Reef, seagrass and mangroves
Bonaire National Marine Park includes coral reef, seagrass and mangrove habitats. Lac Bay brings these habitats together. Young fish can use sheltered habitat differently from adults living on the reef; the nursery article below explains those connections.
Small fish, different clues
Body shape and several visible features provide a better identification than color alone. A juvenile may look different from the adult of the same species. Watch where the fish shelters and how it moves before deciding on a name.
Visiting the marine park
Consult STINAPA’s current site guidance and equipment-decontamination instructions before entering the water. Keep equipment clear of coral and avoid disturbing animals to obtain an identification photograph.
Species recorded around Bonaire
Atlantic Blue Tang
Acanthurus coeruleusPatch reefs; Reef ridges separated by sandy channels; Continuous reef habitat
View Atlantic Blue Tang records on the map →Atlantic ghost crab
Ocypode quadrataA pale, square-bodied crab with prominent eyestalks, long legs, and unequal claws.
View Atlantic ghost crab records on the map →Bicolor Damselfish
Stegastes partitusReef ridges separated by sandy channels; Patch reefs; Continuous reef habitat
View Bicolor Damselfish records on the map →Bluehead wrasse
Thalassoma bifasciatumCoral reefs, inshore bays, and seagrass beds
View Bluehead wrasse records on the map →Bottlenose dolphin
Tursiops truncatusA short, thick beak and gray body are useful starting clues. The back is generally darker than the underside, but size and color vary between coastal and offshore animals; a distant fin alone is insufficient.
View Bottlenose dolphin records on the map →Clown Wrasse
Halichoeres maculipinnaContinuous reef habitat; Reef ridges separated by sandy channels
View Clown Wrasse records on the map →Green sea turtle
Chelonia mydasLook for four pairs of large scutes along the sides of the shell and a single pair of large scales between the eyes. The shell can look brown, gray or olive; the name does not mean the shell is green. Juveniles can resemble hawksbills, so compare several features.
View Green sea turtle records on the map →Humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliaeOpen ocean, coastal feeding waters, and warm, shallow breeding areas
View Humpback whale records on the map →Nurse shark
Ginglymostoma cirratumLook for a broad head, small eyes, barbels beside the mouth and two rounded dorsal fins. Adults are generally tan to dark brown; smaller juveniles may have dark spots.
View Nurse shark records on the map →Queen angelfish
Holacanthus ciliarisAdults have a deep, flattened body with blue and yellow coloration, a yellow tail and a dark, blue-marked forehead spot resembling a crown. The crown helps distinguish them from blue angelfish, although hybrids can complicate identification.
View Queen angelfish records on the map →Redband Parrotfish
Sparisoma aurofrenatumReef ridges separated by sandy channels; Continuous reef habitat
View Redband Parrotfish records on the map →Slippery Dick
Halichoeres bivittatusContinuous reef habitat; Patch reefs; Reef ridges separated by sandy channels; Reef rubble
View Slippery Dick records on the map →Spotted eagle ray
Aetobatus narinariLook for an angular, wing-like disc, a projecting snout, pale spots or rings on a dark back, and a very long whip-like tail. The underside is pale. Similar rays and historical naming require care when identifying records outside the Atlantic.
View Spotted eagle ray records on the map →Stoplight Parrotfish
Sparisoma viridePatch reefs; Reef ridges separated by sandy channels; Continuous reef habitat
View Stoplight Parrotfish records on the map →Striped Parrotfish
Scarus iseriPatch reefs; Reef rubble; Reef ridges separated by sandy channels; Continuous reef habitat
View Striped Parrotfish records on the map →Yellowhead Wrasse
Halichoeres garnotiReef ridges separated by sandy channels; Continuous reef habitat
View Yellowhead Wrasse records on the map →Yellowtail Snapper
Ocyurus chrysurusReef ridges separated by sandy channels; Patch reefs; Continuous reef habitat
View Yellowtail Snapper records on the map →
OBIS records since 2016-01-01; checked 2026-09-19. The search covers a 40 km radius around the destination center. This is a selection matched to our species guide, not a complete local checklist. Past presence does not predict an encounter. Source checklist · How we check records.
Stories from these waters
- Why Male Yellowhead Jawfish Carry Eggs in Their Mouths
- Why young blue tangs are yellow—and adults raid other fish’s gardens
- Bonaire’s reef begins in the mangroves: the hidden nurseries of Lac Bay
- Green Turtle, Hawksbill, or Loggerhead? The Details That Give Them Away