Belize Beasties, Birds, Invertebrates, animals, mammals and more!
Phylum Cnidaria (formerly Phylum Coelenterata)
FIRE CORALS, SIPHONOPHORES, JELLY FISH, TRUE CORALS AND                                 ANEMONES
These seemingly diverse animals all belong to the same      biologic phylum and share some common features. The living      animals have radial symmetry (a cut through their center      produces identical halves), a large hollow body cavity in      which they digest their food and a system of stinging cells      to capture food. Many of them also have tentacles to draw      food into the body cavity for digestion, although many of      these tentacles are quite small and not easily seen with the      unaided eye, others have large and colourful ones. The      tentacles of all of these animals have stinging cells      (nematocysts), that contain a poison loaded "harpoon" that      shoot out and paralyzes their prey. These stinging cells aid      in the capture of food. They lack a hard internal skeleton      of any kind.
CORALS AND THEIR MUTUALISTIC RELATIONSHIPS
Corals live in partnership with blue-green algae called      zooxanthellae, that aid in skeletal formation and give the      coral their colours. (The algae that causes the severe "red      tides-fish kills" are also dinoflagellates and related to      zooxanthellae.) These algae (dinoflagellates) are very small      and provide a biological environment within which the coral      can build its calcium carbonate skeleton. The coral polyps,      as a respiratory byproduct, release carbon dioxide and      ammonia, (of which the major constituent is nitrogen). The      algae need the nitrogen to build their own proteins. The      following is a simple explanation of the "mutualistic"      relationships:
1.carbon dioxide is a waste product of the coral polyps              respiration
2. carbon dioxide and water form carbonic acid
3.carbonic acid dissolves or slows the deposition of              calcium carbonate by the corals
4.carbon dioxide and water are the main ingredients              needed in photosynthesis by the algae
5.the algae (zooxanthellae) remove the excess carbon              dioxide and water within the coral polyp
6.this reduces the acidity (lowers the pH) and creates              an internal environment inside the coral, allowing              the polyp to lay down its calcium carbonate skeleton
7.only corals that harbour the algae can produce enough              calcium carbonate to form the reef
ARAGONITE AND CALCITE
(forms of calcium carbonate, limestone,  which form the reef and shells)
While nearly all corals, shells, algae and the like are      formed of calcium carbonate CaCo , most are in the form of      the mineral aragonite, which is stable in the marine      environment. After death of the animal, and burial or      exposure to fresh water, the mineral aragonite slowly begins      to dissolve and the mineral calcite takes its place. Calcite      has the same composition as aragonite, but a different      crystal structure. Any dead coral, shell, algae and the like      will slowly then go from the mineral aragonite to calcite, undetected by the unaided eye. As conch shells, especially#      are used by archaeologists to date their ruins, this      transformation becomes critical. Dates obtained from the      original aragonite are valid, dates from the calcite, a later      feature of the shell, are not valid.
GROWTH RATES IN CORAL
(and means of reproduction)
The highest rates of growth are in the Staghorn-Elkhorn      coral types, which may be 6 to 10 " a year.      Millepora (Fire coral) is the second fastest growing, and      Porites (Finger coral) is the third. The massive corals like      Montastraea (Star coral) have growth rates of approximately      1 " per year.
Reproduction may be sexual or asexual (budding). The      corals have a microscopic sexual larval stage known as the "planula", that is a ciliated, transparent, elongated (like      a short hot dog) body. Some corals like Montastraea may take      8 years to reach sexual maturity. Corals require warm water      (at least 20 Q for growth and reproduction.
Class Anthozoa
HARD CORALS
These showy colonial animals are the most noticeable      component of the Belize Barrier Reef. Their forms range from      large tree like structures and large boulder structures to      small fragile looking forms.
Hard corals are colonial animals, each small individual      has its own living chamber and feeding tentacles, but      digested food is shared throughout the colony by connecting      tissues. As each individual builds its own calcium carbonate      living chamber, its chamber is joined to adjacent ones to      make a rigid solid mass, rather like a large apartment      complex. Sometimes the individual living chamber is easily      visible, at other times the unaided eye cannot easily      distinguish them.
These corals are usually found in clear warm waters      and are primarily night feeders. Each individual coral.animal      extends its tentacles (6 or multiples thereof) into the water      to capture and pull small food particles into its digestive   system.  While these corals may look lifeless during the day,      at night the colony "flowers" with thousands of small polyps      waving in the waters seeking passing planktonic food.
Although some of the hard corals form very large      structures, only the outermost layer is alive. Growth is in      an upward and outward direction with individuals slowly      building the walls of their living chambers higher and      depositing more floor underneath them, leaving the interior      of the coral a lifeless mass of calcium carbonate.
Grazing fish, algae, sponges, urchins, storms and mud in      the water affect the living corals. Some fish have teeth      designed to rasp away at the hard coral, feeding on the coral  animal. Storms can break off or move corals and bury them in      sediment. Large amounts of mud brought into the area can      cover the coral animal and prevent them from feeding or      extracting oxygen from the water. For the most part, after      storm damage, a coral colony can recover.
Hard corals are nicely illustrated in several popular      guide books so treatment here of the different types will be      brief.
Star Corals: Montastraea: (colour red-brown)
In star corals, each coral living chamber forms a      distinctive circular pattern with small radiating ridges that      make it look like a rayed star. There are several genera,      but Montastraea and Siderast    with their several species      are the most common. Both types are commonly found in all      reef environments, but Montastraea can grow in-deeper water      oft the front of the reef, down to nearly 300 ft, while      Siderastrea goes down only to about 100 ft water depth off      the reef front. They are both common in patch reefs and the      shallow water 3ust behind a reef.
It is the genus Montastraea that is the main reef      builder on the Belize Barrier Reef at Ambergris Caye. It      forms very large heads that look like cauliflower, as seen at      the popular dive sites of Mexico Rocks and Hol Chan.
These coral masses do not have a uniform surface, but      are marked by fissures and blotches where part of the coral      colony has died. This coral has been found to grow up to      about an inch a year, but destructive processes can overcome      this growth rate at times. The dual processes of destruction      and new growth in not only Montastraea but other corals makes      the reef a dynamic area where things are always changing.
Brain Coral: Diploria: (colour yellow brown)
Like star coral, this general term for cobble to boulder      size colonial corals is derived from the convoluted brain-      like pattern the living coral chambers make. It includes at  least three common genera and several species.
The brain corals live in waters from 1.5 to 240 ft. deep      and are found in the lagoon between the island and the reef,      patch reefs like Mexico Rocks, just behind the reef and off      the front of the reef. The regular growth pattern is often      marred by fissures and holes, the result of damage to part of      the colony. Colonies of brain coral can be seen at Mexico      Rocks, Hol Chan and throughout the reef.
Elkhorn Coral: Acropora palmata: (colour brownish yellow)
This coral is found primarily in turbulent shallow water      on the forereef crest and the backreef crest at the cuts in      the reef. Isolated colonies survive where large storms and      hurricanes have moved them back over the reef. It is found in      waters down to about 50 ft, but is most common in very      shallow water.
