Coral restoration, tropical fish species, reef ecosystems, native plants, and pollinators.
More than once, I have had the amazing experience of a large French Angelfish swimming up to me. One time, it swam so close up to my face, it almost looked like the fish wanted to check its reflection in my mask. They are such calm fish, I'm always delighted when I spot a French Angelfish.
I've included Bar Jacks in the Fish Coloring Book because they are a fairly common sight, they have beautiful coloring and some really interesting behaviors. Bar Jacks might seem ordinary at first glance but when the light catches their scales, they light up like an iridescent silvery-blue rainbow.
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.
Barracuda are a fairly common sight almost everywhere I been diving or snorkeling. Although they are sleek, powerful swimmers that can sometimes look intimidating, they mostly hang out around reefs alone or in small groups. Sometimes they open and close their mouths showing off all their big teeth but don’t worry - this is just to help with their breathing.
Like the Wrasse Family, no fish coloring book could be complete without a section on the Grunt family. The Bluestripe grunts in particular seem to be absolutely everywhere I dive or snorkel in the Keys. Their electric blue stripes make them easy to spot and fun to color. If we're really lucky, we might even get to see some Bluestripe Grunts performing their open-mouth behavior!
Erica Lauer Vose 