheeked fishes are named after a plate of bone that runs across each cheek. They are widespread in all the oceans of the world. Mail-cheeked fishes are

carnivorous A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant whose food and energy requirements derive from animal tissues (mainly muscle, fat and other ...

, mostly feeding on crustaceans, such as crabs and shrimp, and on smaller fish. Most species live on the sea bottom in relatively shallow waters, although species are known from mid and deep water, from the mid-water, and even from fresh water. They typically have spiny heads, and rounded

pectoral Pectoral may refer to: * The chest region and anything relating to it. * Pectoral cross, a cross worn on the chest * a decorative, usually jeweled version of a gorget * Pectoral (Ancient Egypt), a type of jewelry worn in ancient Egypt * Pectorali ...

and

s. Most species are less than in length, but the full size range of the order varies from the

velvetfish Little velvetfishes or simply velvetfishes are a Family (biology), family, the Aploactinidae, of marine ray-finned fishes classified within the order Scorpaeniformes. They are small fish that have skin with a velvet texture. They live on the sea ...

es, which can be just long as adults, to the

Lingcod The lingcod or ling cod (''Ophiodon elongatus''), also known as the buffalo cod or cultus cod, is a fish of the greenling family Hexagrammidae. It is the only extant member of the genus ''Ophiodon. ''A slightly larger, extinct species, '' Ophi ...

, which can reach in length. **

Red gurnard The red gurnard (''Chelidonichthys cuculus''), also known as the East Atlantic red gurnard or soldier, is a benthic species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. This fish is found in the eastern Atl ...

are mail-cheeked fish. They use their large pectoral fins to rest on the bottom and to detect food. Uranoscopus sulphureus

Stargazers are about 50 species of fishes, belonging to the family Uranoscopidae, and found worldwide in shallow waters. Stargazers are

venomous Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

; they have two large

poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

spines situated behind the

opercle The operculum is a series of bones found in bony fish and chimaeras that serves as a facial support structure and a protective covering for the gills; it is also used for respiration and feeding. Anatomy The opercular series contains four bo ...

and above the

pectoral fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

s. They can also deliver

electric shock Electrical injury is a physiological reaction caused by electric current passing through the body. The injury depends on the density of the current, tissue resistance and duration of contact. Very small currents may be imperceptible or produce a ...

s. They are

ambush predator Ambush predators or sit-and-wait predators are carnivorous animals that capture or trap prey via stealth, luring or by (typically instinctive) strategies utilizing an element of surprise. Unlike pursuit predators, who chase to capture prey ...

s with eyes on top of their heads (thus the name). Stargazers also have a large upward-facing mouth in a large head. They bury themselves in sand with only their eyes showing, and leap upwards to ambush fish and invertebrates overhead. Some species have a worm-shaped lure growing out of the floor of the mouth, which they wiggle to attract prey's attention. Lengths range from 18 cm up to 90 cm, for the giant stargazer ''Kathetostoma giganteum''. Stargazers are a delicacy in some cultures. The venom is destroyed when it is cooked, and stargazers are sold in some

fish market A fish market is a marketplace for selling fish and fish products. It can be dedicated to wholesale trade between fishermen and fish merchants, or to the sale of seafood to individual consumers, or to both. Retail fish markets, a type of wet ma ...

s with their electric organ removed. They have been called "the meanest things in creation" and the "worst pet on earth".Grady, Denis
Venom Runs Thick in Fish Families, Researchers Learn
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' 22 August 2006. *

Sandperch The sandperches are a family, Pinguipedidae, of fishes in the percomorph order Trachiniformes. Sandperches are benthic fish which normally occur over sand or rubble substrates in shallow seas. They are found off the coasts of South America, So ...

es are a family, Pinguipedidae, containing 63 species of fishes in the order

Perciformes Perciformes (), also called the Percomorpha or Acanthopteri, is an order or superorder of ray-finned fish. If considered a single order, they are the most numerous order of vertebrates, containing about 41% of all bony fish. Perciformes means ...