The colony grows in a form resembling a moose antler      with the "antlers stretching out into the oncoming wave      direction. When diving or snorkeling near these or anything      else in the reef, use caution. Branching types of hardi      corals have very sharp projections that can deliver a nasty      cut that may be slow healing.
Staghorn Coral: Arropora cervicornis: (colour yellow brown)
Staghorn coral forms clumps and patches that resemble      bramble thickets. The colonies branch to form a "bush" that      is pretty, however, sharp. It is found on the back side of      the reef crest and patch reefs like Mexico Rocks. This can be      a very fast growing coral with the branches growing from 6 to      10 " in a year under good conditions.
Finger Coral: Porites porites: (colour brown, blue,         iridescent purple)
Finger Corals grow in short, stubby clumps up to 4"      high. Some authors put this coral into three separate species      while others consider it one species with three different      growth patterns. Finger Coral and its three different forms      (porites, furcata and divaricata) are found on the reef      itself, patch reefs and behind the reef. The polyps may      often be seen extended in the daytime.
Chenille Coral: Manicina areolata forma areolata): (colour         yellow brown)
These oval shaped, rather small corals grow up to only      about 3" long. They have a winding central furrow with side      furrows off from it to give a very ruffled look to the      colony. Colour of the living colony varies from white to      yellows, browns and greens. This coral is common in Turtle      Grass beds, sands and usually has a short stalk at its base.      It can be observed in the outer reef lagoon. One form of the      species (mayori) can grow up to 11" across but will not be      found on the Belize Barrier reef.
SOFT CORALS
True corals have forms with a relatively soft flexible      skeleton as well as the very familiar hard corals with a very      rigid skeleton. The soft corals are usually called      (Alcyonaria): gorgonians, sea whips and sea fans . The Caribbean is unusually rich in varieties and      numbers of soft corals although they occur in other tropical      seas. Soft corals are colonial animals and some do have      calcium carbonate skeletons of a sort. The polyps have eight      tentacles or multiples thereof. Instead of welding and fusing      their small pieces of calcium carbonate together as do the      hard corals (to form coral heads and tree like forms), the      small bits of calcium carbonate material (called spicules) of      the soft corals remain separate to give shape and strength to      the colony without becoming rigid. In addition to, or      sometimes in the place of spicules, the soft corals can have      a central axis in each branch composed of a horny (gorgonan)      substance to give the colony enough strength to grow upright      oft the sea floor and still preserve its flexibility.
As with other related animals, the soft corals exist as      small animals (polyps) in colonial units and use tentacles to      catch and drag food into its digestive system. These animals      often feed during the day resulting in the colony having a      soft fuzzy appearance due to all of the small extended      polyps. This is typical o t e purple backreef soft coral,      Briareum. At Mexico Rocks and throughout the reef it is not      unusual to see the colonies feeding during the day.
The soft corals are extremely variable in appearance.      They need to have a hard bottom or surface to attach to and      do not grow where the sea bottom is sandy or muddy. They do      occur in the reef lagoon. Just south of the main part of San      Pedro, off the Sun Breeze Hotel and Ramon's Reef Resort,      there is some rocky floor (Pleistocene) exposed and isolated      clumps of soft coral may be observed there. Most are found      associated with the reef and in front of the reef where there      are more rocky, available substrates.
Angel Coral: various soft coral species
BEACHCOMBERS TIP:
When dried and polished, these yield      beautiful marbled (brown to black) jewelry items.
Black Coral: Antipatharia species (colour black with small         yellow polyps)
Although hard Black Coral is classified as a soft coral.      It has a thick, dark horny axis as its skeleton. The young      coral larvae (negatively phototactic: does not like light)      settles in cracks and holes on the ocean side of the reef and      then grows outward from the hole. If it lodges on a vertical      surface, the colony will grow horizontally out into the      water. At one time the black horny skeleton was thought to      guard against disease. In some areas of the Caribbean where      the animal has been extensively harvested, living Black Coral      remains only in very deep water (sometimes deeper than even      an experienced SCUBA diver should go). It is now sought for      jewelry material. When harvested, the polyps give off a slimy      secretion that may be mildly irritating to some divers.
Class Scyphozoa
JELLYFISH
Jellyfish are floating or poorly swimming pelagic      animals that often wash ashore when the winds and currents      are right. Nearly all swimming forms move by undulating      their bodies to give a flapping motion to propel then through      the water. Even then they are usually such poor swimmers      that wave and current action may carry them hither and      thither. Most jelly fish have a body that is reminiscent of      an opened umbrella with tentacles or other similar body parts      extending from underneath the umbrella-like portion. A few      species are discussed in the following section although there      are other jellyfish seasonally found off Ambergris Caye.
Sea Thimbles: Spanish is "deadal" (size of, and the word      means sewing thimble)                 A small jellyfish, it is transparent with rows of brown      lines and dots that make it visible. They have very small      tentacles and appear in schools numbering millions. They      are usually blown ashore in various months of the year due to      shifts in open ocean current patterns. Their sting is      harmless to most people, but rare individuals are allergic to      the sting.
Moon Jellyfish: Aurelia species
A bluish transparent jellyfish, up to 6 " in diameter,      it is found seasonally washed up on the beaches. The      re-productive organs are pink and resemble a four leaf clover.      They are harmless to most people.
Sea Wasps: Carybdea, Chiropsalmus species               Transparent small jellyfish, about the size and shape of      a small match box. They have one tentacle on each corner of      the body which may stretch to over 4 A long. The Caribbean      Cubomedusae, as these animals,are called due to their body      shape (like a cube), are related to the deadly Cubomedusae      off Australia. Fortunately the Caribbean variety is not      deadly, but will impart a strong sting. These animals usually      live in deep water and rise to the surface in the day time,      however they are not very common. The snorkeler or diver is      unlikely to encounter these jellyfish.
Upside-Down Jellyfish: Cassiopeia xamachana (mottled yellow        brown, local name "sombra pica" which means stinging        shade)
This animal, regardless of its local name, has a mild      sting. The adult is primarily seen upside down on the bottom,      in the semi-stagnant water areas in a few parts of San Pedro      Lagoon. The tentacles are pronounced and frilly and contain      thousands of zooxanthellae. Sometimes many of these animals      will be seen together. Although adults are primarily      sedentary, the young may be rarely seen offshore in the      outlying atoll lagoons actively swimming about. The adult is      up to 8 " in diameter.
Order Siphonophore
Portuguese Man-of War: Physalia physalia. (colour blue to        mauve). Local name "agua mala", bad water:
The most distinctive feature of this colonial "jellyfish" (siphonophore) is a bright blue float up to 5"      long (pneumatophore) that catches the wind and moves the      colony across the water. This float is filled with gasses      They can, by crudely contracting the body, turn the gas sack      over to keep both sides wet, otherwise the gas will escape      through a dried membrane. Underneath the float is a colony of      small animals whose digestive cavities are all interconnected. They catch small fish on tentacles that stream out      from under the colony. These tentacles are equipped with      stinging cells (nematocysts) that paralyze the fish, then the      tentacles shorten to bring the food into the digestive  system. These feeding tentacles can be very long, up to 33'      and trail behind the float as it sails along. There is a      small fish associated with the man-of-war, the Banded Man-of      War Fish (Nomeus  gronoveri). It manages to eat bits of food      left over from the jelly fishes meal. The sting of this      jellyfish is quite painful to humans (meat tenderizer may      help alleviate the pain of the sting). When they wash up on      the beach, swimming crabs eat them with impunity. With a      world wide distribution, the Man-of-War is seen only      seasonally at Ambergris Caye. Distribution depends on the      oceanic currents.
