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La Romana – Bayahibe offers some of the best snorkelling and diving in the Caribbean – with incredibly diverse, beautiful and interesting marine animals living along its coastline!
Here we bring you 10 of the most fascinating creatures spotted by Uwescuba in La Romana – Bayahibe’s coasts. Uwescuba Dive Center [(809) 804-9445, uwe@uwescuba.com] is based in the Marina Casa de Campo and offers Recreational & Technical Diving and Courses, as well as Dive & Snorkel Excursions.
Let’s dive a bit deeper:
1. Honeycomb Cowfish
The Honeycomb Cowfish is also known as Trunkfish and Honeycomb Trunkfish. Can be found on reefs blending in with the background, if detected will quickly retreat.
Colour: can vary to blend in with background.
Feed: invertebrates and worms.
Length: 50cm
Depth: 6-25m
Habitat: Widespread Western Atlantic & Caribbean
2. Grouper fish
Groupers, widely distributed in warm seas, are characteristically large-mouthed, rather heavy-bodied fishes that tend to remain in discrete areas. Some are very large fishes, attaining a length and weight of about 2 metres (6 feet) and 225 kilograms (500 pounds)—in some instances reportedly much more.
Groupers are often dully coloured in greens or browns, but a number are brighter, more boldly patterned fishes.
3. Spider crab
Spider Crabs are also known as Crustaceans, Brachyura Crabs, True Crabs, Spider Crabs, Mediterranean Spiny Spider Crab, European Spider Crab, Spinous Spider Crab and Spiny Spider Crab.Can be found on coral and rocky reefs in algae covered areas.
Brachyura crabs are considered true crabs, they have a short abdomen, 4 walking legs and a pair of clawed arms at the front. Many thousands of species live worldwide in sea water, fresh water and on land.
Feed: plankton and invertebrates.
Length: 25cm
Depth: 0-50m
Habitat: Worldwide
4. Sand diver!
The Sand Diver is also known as Intermediate Lizardfish, Sanddiver Lizardfish and Filamented Sand Dragon. Can be found singly in shallow coral and rocky reefs resting on sandy sea beds or buried in the sand with only the head showing.
This is the most common lizardfish in the Caribbean. Lizardfish are experts at camouflage, they lie in wait for their prey lying on top of the sand or buried with just their heads showing. Their jaws have one or more lines of needle-like teeth. They grab their victims with lightening speed often taking quite large prey.
Colour: varies and can pale or darken to blend in with surroundings.
Feed: small fish and invertebrates.
Length: 36cm
Depth: 9-27m
Habitat: Widespread Western Atlantic & Caribbean
5. Sand Tilefish
Tilefish also called blanquillo is one of the most commercially important species, is the largest, often attaining lengths of more than 90 cm (3 feet).
The tilefish has a peculiar history as a commercial fish. Living at depths of 60–365 m (200–1,200 feet), the species was not known until 1879, when it became commercially attractive because of its abundance in the western Gulf Stream.
6. The Black Spotted Moray
The Black Spotted Moray is also known as Moray Eels, Black Spotted Moray Eel, Honeycomb Moray, Honeycomb Moray Eel, Leopard Moray, Tessellate Moray Eel, Laced Moray, Laced Moray Eel, Lacy Moray, Lacy Moray Eel, Black-blotched Moray, Black-blotched Moray Eel and Giraffe Eel. Can be found singly on clear coral reefs hiding in crevasses.
Morays open and close their mouths to move water through their gills for respiration. This behaviour can often be seen as a threat especially towards divers, in fact this is far from the truth, they are very shy creatures and will only attack if provoked!
Feed: small fish and invertebrates (nocturnally)
Colour: may vary slightly from place to place. Pattern continues inside the mouth.
Length: 2m
Depth: 6-45m
Habitat: Widespread Indo-Pacific
7. Scorpionfish
Poss’s Scorpionfish also known as Possi’s Scorpionfish and Bearded Scorpionfish. Can be found singly on sand and rubble bottoms of sheltered harbours, bays and lagoons.
Scorpionfish are masters of camouflage, enabling them to lie in wait for their victims to come close, before lunging forward and inhaling their prey with their large mouths. When disturbed they raise the spines along their backs and will usually move off out of harms way, however, if cornered they are able to charge at considerable speed. Highly dangerous and poisonous with venomous spines along its back if trodden on etc.
Feed: small fish and swimming invertebrates.
Length: 22cm
Depth: 2-40m
Habitat: Widespread Indo-Pacific
8. Filefish
Filefish, any of the shore-frequenting marine fishes of the family Monacanthidae, found in warm seas around the world. Close relatives of the triggerfishes.
Filefishes are small-mouthed and flattened from side to side, and they have two dorsal-fin spines, the first of which is large and erectile and can be locked upright by the smaller second spine.
9. Yellow Goatfish!
The Yellow Goatfish is also known as Yellow-striped Goatfish, Square-spot Goatfish, Gold-lined Goatfish, Pallid Goatfish, Bait Goatfish and Sand Weke. Can be found in small groups often stationary during the day, hunting at night in sheltered lagoons on sandy areas near staghorn coral.
Goatfish have two barbels extending form the chin, these are used to probe the sand for food such as worms, brittle stars, crustaceans and small fish. They often have other fish in tow which hoover up any creatures left behind.
Colour: can rapidly change colour with a black square spot that disappears at night.
Feed: smaller fish and invertebrates.
Length: 40cm
Depth: 5-35m
Habitat: Widespread Indo-Pacific
10. Pufferfish!
Also known as Blowfishes, Toadfishes, Oceanic Puffer and Rabbit Puffer. Can be found mainly in the oceans but can be found in estuaries (maybe for breeding).
The bodies of Pufferfish are covered in a toxic mucus, if the skin or flesh is consumed it can be fatal to humans.
When threatened they will puff up like a football to deter predators.Feed: algae, corals and crustaceans.
Length: 50cm
Depth: 10-400m
Habitat: Widespread Circumtropical
And this is our top 10 awesome marine animals. All these amazing photos were taken from the Uwescuba’s Facebook page [Uwescuba Divecenter], do not forget to “Like” their page!