. They are

carnivores, feeding on small fish and invertebrates. Examples are the redbanded weever, yellow weaver and

blue cod The New Zealand blue cod (''Parapercis colias'') is a temperate marine fish of the family Pinguipedidae. It is also known variously as Boston blue cod, New Zealand cod, sand perch, or its Māori names rāwaru, pākirikiri and patutuki. It is ...

. They are often caught in pots like crayfish. * Medusa fishes are a family Centrolophidae of 31 species of

perciform Perciformes (), also called the Percomorpha or Acanthopteri, is an order or superorder of ray-finned fish. If considered a single order, they are the most numerous order of vertebrates, containing about 41% of all bony fish. Perciformes means " ...

fishes. They are found in temperate and tropical waters throughout the world, usually feeding on fish, crustaceans and small squid near rough sea floors on continental shelf and slope. Examples are barrelfish, southern driftfish, imperial blackfish, the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

and pelagic butterfish, the

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

and Tasmanian ruffe, and the

common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally ...

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

and white warehou. The young of some species associate with

jellyfish Jellyfish and sea jellies are the informal common names given to the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals with umbre ...

, which provides them with protection from predators and opportunities to scavenge the remains of the jellyfish's meals. The young of other species associate with large masses of floating kelp. File:Parapercis hexophtalma 1.jpg, A speckled sand perch perched on coral sand File:Centrolophus niger.jpg, The rudderfish (''

Centrolophus niger The black ruff (''Centrolophus niger'') is a medusafish, the only member of the genus ''Centrolophus''. It is a bathypelagic fish found in all tropical and temperate oceans at depths of . Its length is typically up to , but it may reach . Other ...

'') is a medusa fish File:Epinephelus malabaricus.jpg, Malabar grouper File:Polyprion americanus.2 - Aquarium Finisterrae.JPG, Atlantic wreckfish inhabit caves and wrecks. They are good game fish, reaching a maximum reported length of and weight of . * Grouper are fish belonging to a number of genus, genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family

, in the order Perciformes. Species of grouper include the Black grouper, black, Comet grouper, comet, Gag grouper, gag, Giant grouper, giant, Atlantic goliath grouper, Goliath, Nassau grouper, Nassau, Saddletail grouper, saddletail, Tiger grouper, tiger, Warsaw grouper, Warsaw, White grouper, white and yellowfin grouper. Typical lengths are 80–120 centimetres. They inhabit depths from reefs near the surface down to over 400 metres. They feed on just about any moving animal they encounter. Groper are important inshore commercial fish, usually caught with gill nets (in earlier times longline fishing, longlines were used). * Wreckfish are a family Polyprionidae of perciform fishes, found on the floor of the continental shelf and slope where they inhabit caves and shipwrecks (thus their common name). The Atlantic wreckfish is at depths between . They are largely a solitary fish, though juveniles school below floating objects. Their diet includes large ocean cephalopods, crustaceans, and other bottom-dwelling fishes.

Notes

References

* Elliott, Michael and Hemingway, Krystal (2002
''Fishes in estuaries''
John Wiley & Sons. . * Humann, Paul and DeLoach, Ned (2008
''Coastal Fish Identification: California to Alaska''
New World Publications Incorporated. . * Moyle, PB and Cech, JJ (2004
''Fishes, An Introduction to Ichthyology''
5th Ed, Benjamin Cummings. * Hinrichsen D (1999
''Coastal Waters of the World: Trends, Threats, and Strategies''
Island Press. * Mann KH (2000
''Ecology of coastal waters: with implications for management''
(Vol 8 of ''Studies in ecology'') Wiley-Blackwell.

External links

* Walrond, Carl
"Coastal fish"
Te Ara, the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Updated 23 November 2009.

Retrieved 20 February 2010.
Estuarine Fish Kills in Morth Carolina
Retrieved 20 February 2010.

{{Fishery science topics Marine fish

Coastal habitats

Nearshore fish

Intertidal fish

Estuarine fish

Coral reef fish

Other nearshore fish

Coastal pelagic fish

Plankton feeding

Predatory

Demersal pelagic fish

See also

Notes

References

External links