Class Anthozoa
ANEMONES
Related to the corals and jellyfish, the anemones      seldom build living chambers as do the corals, and do not      drift freely through the waters as do the jellyfish. While a      very few live in tube-like structures, most live on the      surface of the sea floor, attaching to hard surfaces. In form      they usually have a short thick column that forms the base of      the animal. This column is topped by a mass of ciliated      tentacles that surround the mouth and "hunt" the surrounding      waters for food. Caught food is pulled into the mouth and      digested.
Although anemones appear to remain attached in one spot,      some actually can move slowly from place to place. They      shuffle about slowly on their basal portion. There is one      anemone that has a unique solution for the need to move      about. The Tricolour Anemone is quite agreeable to letting      one species of hermit crab put it upon its back, thus      becoming a passenger on the hermit crab. As the Tricolour      Anemone has stinging tentacles, it affords some protection      for the crab, and the crab constantly carries the anemone to      new feeding areas.
At Ambergris Caye anemones can be found just off the a      beach in the Turtle Grass beds or on rock piles as well as on      the barrier reef. Same of the anemones in the intertidal are      burrowing and nocturnal. Beach cambers may best see these at      night with a flashlight. The ones in the Turtle Grass are a      little difficult to see at first because the thick carpet of      grass is usually taller than the anemone.
Colonial Anemones: Palythoa: (colour a non descript yellow         brown): colony size 3 to 4" diameter, 1/2" high
Found in the immediate forereef and reef crest. Sun Anemone: Stoichactus helianthus. (colour dull green to         tannish green), 4 " diameter, I" high
Looking much like a thick living mat, groups of these      anemones often cover hard surfaces, sometimes in quite      shallow water, but they are found from the shallow reef crest      to the shore intertidal. The tentacles are short and thick,      up to 1/2" long. The mat-like pattern at the anemone may not      be the result at any one animal, but rather a clustering at      many individuals in one spot. Same specimens can be seen from      time to time on rocks and piers off Ambergris Caye. They are      very common in the intertidal at Rocky Point. Immediately      in front of the Bottom Time Dive Shop, there are usually some      of these anemones in about 3 ft. at water.
Giant Caribbean Anemone, Passion Flower Anemone: Condyiaclis         wantea:
In the reef and lagoon (Turtle Grass area) this is a      large colourful anemone. The pencil thick tentacles can be      6"-8" long and the tentacle crown and be as much as 6" in    diameter. The tentacles are yellowish with shades at purple      at the tips. It is one at the most highly visible anemones      and is quite harmless. The animal does not attach itself      permanently to one spot.
Ringed Anemone: Bartholomea annulata - (semi-transparent         with delicate whitermarkings-nematocysts)
In crevasses on the reef, or in dead conch shells, this      anemone has long transparent tentacles that can elongate and      contract to a very great extent. Often cleaner shrimp are      associated with this anemone.
Class Hydrozoa
FIRE CORALS
They build skeletons like hard corals, but they have a      different lite cycle. The Fire Corals can give a painful      sting it you brush against them. Besides living in the reef      environment, Fire Corals can also sometimes grow on pilings      and seawalls. In the shallow fore reef, 1 to 6 ft. the      abundance of tire coral makes exploring some shipwreck sites      almost impossible.
Flat Topped Fire Coral: Millepora  complanta; (colours of                   yellow and tan)
This fire coral grows vertically forming leaf-like                structures with the tops flattened off. The broad sides                usually face into the wave direction and may be quite pretty.                It is most abundant on the high energy reef crests and spurs                off the reef front.
Encrusting Fire Coral: Millepora squarrosa (colours of yellow         and tan, at times purplish)
Often having a wrinkled or box-like appearance,      this one encrusts rocks and corals.
Crenelated Fire Coral: Millepora alcicornis (colours of         yellow and tan)
The shape of this fire coral varies. It can encrust dead      organisms or other hard surfaces. It can form a bushy clump      with thick branches and stubby offshoots, or it can have      rather flattened branches with stubby offshoots. It grows      mainly on the reef and at times patch reefs behind the main      barrier reef, and some good examples can be seen at Mexico      Rocks.
Mnemiopsis (Type comonly seen in San Pedro Lagoon.)
Phylum Ctenophora
(formerly Phylum Coelenterata)
At one time included in the same group as the corals,      jellyfish and anemones, these transparent animals look like      blobs of jelly slowly floating through the water.
The comb jellies are frequently seen by diver and  snorkelers. They are usually seen floating around in the  water and are quite transparent. They are often confused with jelly  fish but they do not have the nematocysts (stinging  cells). For some unknown reason, swarms of these comb  jellies will be seen in the San Pedro lagoon.  Some of these comb jellies live only ouside the  reef in the blue water. Varieties of these may at night time be very  bioluminescent. giving off a spectacular blue green light
Phylum Porifera
SPONGES
Sponges are very simple animals that have small holes                (dermal pores) through the body that take in water, and                larger holes (osculum) to let the water out. Small hairlike                cells in the holes create currents of sea water bringing in                small food particles. The food is caught in a ring of sticky                cells, digested and distributed throughout the animal and                waste products are released back to the sea. The arrangement                of incurrent and outcurrent holes varies widely among the                sponge community.
Sponges do have an internal skeleton which gives them                shape and strength. Some have small rigid particles called                spicules that range from simple forms like a very small                toothpick to others that look like a small jack (a child's                toy). These spicules are embedded in tissue but are not                connected. Other sponges have a tough elastic fibrous network                to give them strength.
Sponges range in size from very small microscopic forms                that bore into shells and corals to large                showy animals that a SCUBA diver could sit in. Sponges                provide shelter for other marine animals including brittle                stars, fish, shrimp and worms. Many smaller sponges are                commonly seen in the reef environment. Most of the larger  and                showier forms are seen when SCUBA diving off the reef front.                Divers also see the big sponges giving off large milky clouds                of reproductive material during the months of June, July and                August in Belize. As with the corals, sponges are so varied                and numerous, only a few are identified in this guide.
Black Chimney Sponge: pellina carbonaria
A lagoon dwelling form, the Black Chimney Sponge can be                seen in San Pedro Lagoon to the north and west of the town.                Large colonies are about 8" high. It grows somewhat buried  in                sand, rubble and sea grasses and often is covered by a                dusting of mud and sand. They are one of the few larger                invertebrates seen in the lagoon.
Loggerhead Sponge: Spheciospong     vesparium:
Of        little commercial use, the Loggerhead Sponge is large   and may grow 2 ft. across and 1 ft. high. It can resemble   a   barrel or cake with a rather flat top sporting a cluster  of black holes   (osculum) in the center of the top for outflow  of water.      It has a rubbery feel and a somewhat lumpy surface.                Because of its size      it is extremely important in providing                shelter tor many smaller animals especially small shrimps                and corals. A large Loggerhead Sponge can host several                hundred small pistol shrimp. It needs a rocky substrate to  grow on and will not grow on a sandy or muddy floor, thus it      is seen in the reef lagoon oft the town and for example in      front of the High School in 5 to 8 ft. of water.
