Fish Directory – Marine Species
In my fish directory you can find more than 100 species that can be seen around the Canary Islands. Many species are also much more common. They are found in the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Caribbean and the other islands of Macaronesia such as the Azores, Madeira or Cape Verde.
In addition to the fishes, you will find various snails, cuttlefish, rays, sponges, anemones, corals, crabs and echinoderms. In the Canaries, however, much more marine species can be discovered. There are more than 700 species that I would like to supplement piece by piece. In any case, there is a variety of flora and fauna in the north-east Atlantic.
The fish directory is intended to facilitate the simple identification of the different species. In addition, there is information about size, appearance, habitat, distribution, way of life, diet, reproduction and other characteristics. I am not a marine biologist, which is why I can not guarantee the correctness of all information. However, I have used many different sources, which you should also use to get more facts.
Classification of the species
Because the fish directory is quickly becoming confusing in the number of species, I have sorted these into different classes, orders, genera, families and so on. For various reasons, I have not always gone scientifically perfect. For example, the eel species are an order of the bone fish. In my system, however, they get a separate department because they are easier and faster to find.
In addition, new knowledge is used to classify species in different types of systems (taxonomy). That does not make the job any easier. I hope you find your way threw my fish directory. For feedback I am grateful.
Anthozoa – Anemones & Corals
The class of the Anthazoa makes a lot of the colour splendor when diving around the Canaries. In addition to anemones, corals also belong to the Anthozoa.
Osteichthyes – Bony Fish
To the row of the bony fish belong all fishes which have a partial or completely ossified skeleton. Simply put you can find almost everything here that has fins, also seahorses!
Crustacea
Crustacea are widespread in the Canaries. There are different species to see each dive. Among the Crustacea you can find shrimps, crayfishes and crabs.
Elasmobranchii – Rays and Sharks
The Elasmobranchii include sharks and rays. There are more than 60 species of Elasmobranchii around the Canaries, of which we can observe about 10 regularly.
Elasmobranchii – Rays and Sharks
Mollusca – Molluscs
The molluscs are a strain that contains species of many forms. These include seaslugs, cephalopods, mussels and chitons.
Plathelminthes – Flatworms
The flatworms include a large number of living organisms. Among them are the tapeworms. But as this is about marine species of the Canary Islands it is also limited to these.
Porifera – Sponges
Although they are hardly noticed by most divers, sponges are quite interesting. On the one hand Porifera are colourful and on the other hand a good hiding place for other species.
Polychaete – Bristle Worms
The Polychaete are a class in the Phylum of the Annelida with more than 10000 species described. There is considerable doubt that Polychaete is a descendant community. This means that the species can not possibly be traced back to a last common ancestor.
Echinodermata
The Echinodermata include starfish, sea urchins and sea cucumbers, feather stars and brittle stars. When diving in the Canary Islands, we can observe several types during each dive.
Cetacea – Whales & Dolphins
No one can hide their enthusiasm when they see the great marine mammals. Unfortunately you have to be very lucky to watch them while scuba diving but they are observed regularly on boat trips.