Common name:

Neon riffbarsh

Scientific name:

Abudefduf luridus

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Frequent small fish in shallow and rather rocky areas. It is appreciated by the divers for their bluish pectoral fins. The Neon riffbarsh is totally harmless, she takes refuge in the cracks rocky bottom and is very territorial.

Common name:

Red sponge

Scientific name:

Batzella inops

Family:

Sponges

Features:

We shall find this sponge on the ceiling of underwater caves, where the light is not direct. Provides a good and colored background for underwater photography.

Common name:

Rock sea urchin

Scientific name:

Paracentrotus lividus

Family:

Sea stars, sea urchins and allies

Features:

Protected species. This urchin stay generally below rocks which minimizes the risk of injury to the divers. His barbs are short, hard and not very painful (easy to remove and the wound usually heal well.)

Common name:

Brown algae

Scientific name:

Lobophora variegata

Family:

Algae

Features:

Common name:

Yellow-legged-gull

Scientific name:

Larus michachellis

Family:

Coastal birds

Features:

They incubate their eggs usually on the small islet close to the Arinaga lighthouse or in Arinaga mountain hideouts. During the day they clean the surrounding beaches and in the afternoon often returns to the island. Their flight is a challenge to the wind.

Common name:

Brown algae

Scientific name:

Stypopodium zonale

Family:

Algae

Features:

Common name:

Variable sea cucumber

Scientific name:

Holothuria sanctori

Family:

Sea stars, sea urchins and allies

Features:

To defend against any threat, it excrate part of its viscera and manage to distract the predator who will concentrate on eating it. Also expels certain fish toxicant.

Common name:

Atlantic brown macroalgae

Scientific name:

Cystoseira abies-marina

Family:

Algae

Features:

Common name:

Long-spined black sea urchin

Scientific name:

Diadema antillarum

Family:

Sea stars, sea urchins and allies

Features:

Invasive and destructive specie. This animal moves slowly and eats algae that cover the rocky bottom, leaving behind a white rock named in spanish "blanquizal". It is most active at night. During our dives, the sea urchin diadema makes a characteristic noise crushing algal in its beak-shaped mouth. It defends itself very well with very active spikes that inject into the wound a product which tends to infect the area. Their sting can be very painful.

Common name:

Kidney-shaped sponge

Scientific name:

Chondrosia reniformis

Family:

Sponges

Features:

Common name:

Diamond lizardfish

Scientific name:

Synodus synodus

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

It’s called "lizardfish" because it is continuously unmoving, carpet on the seafloor, as if he was sunbathing. But in reality it is a small agile predator awaiting the opportunity to reach his prey. It may remain for long and relies on its camouflage allowing divers to approach. It is terribly greedy. When the time came, he goes like a missile to swallow a small fish disoriented. It almost never fails its target and immediately after it repositions itself on the seabed awaiting for his next victim.

Common name:

Ornate wrasse

Scientific name:

Thalassoma pavo

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Inhabits rocky bottoms, the colors are always extraordinary.

Common name:

Atlantic damselfish

Scientific name:

Chromis limbata

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

It closely resembles the Neon riffbarsh, but with other colors. This is truly a different species. The atlantic damselfish tend to regroup in the vertical of rocky sea beds.

Common name:

Red algae

Scientific name:

Cottoniella filamentosa

Family:

Algae

Features:

Common name:

Purple spined sea urchin

Scientific name:

Sphaerechinus granularis

Family:

Sea stars, sea urchins and allies

Features:

Common name:

Blenny

Scientific name:

Ophioblenius atlanticus

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Smaller fish living in rocky bottoms. It’s amazing shape surprises divers.

Common name:

White seabream

Scientific name:

Diplodus sargus

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

The more it feels threatened, the more visible will be its vertical stripes. Bristling spine is also a sign of stress.

Common name:

Macaronesian sharpnose puffer

Scientific name:

Canthigaster capistrata

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Common name:

Scallop

Scientific name:

Pectinoidea

Family:

Molluscs

Features:

Common name:

Black seabream

Scientific name:

Spondyliosoma cantharus

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Common name:

Cardinal fish

Scientific name:

Apogon imberbis

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Common name:

Arrow crab, spider crab

Scientific name:

Stenorhynchus lanceolatus

Family:

Crustaceans

Features:

The spider crab likes to hide around other species that give him an effective defense, such as the giant anemone or long-spined black sea urchin.