Boring Sponges:
Not readily visible, this group (usually members of the      genus Cliona) actually bores its way into corals and shells      to begin the process of reducing them to sand sized material.      These very small animals along with many others are very      important in destroying old shells and the like to make way      for living animals. This is an example of one of the      mechanisms by which the sand on the island is formed.
Phylum Mollusca
MOLLUSCS
The term molluscs encompasses a large important group      of animals: snails, clams, octopus and the squid-like      families.
GASTROPODS
(Snails)
The favourite of shell collectors worldwide, members of      this familiar coiled shelled group are mainly marine, but      there are also fresh water and land forms. They contain two      groups, those that eat plants (herbivores) and those that eat      other animals (carnivores).
Gastropods, like their relatives the pelecypods usually      move about by means of a muscular organ called a foot, that,      with contractions, pulls them along. Most snails can      withdraw completely inside their shell when threatened and      close the opening with a lid called an operculum. The      operculum may be leathery Whitinous) as in the commercial      Queen Conch, or stony as in the star shells.
They have a well developed head that has the eyes, mouth      and other sensory organs. The eyes are usually carried on      stalks. The mouth contains a radula made of horny small teeth      that scrape food (gastropods are sometimes kept in aquariums      as their rasping teeth help keep the glass clean of algae).      One genus of gastropods, Conus, contains venom in its      salivary gland that is toxic to humans, but only those of the      Pacific pose any severe threat to man.
As with other groups of marine animals, we cannot      begin to illustrate all of the gastropods found off Ambergris      Caye and its surrounding waters. Only the more common or      interesting ones will be dealt with. We will try to illustrate      some of the ditferent types of egg cases that the various      gastropods lay to protect their eggs until hatching.
Queen Conch: "konk- local pronunciation, Florida, name is "Pink Roller": Strombus gigas:
A very important herbivorous gastropod found at      Ambergris Caye as elsewhere in the Caribbean, it is harvested      commercially for food, although others species at conch are      also used locally. The animal has a radula and works the sand      over, feeding on microscopic algae. It is large, up to 8"      long and has a white exterior that is covered by a thin      brownish membrane (periostracum) that flakes art when the      conch dies. It has a very regular, moderately high stepped      spire with blunt spines on each whorl. The lip is large and      flares dramatically, the top at the flare reaching as high as      the top of the spire where it has a gently swale in it. The      outer margin at the flaring lip is smooth on the inside and      on the outside may have crenulations in its lower half. The      opening (aperture) is a bright pink. These conch inhabit the      Turtle Grass beds, however they may be found as deep as 100      ft. in the forereef.
once harvested the problem arises as to how to get the      animal out at its shell. The snail has a firm tooting inside      the shell and in a tug-of-war, the snail wins. The animal can      be extracted by knocking a small hole in the proper spot, and then using a thin knife      to sever the muscle attachment. The animal can then be      extracted. In cleaning, only the muscular toot is saved.
BEACHCOMBERS TIP:
Local people believe the crystalline style      has APHRODISIAC properties. When cleaning a conch, the      edible, thin, transparent crystalline style becomes apparent.      This straw-sized, crystalline style, part at the digestive      tract, contains the enzyme amylase that helps the animal      digest starches.
Conch is harvested seasonally, October I to July 1, and      is therefore not available all year long. Growing demand for      conch has resulted in overharvesting. A pilot project (U.S.      AID - Belize Fisheries) just north of San Pedro, by the High      school, is examining the feasibility at collecting conch eggs     and raising them in captivity thus reducing      the larval (veliger) mortality. The young conch,      theoretically, can then be returned to the sea with a better      chance at survival.
They are a food item for many animals including the rays      that cruise the lagoon. The powerful jaws of the rays easily      crush the shells at the conch to get at the animal.
When the conch is properly skinned and cleaned, it is      called "market clean" and the meat is a pure white muscle.  In      1982, Caribena, Ambergris Caye cooperative, exported 11,273      kilograms at conch, at a value of $52,000 U.S.
The conch also produce pearls at economic importance.      These may be spherical or baroque (out of round and often in      distinctive shapes). Their colours range from light yellow to      deep pink, with sizes ranges up to the size at a pea or      slightly larger. The pearls are formed in the mantle, the      pink-orange fleshy part; which also makes the shell. Some      irritant in the mantle starts the pearl forming process. The      mantle of the animal coats the irritant with many layers of      nacreous material to reduce irritation, until the pearl is      formed.
The conch fish, Astrapogon stellatus, lives as a      commensal (feeding at the same table) in the mantle cavity of      the conch.
Milk Conch: Strombus costatus:
Common in the Caribbean, the Milk Conch is 4 to 5" long      with a nice cone shaped spire and thick rounded tubercules on      each whorl with the last whorl having large tubercules. The      flaring lip is smooth, a creamy white with some pinkish to      pale violet in fresh specimens. The outer shell is a      yellowish white with some brownish markings. It is common in      the Thalassia reef lagoon. Edible although not harvested      commercially. It is an herbivore.
Rooster-tail Conch: Strombus gallus
Fairly rare at Ambergris Caye and elsewhere in the      Caribbean, the Rooster-tailed Conch is interesting because of      its distinctive flaring lip. Moderate in size, 4 to 6", it      has a high spire and a long projection on its lip that      reaches well above the leveL of the spire, making the flaring      lip longer that the shell body. The outer shell is mottled      brown and yellow and the opening is yellowish to a pinkish      brown. It is found in the Thalassia areas in the reef lagoon.
Hawkswing Conch: Strombus raninus
A rather small conch, 2 to 4", it is grey to brownish      white with patches and streaks of brown. The spire is conical      and each spire whorl has small spines with 2 spines on the      last whorl the largest. The opening is cream coloured with      lavender and pink tinges. The outer edge of the lip is very      irregular. It grazes in the Turtle Grass beds (2 to 5 ft      deep) in areas such as in front of the High School.
West-Indian Fighting Conch: Strombus pugilis
This 3 to 4" long conch is often a orange to brown      colour and smooth except for spines on the last two whorls,      with the spines on the next to last whorl usually the      largest. The lip has no upper flare and is slightly shorter      than the main body of the shell. The opening (aperture) is      often a salmon pink and there is a dark spot at the end of       the canal that is usually blue. Not of ten seen, it lives on      sand and grass bottoms.
Atlantic Carrier Shell: Xenophora canchyliophora:
Not common in this area, this species is found      throughout the Caribbean. This conically spiraled shell with      a flat base cements shell debris and pebbles to its shell as      it grows. If the shell fragment or pebble dislodges, it      leaves its imprint on the shell. It grows up to 2" in      diameter, excluding the debris. Some members of this genus      are quite selective about the material they attach to their      shells.
