Tag: coral reef

Although we are pretty unlikely to see a squirrelfish on a snorkel, I included squirrelfish in the fish coloring book partly because I thought it might be a fun fish to color, but mostly because it is my husbands favorite fish. He loves trying to spot their huge eyes peeking out from under ledges or catch a glimpse of their flowy tails flashing bright pink from within crevices.

A tropical fish coloring book just wouldn't be complete without this ubiquitous fish; the Caribbean Blue Tang. Most people are pretty familiar with its Australian cousin made famous by beloved Dori. These somewhat less flashy, but still very beautiful Caribbean Tang are really important to coral reef health. Blue Tang and other members of the surgeonfish family help keep coral healthy by eating the algae that grows on it. Without this algae cleaning service, coral would have a hard time getting enough light to live and grow. You’ll see them swimming about the reef and stopping frequently head down to nibble on algae.

Although we are pretty unlikely to get to see a Porcupinefish while snorkeling, I just can't resist adding this striking fish to the fish coloring book. Their enormous eyes, wide mouth, and large extended lips give them the appearance of a half smile as though they’re just about to share a good joke and (in my opinion) make them pretty irresistibly adorable.