Common name:

Guinean puffer

Scientific name:

Sphoeroides marmoratus

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Common name:

Parrotfish

Scientific name:

Sparisoma cretense

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Pretty colored fish prized by anglers for its tender meat. The male is gray and the female is red and yellow. It has a powerful beak.

Common name:

Two-banded seabream

Scientific name:

Diplodus vulgaris

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Common name:

Red mullet

Scientific name:

Mullus surmuletus

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Often found attached to the sandy bottom, but close to the rocky seabed. Is an indicator that the water is particularly clean.

Common name:

Painted comber

Scientific name:

Serranus scriba

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Common name:

Yellow tube sponge

Scientific name:

Aplysina aerophoba

Family:

Sponges

Features:

Common name:

Canary scorpionfish

Scientific name:

Scorpaena canariensis

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

A master of camouflage in rocky bottoms. It defends itself using its spines whose sting is painful.

Common name:

Blacktail comber

Scientific name:

Serranus atricuada

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Common name:

Yellowmouth barracuda

Scientific name:

Sphyraena viridensis

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Voracious predator, as quick as a lightning in their attacks. Their teeth are terrible. They get grouped in banks and swim against the tide awaiting for their prey.

Common name:

Fallow cowry

Scientific name:

Luria lurida

Family:

Molluscs

Features:

Common name:

Spiny sea-star

Scientific name:

Marthasteria glacialis

Family:

Sea stars, sea urchins and allies

Features:

Protected specie, particularly welcome since it attacks the invasive sea urchins.

Common name:

?

Scientific name:

?

Family:

Algae

Features:

Common name:

?

Scientific name:

?

Family:

Algae

Features:

Common name:

Tern

Scientific name:

Sterna spp.

Family:

Coastal birds

Features:

Endangered specie, it is spectacular to see it hunting a few meters above the water surface, fall down on a small fish and come out of water few seconds later.

Common name:

Great spider crab

Scientific name:

Maja brachydactyla

Family:

Crustaceans

Features:

Common name:

Seaslug

Scientific name:

Hypselodoris picta

Family:

Molluscs

Features:

Common name:

Little egret

Scientific name:

Egretta garzetta

Family:

Coastal birds

Features:

Protected specie. It is found sometimes on the shore, picking small fishes and crustaceans.

Common name:

Salema

Scientific name:

Sarpa salpa

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

The famous fish salema ... this is a controversial fish. There is in the Canary Islands a so called "fishing art" that is to capture salemas using nets. But the salema is not actually appreciated and not very profitable sale. So under the cover of this "fishing art" authorized to fish salema and a maximum of 5% of other species, some fishermen ransack the coast caching in nets, bream, mullet and scorpion fish. Behind them aonly remain salema. I am working with associations to try to do something about it, convincing authorities and improving control

Common name:

Zebra seabream

Scientific name:

Diplodus cervinus

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Common name:

Ruddy turnstone

Scientific name:

Arenaria interpres

Family:

Coastal birds

Features:

Common name:

Wide eyed flounder

Scientific name:

Bothus podas

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Grand master of camouflage on sandy bottoms.

Common name:

Trumpet fish

Scientific name:

Aulostromus strigosus

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

It is found easily from a dozen feet deep. It is absolutely not shy, and just swim slowly in any directions. You may find him in a vertical position, upside or downside... where is the head? it’s hard to know.

Common name:

Common cuttlefish

Scientific name:

Sepia officinalis

Family:

Molluscs

Features:

It seems very fast because it escapes in a blink of an eye, but in reality it is a tactic to deter potential predators. You can find it again a few meters later, immobile and unable to go much further. If you are interested again it will launch another tactic: a shock of black ink to try to scare you.

Common name:

Whimbrel

Scientific name:

Numenius phaeopus

Family:

Coastal birds

Features:

Common name:

Island grouper

Scientific name:

Mycteroperca fusca

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Common name:

Garpike

Scientific name:

Belone belone gracilis

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Common name:

Black moray

Scientific name:

Muraena augusti

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

The moray is actually a beautiful animal. I enjoy watching it swimming.