West Indian Turban Shell: local name "ci-wa": Cittarium (Livonia) pica:
This genus contains only the one species as shown here.      Although the specimen figured here is a juvenile and rather      small (5/8"), mature specimens can be 2 to 3 1/2" across.      The shell is thick with tine growth lines marking the whorls.      It is generally dark, with purplish black splotches on a      dirty white background. The inner edge of the lip often has a      bluish tinge or mottling.
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It lives only on rocky areas and grazes on      algae, and is fairly common at Rocky Point, north along the      coast from San Pedro. This snail makes an excellent ceviche      (raw or cooked seafood marinated in lime juice with      vegetables), and the shell polishes to make nice jewelry.      The large round operculum is also used in jewelry and is      called a cat's eye.
Tulip Shell: Fasciolaria tulipa:
A large shell, 3 to 8" long, it has very graceful lines,      a tall pointed spire, smooth convex whorls and a long      anterior canal. In colour it can range from pinkish to cream      to white with brown blotchy spiral bands. The toot of the      animal is red when alive. It lives in the intertidal      Thalassia, but prefers the muddy inner lagoon and Chetumal      Bay, and is an aggressive carnivore feeding on other snails,      clams etc. There is another tulip, the Banded Tulip      (Fasciolaria hunteria), that lives in coral areas. It is      smaller and usually covered with encrusting organisms and not      that easily noticeable.
Horse Conch: (commonly called "mai-mulla"): Pleuroploca         gigantea
The large, robust shell, 1 to 2 ft. in length, is one of      the largest gastropod shells in the world. Each whorl of the                shell is ornamented with axial ribs and spiral cords. The      colour is greyish white to a chalky salmon but is covered      (while living) with a thick brown "skin" (periostracum) that      begins to flake off after death. Young ones are a bright      orange red. It lives in muddy sands and is carnivorous.
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Although tough, this (MAI-MULLA) is the      local favourite ingredient in ceviche. Removing this      gastropod from its shell is very difficult and local      knowledge should be sought.
Emperor Helmet: (locally called King Conch): Cassis        madagascariensis:
It is a large robust shell, highly sought after for its      beauty, with three rows of rounded spines, the largest spines      on the top row. There is one variex (place where the shell      makes a sharp turn in coiling) in each whorl. The varices are      at right angles to each other giving a triangular impression      when you look down on the apex. The shell opening is rather      triangular with a pink to salmon pink colour and rows of "teeth" defining the aperture. The "teeth" are white  with      the middle three being larger than the others, and a brown      colour between the teeth, especially near the siphonal notch.
This animal is primarily nocturnal in the Thalassia      flats. There are several other species here. The animal is a      carnivore and, although edible, is rarely eaten.
Royal Triton: Charonia variegata:
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The tritons and the helmets are the      prettiest large collectable shells off Ambergris Caye.
Frequently found in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean,      this large gastropod ( 8 to 16"), is a very pretty high      spired shell. It usually has two varices per whorl with      prominent puckered suture cords ( where the whorls meet).      The opening has teeth both on the outer rim and the inner      margin. The teeth are white with brown between them. In      colour it may have a pinkish tinge with a pattern of cream      and brown crescent shapes spiraling the shell. It is not too      common here and is a carnivorous snail. It is found in both      the reef and the Thalassia flats.
Scotch Bonnet: Phalium granulatum:
Found not only from North Carolina to Brazil, but also      on the Pacific Coast of Central America, this shell takes      different forms (subspecies) depending upon where it is      found. It can get up to 3" long and the one figured here has      a smooth outer shell. The spire is uniform. and smooth with      impressed sutures. The outer lip flares more at the base than      the top and is thickened with small but distinct teeth on the      inner margin. The parietal shield is rather thin and has      small bumps toward the base. The siphonal canal is slightly      upturned and short. In live specimens, the shell colour is a      creamy white with spiral bands of yellowish brown blotches.
Atlantic Partridge Tun: Tonna maculosa:
Common in the Caribbean, Tonna maculosa is usually from      2" to 5" long, and rather elongate globular in shape. The      shell is thin for its size, but deceptively strong. It has      numerous spiral grooves circling down the shell. The spire is      regular with distinctly impressed sutures. The outer lip is      not thickened at all and there is a siphonal notch at the      base of the lip. The umbilicus is a distinct hole when viewed      from the bottom. In colour the shell is brown to yellowish      brown with small blotches of darker brown and white.
Long-spined Star-shell: Eyestone Shell: Astraea phoebia:
A flat heavy shell up to 1" to 2" in diameter, each      whorl has a keel (edge) that carries a row of sharp, flat,      triangular spines. These spines are often worn away on the      early volutions. The whorls are ornamented with spiral rows      of very short spines. This snail can be found when snorkeling      in the Thalassia- flats off most of the piers.
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Interestingly, the operculum (the lid that      the animal used to cover the shell opening when threatened)      was thought by some to have curative powers for some eye      disorders. Called an "Eyestone", it was placed in the eye,      sometimes overnight, to help remove foreign particles.      Many people believed in the old days that these "Eyestones" were separate living animals apart from the shell.
Cerithium, and Batillaria:
Small high spired shells that inhabit shallow intertidal      waters, members of these genera are very common just off the      beach at Ambergris Caye and in the shallow muddy areas in San      Pedro lagoon. They are small, members of the genus Cerithium, can get up to 1" long and inhabit the waters just of the  beaches in front of Ambergris Caye. They are generally      black. The genus Batillaria is smaller, around 1/2". It      usually has more of a striped pattern in blacks, whites and      browns. Quite often these shells are occupied by small hermit      crabs, and in the shallow intertidal the beach comber may      often see these "Occupied" shells swarming together in large      clusters.
Moon Snail: Polinices species
Small, globular, 1/2", white to grey snail, that lay      their sandy donut shaped egg cases (1" in diameter) in the      shallow intertidal. Beach combing will usually reveal many of      these egg cases.
Common Atlantic Bubble: Bulla striata (formerly B.         occidentalis)
Not a very large shell, 1" long at most, the Atlantic      Bubble is a moderately inflated ellipsoidal shell and comes      in shades of white to mottled greyish white, often with      brownish mottled stripes. The apex is marked by an      indentation as new shell growth nearly covers up the apical      area of the previous whorl. The outer lip is thin and has a      rather straight side at the top 1/3 of the shell. The      aperature widens slightly at the base of the shell. These      snails actually live on the backside of the island, but land      fill material from there has been used to build up      the beach behind sea walls, so some empty shells can be found      in front of some of the beach front buildings.
Flamingo Tongue: local name "lucky shell": Cyphoma gibbosum:
Around ln to 1 1/2" long, this attractive snail lives      exclusively on soft corals and feeds on the coral polyps      When living, part of the snail's body ( the fleshy mantle)      covers nearly all of the shell. The mantle is a pinkish tan      colour with striking black rings (it looks much like the      patterns on a jaguar's pelt). The shell is an orangish tan to      brownish orange colour. The aperture extends the length of      the shell, and the outer lip is thickened. There is a      prominent ridge running around the middle of the shell. It is      a favourite of collectors, and these human predators are      severely reducing its numbers.
