Searching species on WhatFish can be easily done with tags that are mainly physical characteristics that can be seen. Amongst them are the group in which the species belongs, its shape, colors, caudal fin, patterns displayed, size, social behavior, habitats, sexual dimorphism, conservation status or other additional characteristics.

The more tags you select, the less species will be displayed. Nevertheless, it is recommended not to use too many tags at once, especially that the designation of tags may be subjective or dependant on the pictures (white balance, contrast etc.) or your observation (the way you perceive the species underwater).

To increase the chance to find the species you are looking for, choose the most obvious or visible characteristics first. If you are undecided about 2 tags (e.g. size, color etc.) use them both or try them separately.

• Groups

  Species are sorted into 16 major groups.


FISHES



SHARKS



RAYS



MAMMALS



REPTILES



FLATWORMS



MOLLUSCS



CRUSTACEANS



CNIDARIANS



ECHINODERMS



SPONGES



WORMS



TUNICATES



ALGAES



SEA BIRDS



BRYOZOARIANS

• Shape of the fish (Fish only)

  Most fish look like fish! To be more precise, try to separate them into one of the typical shapes. Don’t only look at fish from the side, try looking at them face on.


STANDARD



COMPRESSED



GLOBELIKE



RECTANGULAR



ANGUILIFORM



ELONGATED



FLAT



OTHER

• Colors

  There is a large variation in color and here we have selected most of the colors which you can see. Choose all the colors which you see on the species, but always start with the main or most visible color. Because yellow and orange or pink and purple can look very similar, try with one then another and see what comes up.


BLACK



WHITE



YELLOW



TRANSPARENT



PINK



PURPLE



BLUE



BROWN



RED



ORANGE



GREY/SILVER



GREEN

Caudal fins (Fish only)

There are more types of caudal fins than the selection below, but we have used the more common types which can be applied to most species.



FORKED



LUNATE



TRUNCATED



POINTED



ROUNDED

• Patterns

  A species’ visible pattern helps you get a more accurate identification. Remember, the designation can be subjective so use the most visible or obvious patterns first for better results.


BANDED



CHEVRON



DOTS / BLOTCHES



GRID



HORIZONTAL
MARKING



OBLIQUE MARKING



VERTICAL MARKING



RETICULATION



SPINE



STREAKS



TUBERCLES



BARBELS



CAMOUFLAGE

• Size of the species

  The size displayed with the pictures is not necessarily the maximum size of the species but the size of the species in the picture. More details about the average and maximum size is available on the Species Information section.


< 5 CM



5 - 20 CM



20 - 100 CM



1 - 3 M



3 - 5 M



> 5 M

• Social behavior

  Generally, species have unique social habits which can be used for identification. The tag "Association" relates to all species living together through symbiosis, commensalism or parasitism.


SOLITARY



COUPLE



GROUP



ASSOCIATION

• Habitats

  A benthic species will remain on the bottom where they feed while pelagic will feed mainly in open water. A pelagic fish can also be seen on the reef even though they are considered pelagic fish, such as Fusiliers. Always choose the habitat which seems obvious to you.


CORAL REEF



MUD/SAND



BENTHIC



PELAGIC

• Sexual dimorphism

  "Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species, meaning that there are obvious differences between the male and female of the species. Examples include differences in morphology, size, ornamentation and behavior." (source: Wikipedia)


MALE



FEMALE

• Conservation status

  "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species. From its small beginning, The IUCN Red List has grown in size and complexity and now plays an increasingly prominent role in guiding conservation activities of governments, NGOs and scientific institutions." (from IUCN RED LIST)


CRITICALLY
ENDANGERED



ENDANGERED



VULNERABLE



NEAR THREATHENED



LEAST CONCERNED

• Other characteristics

  There are a few other characteristics which you can use to identify the species displayed. "Juvenile" is used for all species not being at the adult stage. "Danger" refers to species with any potentially harmful defence system such as poison, sharp blade, spines or potentially aggressive behaviour. “Night” is for images taken at night and/or species with nocturnal activity.


JUVENILE



DANGER



NIGHT