The Scissortail Sergeant, also known as Abudefduf Sexfasciatus, is a large damselfish. Even though they don’t show themselves that much, one of your best chances to spot one could be in Key Largo, Florida. Their size can vary, but usually adults grow about 7-10 inches in length. At night they leave their hiding place in order to find some food, like worms or crustaceans. They live in the occidental Atlantic Ocean, usually sheltered by rocks or any other hiding place. They often prefer deeper water but you could come across a few when it’s your lucky snorkel day. The Spotted Drum, also known as spotted ribbonfish, are camouflaged with both dots and stripes. Sometimes they function as a parasite remover for other fish species, like surgeon fish for example. They eat invertebrates, coral polyps, worms and eggs. Even though they sometimes swim in groups, it’s not uncommon for them to swim alone or with a buddy. They can grow up to about 6 inches in length. One of the black stripes runs over their eyes, which adds to their antipredator appearance. These fish can be found in the western Atlantic Ocean. Their tail is white and they love to stay close to the corals. You can spot them by their 3 thick black stripes running vertically across their body. They usually don’t grow that big, 2-3 inches is normal, with maybe a few larger exceptions reaching 4 inches. This particular black and white fish, also known as whitetail dascyllus, is a big fan of the Red Sea. Black And White Damsel FishĪnother species to be found within the Indo-Pacific oceans is the damsel fish. Even though we never advise to bring any snorkel fish food, you definitely don’t want to feed these fish. Don’t disturb them too much as they could bite your hand for example. Most of them will have more black than white, but you might see one when snorkeling that is more white than black. They defend their territory and even other clownfish are not allowed to come close. Across 28 variations you can also find them in yellow or maroon for example.īlack clownfish can be pretty aggressive. Most of us will probably know the orange version, but they exist in multiple colors. Within the Indo-Pacific region we previously mentioned, you will also find the black and white clownfish. They are a common species within the Indo-Pacific oceans. Since their favorite meal is algae, they often hang out around reefs and corals. Gill is a Moorish Idol with it’s typical prominent upper fin. However, they are rare.įor those of you who watched Finding Nemo, maybe you remember Gill. Black And White Moorish IdolĮven though the picture below shows you a black and white moorish idol with a yellow tail, there are a few that almost show no yellow at all. If you’re like me and you like to snorkel with a GoPro, who knows you’ll identify just one of them sooner or later. In this article I name a few interesting and famous examples. Not only stripes, but also dots and other kinds of combinations can be found amongst some marine life. The ocean is filled with stripes, may it be plants or rocks, which means these fish are much safer in their “camouflage jackets”. They disrupt the typical fish shape, especially in shady areas. Unfortunately this reveals their species and their location, ringing the “alarm bells” of hungry predators.īlack and white stripes play a big role in staying “undercover”. Besides hiding or staying in large groups, their colors can make a big difference too.Ī lot of fish have a typical appearance with their pointy face and triangular tail. Nature always finds it’s way to stay away from predators. Even though colorful corals or a neon fish light show can be amazing, I want to dedicate this article to only black and white fish species. Black and white fish have always grabbed my attention when snorkeling or watching marine life television series.

Fish with black and white stripes