Caribbean Vase: Vasum muricatum :
An extremely heavy, thick shell, it has a pointed spire,      often eroded off or covered by other organisms, and heavy   thick, blunt spines on the shoulders and in 4 rows at the      bottom of the shell. There are also 4 strong folds on the      columella. The aperture is a glossy white with purplish      tinges and blotches. It lives in rocky intertidal and      Thalassia sand flats. It is 3 to 4" high.
West Indian Crown Conch, Mud Conch: Melongena  melongena:
Mature specimens range from 3" to 6", but the smaller      ones are the most common. It is a very heavy shell in large      specimens, but the smaller ones appear more fragile. The      spire in young specimens is regular and sharply pointed with      heavy bumps on the shoulders. As the shell grows, the new      volution tends to grow up and over the preceding one, so that      the spire appears to sit in a depressed area. The shoulders      are rounded (which distinguishes it from the Common Crown      Conch) with various degrees of spine development. The spines      are heavy and blunt, occurring on the shoulders and in rows      toward the bottom of the shell. They live in the Thalassia      intertidal and in San Pedro lagoon and the shells vary widely      in degree of spine development, indeed some have almost no      spines at all in the smaller specimens. In colour they are      shades of greys, browns and dirty whites often marked by      bands of alternating colours. Beach combers can often see      these, especially at night or in the early morning, just oft      the beach. They are usually moving, partially buried, with      the periscope like black siphon extended.
Marginella species , (subgenus Prunum):
Rather small, heavy shells from 1/4" to 1" long, they      have a smooth porcelainous outer surface. The spire is very      short and looks just like a bump on the top of the shell. The      aperture runs the length of the shell and the thickened outer      lip parallels the coiled shell. Several species are present      in these waters, but the specimen figured is probably close      to Marginella carnea. They live in the outer reef lagoon.
Nerites: Nerita species
Three species of nerites are found in the intertidal      rocky areas of f Ambergris Caye, the Bleeding Tooth, Four-      toothed Nerite and the Tesselate Nerite. All are rather      small, heavy globular shells up to about 1" in size and have      a very similar appearance from the outside except for the      colours. They are primarily distinguished by the number and      size of bumps or teeth on the inside of the aperature.      In the Thalassia flats other smaller nerites graze on the  grass beds.
Tessellate Nerite: Nerita tessellata:
It has heavy spiral cords and black mottlings on an off      white background, at times appearing more black than white-      The aperature is a bluish white with two very small weak      teeth on the inner margin and very weak bumps on the inside      of the lip. The operculum. is black and slightly granular      looking.
Four-toothed Nerite: Nerita versicolor:
In colour it is a dirty white with zig-zag rows of black      and red spots. The inside of the aperature is a bluish to      yellowish white with tour very pronounced teeth. The      operculum is a greyish brown and slightly granular looking.
Bleeding Tooth: Nertia peloronta
The colour of this one is variable, but it has zig-zag      darker bands on a lighter background. Its most striking      feature is a orange colouration around the teeth (one tooth      is conspicuously larger than the other), hence its name.
Cayenne Keyhole Limpet: Diodora cayensis:
This conical snail looks like an oriental hat attached      to the rocks. It is 1" to 2" long with a small oval hole in      the top just in front ot, and a little lower than the apex.      It has strong radial ribs and every fourth rib is much larger      than the others. On the inside of the shell there is a thick      rim (callus) around the hole and this callus is squared off      toward the front with a little depression in it. This snail      looks very similar to the genus Fissurella, but the callus in      Fissurella is uniform around the hole when viewed from      underneath. In the Tropics the limpets are small.
Spotted Sea Hare: locally "tinta": Aplysia dactylomela:
At first glance this looks like anything but a member of      the snail family, but it is surely a gastropod. Its body is      4 to 5" long and is a drab olive with prominent black rings.      It has two structures on its head that look like rabbit ears,      hence its name. When disturbed it emits a purplish to      reddish ink to distract its enemies. The shell of the Sea      Hare is small and located inside the body. The Sea Hare lives      in the Turtle Grass beds, grazing on algae, and appear      seasonally.
CEPHALOPODS
(Squid Family)
Squid are not often seen behind the reef, but on some      occasions are encountered while snorkeling. They have no hard      external skeleton. Some squids have a fairly hard internal      skeleton, the cuttlebone familiar to parakeet owners, while      others have a much smaller structure called a pen. The      appearance of a squid is familiar to most people, arms and      head at one end and a body with swimming vanes at the other.      The animal uses its vanes to maneuver and to swim, often head      first. When startled or wary, it can jet backwards,      sometimes leaving the water, by expelling water through a      special siphon.
Octopi between the reef and the island are small      retiring individuals that hide in old shells and crevasses.      They also line the entrance to their holes with coral rubble.      They usually have no skeleton at all, but do have highly      developed eyes and a complex nervous system, and indeed in      laboratory experiments are capable of learning to some      extent. Octopi are carnivorous scavengers, and search for      food by crawling along the bottom at night. When startled      they emit an ink-like substance to distract their enemies and      can jet away much like the squid.
Internal Skeleton of SPIRULA (Deep Sea Squid)
Spirula spirula:                                     This white, fragile coiled                                    shell, found washed up on the                                    beach, is the internal skeleton                                    of a short-armed deep sea                                    squid. It is unlikely that one                                    will ever see this squid while                 SIT                                    diving, but when the squid dies                                    the small shell floats to the surface  where waves and           currents can bring it to shore.
PELECYPODS
(Clams and Oysters)
Also known as bivalves (two valves), the clam family      contributes a lot of shell material to the sea floor and      beaches. Most of the pelecypod shells of Ambergris Caye are      small to moderate in size.
Most of the members of the clam family are bottom      dwellers, usually shallow water, and with some exceptions,      move slowly across or under the sea floor surface while a few      are fixed in one place. Tb move, a clam extends a muscular      part of its body (foot) forward to get a grip on the      sediment, and then contracts the muscles in the foot to pull      its main body and shell forward. Those living in one position      may either burrow in soft sediment or at times in rock. These      burrowing forms then extend long tubes called siphons out      into the water to draw in water and food particles through      one tube and expel waste water through another. The second      type of fixed clam can cement its shell to a hard surface      like some oysters or extrude a tough fibrous material      (byssal thread) that attaches it to a hard surface.
Most of the clam shells of Ambergris Caye are not the      large showy types favoured by collectors, but they do display      good diversity and are interesting in themselves. They are      not used as a commercial food source here, but are sometimes      used locally in ceviche.
Chione cancellata: Cross-barred venus:
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This is the most common shell found on the      leeward side of the island. At times, in the shallow mud      flats immediately encountered after leaving San Pedro Lagoon,      one will find one of the more ornate smaller murexes      spawning, probably Cabrit's Murex (Murex cabritii).
A sturdy shell, usually an inch or so long, it is marked      by very prominent elevated concentric ribs (growth lines).      There are noticeable but less pronounced radial ribs      extending from the beak to the outer margin of the shell. On      the inside of the shell, the teeth (they help join the two      valves together) are very pronounced and the interior surface      of the shell is a deep purplish colour.
Lucine pelecypods: local name "almeja": Codakia species;
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The more common large clam seen washed up      on the beaches. These type clams are edible, but live in the      Thalassia, and are hard to dig up. The one pictured is      representative of the group that has 5 different genera      belonging to it.
