Urca de Lima

Caribbean Spiny Lobster – The Caribbean Spiny Lobster can be identified by the shaded areas of brown and tan along the body. The back of the body often has a few dark spots while the abdomen has a few light spots. This type of lobster inhabits the reefs and hides under shipwrecks and other debris in the water.

Damselfish – Pictured here is a juvenile. The bright yellow body is common for juvenile Damselfish. The blue wash from nose across the back of the fish helps identify this fish. Damselfish are often found hiding in the reef.

Flounder – Flounder are unique flat fishes that can be distinguished by their flat bodies and ability to camouflage their bodies. A common misconception is that these fish are lying on their stomach, when in fact they lay and swim on their sides.

Porkfish – Porkfish are distinguished by their bright yellow-gold striped bodies and two vertical bold black diagonal bands on their head. They can often be found in small groups swimming within a larger school of fish.

Reef Urchin – The Reef Urchin has pointed spines which range in color from violet to dark brown with a white ring around the base of the spine. The Reef Urchin can be found in shallower reefs, often hiding during the day in sheltered locations amongst other coral.

Rock-boring Urchin – The Rock-boring Urchin has short, thick, pointed dark spines. These color is a reddish-brown to dark purple. Urchins are usually found in shallow, rocky areas where they wedge themselves in between rocks. Be care when you see them, their spines can puncture skin.

Sailors Choice – The Grunt juvenile, Sailors Choice, has a long, downward curving upper eye stripe. These juveniles are distinguished from other Grunt juveniles because of the stark contrast between the black stripes and the white background. Also, the Sailors Choice has a black dot on at the base of the tail as well as alternating thick and thin black stripes on the top half of the body.

Sea Cucumber – Sea Cucumbers are easy to identify because they look like cucumbers. They have elongated bodies and are often found in sandy areas around reefs.

White Scroll Alga – This is a large, dense group of whitish leafy blades that often form semi-circles. Each blade has concentric semi-circles in white, tan, and light yellowish colors. You can often find the Alga attached to rocky substrates and along shallow reefs.

Wrasse – This juvenile wrasse is distinguished by the coloring and stripes along the body. Juvenile wrasses often have a combination of yellow, brown, and black stripes running from nose to tail across a white body.