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MEET THE ANIMALS

Animal Encyclopedia

Learn about aquatic species

Mote scientists work with many of these species to learn more about their roles in marine ecosystems and how to conserve their populations. You can even visit some of these species at Mote! Click on each species to learn more. To see the full list of photo credits, click here.

411 Results

Shortfin pipefish

Shortfin pipefish have long, snake-like bodies that are greenish-brown in color. They have lighter stripes running horizontally...

Sharks & Rays, Fishes

Silky shark

Silky sharks have long, slender bodies, with a dark gray or bronze coloration and white belly. They have a distinctive rounded...

Slate-pencil sea urchin

These urchins are orange-red with pencil-like spines all over. They use these spines to defend themselves, move around and anchor...

Smalltooth sawfish

The smalltooth sawfish gets its name from its saw-like snout, lined with sharp teeth to help detect prey and slash through fish...

Corals, Invertebrates

Smooth flower coral

The color of smooth flower coral varies between yellow, brown, gray and blue-green. Its flower-like polyps are larger and spaced...

Corals, Invertebrates

Smooth star coral

Smooth star coral can form massive colonies in the form of irregular half domes. They can be green, cream or tan in color.

Halloween Photo Collection

Southern spider crab

The southern spider crabs are tan-brown with triangle-shaped shells. Nine spines on the front of their shells help protect them...

Southern stingray

Southern stingrays have diamond-shaped bodies, wide, flat frames, and long, whip-like tails with venomous barbs for defense. They...

Spanish Hogfish

Spanish hogfish

Spanish hogfish are yellow with deep purple-blue on top. They vary in color brightness based on age, sex and environment. They...

Spanish Slipper Lobster

Spanish slipper lobster

Spanish slipper lobsters range from brown to orange and red. They have eight legs but lack claws, instead relying on their armored...

Corals, Invertebrates

Spiny flower coral

Spiny flower coral can grow in flat or dome-shaped groups. They can range in color from gray and blue to green or pink. Corallites...

Splendid Garden Eel

Splendid garden eel

With long, snake-like bodies, splendid garden eels are white with yellow-orange stripes. They have large eyes and tiny pectoral...

Split-nose rockfish

These small fish range from pink and orange to red and white. They have large eyes and sharp head spines. Their name comes from...

Spot-fin porcupinefish

The spot-fin porcupinefish has a grayish-tan body with a white belly and black spots. When threatened, it inflates, making its...

Spotfin Butterflyfish

Spotfin butterflyfish

The spotfin butterflyfish has an oval, white body with bright yellow fins. Near the back of the dorsal fin is a large dark spot....

Spottail pinfish

Spottail pinfish are named for the small black dot at the base of their tail. Their oval, silvery bodies can thrive in both brackish...

Spotted eagle ray

Spotted eagle rays are large, diamond shaped rays; their pectoral fins look like wings! They have dark bodies with patterns of...

Spotted Garden Eel

Spotted garden eel

Baby spotted garden eels are solid black. As they mature, they turn white in color with three black spots down the sides of their...

Animals in the Oh Baby! Exhibit

Spotted lagoon sea jelly

Spotted lagoon sea jellies have translucent, spotted tops, eight long arms to help them sense their environment and a mouth on...

Spotted sand bass

This fish is light grey and covered with lots of tiny spots that can be black, brown or orange. Unlike many other bass species,...

Spotted Scorpionfish

Spotted scorpionfish

These fish blend into their environment and ambush their prey. They have big eyes and a large mouth capable of swallowing prey...

Spotted unicornfish

Shortnosed unicorn tangs have gray-brown bodies with irregular splotches of turquoise blue. They also have small black dots from...

Square Spot Anthias

Square-block anthias

Squarespot anthias get their name from the pale violet square on the side of their magenta colored body. They have deep orange...

Staghorn Coral Outplants Near Key West

Corals, Invertebrates

Staghorn coral

Staghorn coral is golden yellow-tan in color. Its branches resemble antlers, stemming from a central stump and reaching outwards....

Corals, Invertebrates

Star coral

Star corals extend their tentacle-like polyps at night to catch plankton drifting in the water. The coral gets its colors from...

Florida Stone Crab

Stone crab

Stone crabs have smooth, brown, oval carapaces. They have five pairs of short legs with reddish yellow hairs. Male stone crabs...

Stoplight parrotfish

Parrotfish are bright teal with rounded faces and forked tails, accented by pink and yellow highlights on their tail, gill slit,...

Strawberry false coral

Strawberry false coral is red, pink in color with densely packed white/clear tentacles capped with white heads. Unlike real corals,...

Ridged Slipper Lobster

Stripe-legged slipper lobster

Stripe-legged slipper lobsters have rough brown-gray bodies with scatter red-orange spots. They have eight clawless legs with...

Striped Burfish

Striped burrfish

Striped burrfish have brown stripes that help them camouflage into their environment. When threatened, they inflate their bodies...

Striped Leg Hermit Crab

Striped hermit crab

Striped hermit crabs get their name from the distinctive brown and white striping on their legs. Their soft bodies can range from...

Striped mullet

Striped mullet are long and slender fish with faint yellow stripes that run from their gills to the base of their tail. They have...

Suckermouth catfish

Suckermouth catfish have long, elongated bodies with rough, bumpy scales and flat undersides. They have a dark brown-black base...

Sunrise dottyback

Sunrise dottybacks have yellow faces and topsides, deep blue midsections and white bellies. They have long and slender bodies...

Sunshine Chromis

Sunshinefish

Sunshinefish are small and olive green to yellow in color. They have white bellies and a forked tail. Male sunshinefish play a...

Aquarium Photos

Swamp darter

Swamp darters are a small fish species with long, olive-brown bodies. They have darker, irregular spotting from their face to...

Sharks & Rays, Fishes

Swell shark

The swell shark is a small, nocturnal species of shark. They have large mouths, extending past their eyes. Swell sharks have a...

Bonaire Underwater Coral Photos

Corals, Invertebrates

Symmetrical brain coral

Symmetric brain corals grow in massive boulder form and as encrusting plates. Like its name suggests, this coral has a brain-like...

Invertebrates, Corals

Tan bushy soft coral

Tan bushy soft coral is a branching coral with many extensions growing from a single base. Branches are densely gathered, tan...

Target rock shrimp

Target rock shrimp are named for their hard, armor-like exoskeletons. They can range from red and gray to brown and black. They...

Atlantic Tarpon

Tarpon

Tarpon have special lung like features in their swim bladder that allow them to breathe oxygen from the surface if there isn’t...

Telescope wrasse

Telescope wrasses have black bars running horizontally through their eyes. These black bars are more prominent in females and...

Thimble jellyfish

Thimble jellyfish have a distinct, dome-shaped appearance, making them easy to spot in the water. They have only four short tentacles,...

Three-colored hermit crab

Three-colored hermit crabs get their name from their tricolored (orange, blue and white) legs. Hermit crabs are only born with...

Chocolate Chip Sea Cucumber

Three-rowed sea cucumber

These sea cucumbers might resemble cookie dough, but their texture and coloring helps them blend in and avoid predators. They...

Tomtate grunt

The tomtate grunt is silvery gray with yellow stripes from head to tail and light blue fins. Younger fish have a small black dot...

Treefish

You might recognize this fish by its pink lips or by the thick, black-olive bands on its body, which is yellowish below and dark...

Turban snail

These snails have spiral shaped shells with rows of beads and spines. The name “turbo,” derived from the Latin word...