Flat Tree Oyster: Mangrove Oyster: Isognomon alatus:
Found in one local area on the southern tip of Ambergris      Caye, it attaches to the roots of the red mangrove. Although      the shell is large and flat, the oyster itself is edible but      quite small and is of little commercial use. The shell of      these oysters is iridescent (mother of pearl) on the inside      and the Mayas of Ambergris Caye made circlets of them for      jewelry.
Phylum ARTHROPODA
(Jointed Feet)
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When walking on the beach looking at  the                    windrows of washed up seaweed, one will see thousands  of                    jumping sand fleas. These are harmless and belong to the                    group "Amphipods" (crustaceans). These animals  feed on the                    detritus in the dead seaweed. When one goes swimming or                    wading in the inter island lagoon or Chetumal Bay, one  may                    seasonally (rarely) encounter a small (3/8") bitting  sea                    roach. These belong to the group "Isopods" (crustaceans)p                    locally called "x-carib". The bite is sharp,  but there is no                    toxicity associated with this bite. In the mud flats by  the                    small river north of the town, in the rainy season, one  will                    see small Fiddler Crabs (Uca). These are noticeable in  that                    one claw is significantly larger than the other.
CRUSTACEANS
(Shrimps, Lobster, Crabs and                              Barnacles)
Members of this group of marine animals are just as      widespread as their land counterparts (and relatives) the      insects. They live in a hard shell that is jointed to permit      movement and have several pairs of legs. Leg pairs are often      modified for specific purposes. To grow, they must      periodically shed their old shell and grow a new one. Complex      hormonal changes govern shell shedding and growth. While the      crustaceans most easily seen are the larger forms, like the      commercial lobster, myriads of small ones live in the marine      waters feeding on debris and microscopic marine life.
Although there are limited amounts of shrimp and Blue      crab in Chetumal Bay, this area apparently does not support a      large biomass of shrimps and crabs in significant commercial      quantities. This area superficially reminds one of the bayous      in Louisiana, however parts of the bottom are often free of      extensive mud and silt.
For  "The Tropica Crab Collection",  The largest FREE public display of mounted crabs from around the globe in the world, click here !
LOBSTER
Some of the larger crustaceans, there are three species      at Ambergris Caye. The most important is the Spiny Lobster,      Panulirus argus, but there are two other species of lobster      off Ambergris Caye not as likely to be seen by visitors. One      is the Spotted Spiney Lobster, Panulirus guttatus, and the      other is the Slipper Lobster, Scyllarides nodifer. In 1982,      the co-op on Ambergris Caye exported 69,162 kilograms ot      lobster at a value of $1,255,650 U.S.
Spiny Lobster: Panulirus argus
The commercial lobster from Brazil to North Carolina,  and extremely important to the economy of Belize, the Spiny      Lobster does not have the large claws of the Maine lobster.      While the Maine lobster has a smooth shell, that of the Spiny      lobster is covered by strong sharp spines and has a prominent      spine over each eye. The carapace (shell) is a reddish brown      and becomes redder as the lobster gets older. They have long      spiny antennae that rotate extensively. The socket in which      the antennae articulates, is designed so that the lobster, by      moving the antennae, can make a grating sound.
Lobsters, essentially scavengers, are nocturnal      (nighttime) feeders, and during the day hide in crevasses and      under ledges.
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It is not recommended from a conservation      aspect, that divers try to catch a lobster by grabbing the      antennae. The antennae break off fairly easily and divers who      try to catch a lobster by the antennae often find themselves      with a pair of broken antennae and the lobster is left      without a very necessary piece of defensive equipment.
Lobster season opens July 15 and closes March 15 locally      to allow most of the animals to reproduce unharassed by      fishermen. Breeding starts in April and most of the      individuals have reproduced before July. The male deposits a      sperm sac, called a tar spot, under the tail of the female      and a short time later the females lays her bright orange      eggs and attaches them to her tail. She scratches the sperm      sac to break its covering and fertilize the eggs. A 9" female      can lay in the neighborhood of a half million eggs 1/35'      across. While the eggs are developing, the female usually      moves to deeper water to release the developed eggs, then she      moves back into shallow water.
When the eggs hatch they do not resemble a lobster at      ail, but look more like transparent spiders. For about a      month, the young lobster larvae float about in the currents.      Called phyllosoma larva or "glass" shrimp, they are transparent       and very hard to see. These juveniles pass through      many different stages for 6 months before they finally look      like adults. By this time they are about 1/2"      long and the greater number of their broodmates have become      food tor other animals. The young lobster then settle down      in the Turtle Grass or mangrove root environments to continue      growth. Most females do not reproduce until they are about 8"            long. During growth the lobster molts the old, smaller      carapace. It splits and the lobster crawls out with the new      shell in place but not yet hard. It quickly absorbs water and      swells up so that when the new pliable shell hardens it is      larger than the old one. The process usually takes about two      weeks. One a lobster is about a year old, the growth rate is      approximately 1" per year. Lobster and some other      invertebrates, for example the conch, have a copper based      blood system instead of an iron based system as in mammals.
In the past, 30 years or so ago, lobster have been  observed migrating, usually after large storms, from north to      south in large groups. They form lines of 10 to 20 lobster,      each lobster maintaining contact, antennae to tail, along the      coast of Belize. Fishing pressure has reduced the lobster      population in recent years and these spectacular migrations      are rare.
Phyllosoma larva of common spiny lobster: Panilirus argus
This is what our commercial lobster looks like when it is young. This  larva can only be seen with a dissecting microscope and it drifts in the  open ocean for about four weeks before it changes into a young lobster looking  like animal.
Lobster are traditionally harvested at Ambergris Caye by      catching them with a hooked stick (gancho) or by setting out      traps. Traps are 21 x 41 x 1 1/21, are      made with palmetto slats and with mahogany frames and need to      be soaked for two to four weeks before use to reduce their      tendency to float. They are weighted with 10 to 15 lbs. of      ballast and placed individually on the sea floor in water      from 51 to 25' deep, usually around the southern tip of      Ambergris Caye. Unlike New England lobster traps, they are      not put on lines, but are pulled individually with long      hooked poles. Silt and mud settle on the trap framework when      it is put out and a lobster crawling about the trap disturbs      these sediments. Simple inspection ( peering into the water      through the bottom of a water glass for example) will tell a      fisherman whether or not he needs to pull the trap. After the      trap is pulled it is carefully cleaned of old silt and mud.      Today traps are pulled about once a week, but in the recent      past when lobster were more plentiful, pulling every 3 or 4      days was usual.
There is one marine mammal that will frequently disturb      the traps. The inshore porpoise (Tursiops truncatus) Will      move the traps considerable distances and overturn them. An      overturned trap will not catch lobster, and for this reason      local fisherman consider the porpoise to be a detriment.
The other method of lobster fishing entails divers going      out daily close to Ambergris Caye in small boats, or out in      25 to 28 ft boats for a week or so at a time to the offshore      reefs. In either case, the diver tows a small dory behind      him and uses a diving mask and a three foot long hooked pole      (qancho) to work waters from 51 to 401 deep. The lobster are hooked individually, and to preserve the freshness, the tails      are dipped in a preservative solution of sodium bisultite      that prevents the copper based blood system from turning the      flesh dark. They are then put on ice.
