Kinds of Tropical Ocean Fish

Tropical fish are often thought of as only being the pretty, colorful fish found in tropical fish tanks. However, the fish found in tropical oceans, either in deep waters or in coastal areas, are much bigger. Among them are some of the fastest fish in the sea and some of the most dangerous.

  1. Blue Marlin

    • The blue marlin belongs to the perch family and its favorite habitat is warm, tropical ocean. This fish, which measures between 10 feet to 15 feet in length, and weighs 400 lbs. on average, prefers swimming in open seas. Marlins are among the fastest fish in the sea due to their elongated, streamlined bodies and crescent-shaped tails that are typical of fast-moving fish. Marlins migrate toward equatorial waters in the winter and move to slightly cooler waters during the summer.

    Great Barracuda

    • Barracudas are another member of the perch family. Their preferred habitats are coral reefs and coastal lagoons, although adult barracudas may stray out to deeper water. Although barracudas are found worldwide, they are mainly found in the Carribbean and western Atlantic ocean. The barracuda grows to about 6 feet in length and has an elongated, slender body, a pointed head with a distinctive protruding jaw and a set of sharp teeth. It is an aggressive, predatory fish, but it usually preys on other fish rather than humans.

    Smooth Hammerhead Shark

    • The smooth hammerhead shark is found in tropical areas of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. This fish prefers coastal waters close to the shoreline. The smooth hammerhead is one of 10 hammerhead species and like the rest of the family, its eyes are positioned at the end of the flat projections on the side of its head. The widely spaced eyes and nostrils may help the hammerhead´s sensory detection abilities, or make movement easier. The sharks feed on other fish, particularly rays, and migrate to cooler waters during the summer.

    Stonefish

    • There are about 20 species of stonefish living in tropical oceans. They are usually found in the Indian and Pacific oceans, and in tropical waters around the Red Sea, parts of Africa and north Australia. Although the fish is only about 12 inches long, it is deadly. A member of the scorpionfish family, stonefishes are covered in needle-sharp spines containing the deadliest venom carried by any fish. The stonefish´s shape and coloring allows it to easily hide among rocks in its preferred habitats of shallow water and coral reefs.