How to Identify Saltwater Fish
Generally, saltwater fish are more brightly colored than their freshwater or brackish water counterparts. They often have complex patterns such as spots and stripes. But trying to identify a particular species can be extremely difficult, because many species will change color, patterns and even their sex during the course of their lifetimes.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
If Wishes Were Fishes
-
1
Note everything you can about what the fish looks like, how it swims and if it is shy or out in the open. If the fish is already dead, pack it in ice and note the color, how many fins or spines, if the fish has teeth and if it is scaled all over or not at all.
-
2
Take many photos of the fish, whether it's alive or dead. Upload the photos to your computer, if possible.
-
-
3
Contact your local Marine Aquarium Society, pet fish club or public aquarium, and be sure to provide plenty of photos.
-
4
Contact your local university and see if it has an ichthyology professor or a marine biology professor that will be willing to take a look at your fish. It is usually standard to make an appointment to meet the professor in person, especially if you have the corpse of the fish on ice. Some professors will not mind being contacted by email.
-
5
Learn all you can about saltwater fish, whether through magazines, books or websites. Eventually, you'll find a match for your mystery fish.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If you have found this fish in local waters, contact your local fish and game warden so he can determine if this is a native or invasive species. Pet stores are not good places to find the identity of saltwater fish. They usually deal only with freshwater and brackish water fish. Zoos are a bad place to contact because they do not deal with fish.
Never buy a fish for a pet that you can't identify. Don't trust the seller (unless you know the seller well), because he could tell you anything in order to sell the fish.
Resources
- Photo Credit Image from Wikimedia Commons.
