Bottom Dweller Fish of the Florida Keys
What does it mean to be a bottom dweller fish?
It means you spend majority of your life as a fish living near the bottom of the ocean or below the sandy bottom of the Ocean floor.
First fish we will talk about is the Banded Jawfish
Scientific Name:Opistognathus macrognathus
Family: Opisthognathidae
Category: Jawfishes
Size: 4 to 7 in. (10 to 18 cm)
Depth: 3-25 ft. (1-8 m)
Distribution: Caribbean, Bahamas, South Florida
Yellowhead Jawfish Bottom Dweller
Scientific Name:Opistognathus aurifrons
Family: Opisthognathidae
Category: Jawfishes
Size: 2 to 3 in. (5 to 8 cm)
Depth: 10-60 ft. (3-18 m)
Distribution: Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida, Gulf of Mexico
https://reefguide.org/keys/peacock.html?search=peac&area=florida
Peacock Flounder Bottom Dweller
Scientific Name: Bothus lunatus
Category: Lefteye Flounders
Size: 6 to 18 in. (15 to 45 cm)
Depth: 2-50 ft. (1-15 m)
Distribution: Bahamas, Caribbean, Florida, Bermuda, Gulf of Mexico
Peacock Flounder can be one of the hardest bottom dwellers to see. It blends into the sandy bottom so well. Once is moves then you can see it. However once it settles on the bottom again, good luck finding it.
Bottom dwellers don’t always have both of their eyes on the one side of their head, but the peacock flounder does. This makes it quite unique.
There are so many other bottom dwellers in the Florida Keys. To get to dive and see many of them, book now!
Follow the link below and then click on the blue box that says Book Now.
Scuba Diving, Snorkeling and Kayak Tours – Sail Fish Scuba – Key Largo FL
When scuba diving Key Largo, Florida Keys with Sail Fish Scuba you will also get to see many other types of fish.
Other Fish in Florida Keys
Here are some images of some of the other fish you may see when doing a scuba tour in Key Largo.
https://reefguide.org/keys/index1.html
Bottom Dweller Fish Florida Keys