Common name:

Common stingray

Scientific name:

Dasyatis pastinaca

Family:

Mantas, rays and sharks

Features:

Common name:

Bearded fireworm

Scientific name:

Hermodice carunculata

Family:

Molluscs

Features:

It’s carrion, if we find the remains of a fish that was eaten, we will probably found this small worm cleaning up the remains. Do not touch it: its little hairs are urticating.

Common name:

Garden eel

Scientific name:

Heteroconger longissimus

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Common name:

Octopus

Scientific name:

Octopus vulgaris

Family:

Molluscs

Features:

Since the octopus Paul has predicted the victory of Spain in the World cup of South Africa, here we have special respect for this animal. It camouflage itself well in rocky and enters into the little stone cracks. If you disturb him, he will send a charge black ink trying to scare you and then he will escape.

Common name:

Bastard grunt

Scientific name:

Pomadasys incisus

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

The bastard grunt congregate by thousands in very dense groups, normally close to irregular sea beds or wrecks. A great show you cannot miss.

Common name:

White trevally, kingfish

Scientific name:

Pseudocaranx dentex

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Common name:

Largescale scorpion fish

Scientific name:

Scorpaena scrofa

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Common name:

Round stingray

Scientific name:

Taeniura grabata

Family:

Mantas, rays and sharks

Features:

It is relatively frequent that one or two round stingray come to visit us during a dive in the Canary Islands. Let it approaching, get your photos, and let it go. It is harmless but it could defend itself form an aggressive behavior with it’s long tail.

Common name:

Leopard eel

Scientific name:

Myrichthys pardalis

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Small eel harmless and slow moving.

Common name:

Eagle ray

Scientific name:

Myliobatis aquila

Family:

Mantas, rays and sharks

Features:

Protected species. It is a beautiful animal. One characteristic that distinguishes it from other rays is that it uses fins symmetrically and simultaneously, which resembles a bird uses its wings.

Common name:

Fangtooth moray

Scientific name:

Enchelycore anatina

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Common name:

?

Scientific name:

?

Family:

Sponges (?)

Features:

Common name:

Amberjack

Scientific name:

Seriola rivoliana

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

A great swimmer, stylish and fast

Common name:

Red-banded seabream

Scientific name:

Pagrus Auriga

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Common name:

Slipper lobster

Scientific name:

Scyllarides latus

Family:

Crustaceans

Features:

Protected specie, rare to see.

Common name:

Clup tipped sea anemone

Scientific name:

Telmatactis elongata

Family:

Anemones, corals, and jellyfishes

Features:

Protected species. Do not touch: it defends.

Common name:

Human

Scientific name:

Homo Sapiens Sapiens

Family:

hominidos

Features:

Invasive species, and often destructive.

Common name:

Yellow sea fan

Scientific name:

leptogorgia viminalis

Family:

Anemones, corals, and jellyfishes

Features:

Photo Melo...

Common name:

Angel shark

Scientific name:

Squatina squatina

Family:

Mantas, rays and sharks

Features:

He slept by day, on the sandy bottom. Some divers have fun touching it, this is not always a good idea: it is still a small shark...

Common name:

Encrusting Anemone

Scientific name:

Gerardia Savaglia

Family:

Anemones, corals, and jellyfishes

Features:

This coral grows very very slowly. Unfortunately the main branch of this fine specimen was torn off a few years ago, by an unscrupulous diver.

Common name:

Dusky grouper

Scientific name:

Epinephelus marginatus

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Common name:

Loggerhead sea turtle

Scientific name:

Caretta caretta

Family:

Turtles

Features:

... Photo Keko

Common name:

European conger

Scientific name:

Conger conger

Family:

Bony fishes

Features:

Common name:

Dusky Shark

Scientific name:

Carcharhinus obscurus

Family:

Mantas, rays and sharks

Features:

... Photo Keko

Common name:

Mathematical pratice for my daughter Lara

Scientific name:

Absolument rien à voir...

Family:

Dubois Rivero

Features:

Is canarydive better than youtube for sharing video...?