Ten years ago, a lobster catch of 100 pounds (of tails)      in 3 hours was not unusual, now 2 to 10 pounds may represent      a full day's work.
Slipper Lobster: Scyllarides species
The antennae of this lobster are modified to resemble a      shovel or spade like apparatus, and are used to shuffle      through the sand. The meat of this animal is edible, but it      is not common.
Spotted Spiney Lobster: Panulirus guttatus
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This small lobster can often be seen in the      shallow reef way back in the crevasses in the coral. At      nighttime, divers will see a fair number of these lobsters.
SHRIMPS
There are no commercial shrimp populations as such off      Ambergris Caye. Commercial shrimp populations are south of      Dangriga (Stann Creek) to the Bay of Honduras. Inside the      reef, off Dangriga, going to Placencia, there are water      depths of 50 to 80 ft with muddy bottom. These are the      shrimp fishing grounds. Several different species of shrimp      are caught.
Ammerican Pink Shrimp (commercial): Panaeus duorarum
This is the main commercial shrimp. The young spend      their juvenile stages in brackish water and the adults      migrate into the marine environment.
White Shrimp (commercial): Panaeus species
This is a large shrimp and is caught primarily in      estuarine (river mouth, bays) environments.
Ghost Shrimp, Callianassia Shrimp
Extremely common in the reef lagoon, these make the very      noticeable volcano shaped mounds, that every      snorkeler and wader will notice. The mounds can be up to 6"      high and a toot in diameter. The shrimp is a mottled white-      grey. They build an extensive underground tunnel system about            Callinassia burrow showing sand and mud      mound.            1 to 2 ft. deep. There is usually a small gobie fish, about      2" long, living in the tunnel system (the shrimp and the fish      live in a mutualistic relationship).
Mantis Shrimps: Squilla species or Gonodactylus species         (in Creole called "poisonous crayfish" even though it is         edible)
Named after the familiar Praying Mantis, these shrimps      (60+ species), have a jointed head with the part carrying its      eyes and antennae being able to move separately from the rest      of the head, unlike other shrimps. Their second set of legs    are enlarged with sharp edges to seize and cut prey      (including fingers if one should hold them). The individual      species are difficult to identify, but some can grow up to 4"      long. This group of shrimps has 8 sets of legs. They feed by      either waiting for prey close to their burrows, or sneaking      about looking for an unwary victim. These are very common in      conch shells, under coral rubble and the like in the reef      lagoon.
Common Watchman Shrimp: Patonia mexicana
Usually 1 to 1 1/4" long, it has claw legs as long as      its body with one claw usually larger than the other. It      normally lives in pairs in a symbiotic relationship      (providing mutual needs) with molluscs, especially pen      shells. It is hard to see as it is colourless and therefore      fades into the background.
Pistol Shrimps, Snapping Shrimps: Alpheus species
This group of shrimps is 1 to 2" long and is named for a      noise they can make with one claw. One claw is much larger      than the other and can be held open under great muscle      tension. When the tension is quickly released, the claw snaps      shut with a sharp crack like a pistol shot, which can be      faintly heard by the human ear. This sharp report can either      warn off other shrimps or can stun small nearby fish that are      then seized and eaten. These are common in Loggerhead      sponges.
Sponge Shrimps: Synalpheus species
Very similar to the Pistol shrimps, some of these live      inside sponges. A large Loggerhead sponge can host hundreds      of these small shrimps (they grow up to 3/4" long).
Red Banded Shrimp, Common Cleaner Shrimp: Stenopus hispidus
A larger shrimp, up to 2", it is marked by red bands on      a white background. It and other species perch on corals to      clean the corals and passing fish. They have one pair of      pincers that are very large to help them pluck larger pieces      of debris and food.
CRABS
Blue Crab: (in Spanish is "jaiba" , in creole ra-ti) Callinectes species
Marine blue crabs are up to 3 1/2 inches wide, being      much wider than they are long. Each side bears a sharp      protruding spine as well as spines on part of the pincer      legs. Their last pair of legs are swimmeretts and propel them      quickly through the water. Not a shy type at all,      individuals will stand their ground, rear up and threaten      when approached. They usually live in muddy areas, primarily      is estuarine environments. They will be found in the muddy      intertidal areas in front of San Pedro, and in San Pedro      lagoon, but the larger species live primarily in the Chetumal      Bay and river mouths. During the north wind months, Nov. and      Dec., large numbers of the large species will move into the      Ambergris Caye area from Chetumal Bay. As these animals are      spawning limited commercial (local use) populations are      caught in the beach fish traps.
Coral Crab: Carpilius corallinus
A rather large crab, up to 5 inches long, it has a      smooth shell that is red with some white to yellow spots and      lines on it. It has large pincer legs with the pincers      themselves being short and small for the size of the legs.      They live on the reef and in small caves in the Turtle Grass      beds, but being a very good eating crab, they have been      significantly reduced in numbers.
Stone Crab: Menippe mercenaria
A crab of limited commercial use, it is dark blue when      young and becomes spotted grey and white when adult. It has      very large claws with dark brown of black tips. They live in      small caves and fissures in the Thalassia flats, but      primarily in Chetumal Bay environments. There are no special      trapping methods in Belize for Stone crab, but they are      often caught in the lobster traps and beach fish traps.
Large Reef Spider Crab: Mithrax species
While snorkeling on the reef one may see this large,      spindly, spiny and red crab, which is very edible. There have      been mariculture experiments on this crab.
Shamefaced or Box Crab: Calappa species                A rectangularly shaped crab with short flattened claws.      Found commonly in the sandy areas off the piers.
Spotted Porcelain Crab: Porcellana sayana
Often found associated with the Queen Conch (Strombus      gigas) and with marine hermit crabs occupying vacant shells,      the Spotted Porcelain Crab is small, about 1 inch wider is an      orangish red punctuated by white and purplish spots outlined      in red. The underside is white with red blotches while the      large claws are white with some yellowish hairs on the edges.
Arrow Crab: Stenorhynchus seticornis
An unusual looking crab, its shell is long, narrow and      distinctly pointed. It really looks like it has a pointed      head with the eyes set on each side of the pointed head. It's      spidery looking legs are long and slender and are shades of      red and yellow with small bluish violet claws. The main body      of the shell is boldly striped.
BEACHCOMBERS TIP:
While snorkeling look tor these ungainly      looking crabs around the pilings of the piers.          It looks more like a spider than a crab, and they will      clean parasites from fish.
Giant Decorator Crab: Stenocionopus turcata
Primarily seen in the muddy areas of the lagoon, for      example as seen behind the fisheries co-op, the Giant    Decorator Crab is large, up to 6" and has long spiderlike      legs. The main pincer bearing legs are longer and somewhat      larger than the others; the pincers themselves are small and      slender. There are two prominent horns that project out near      the eyes. This crab is covered with other organisms that      live on its back and is so well camouflaged that it can be      hard to see at times.
Sally Lightfoot Crab: Graspus species
About 2" across, the Sally Lightfoot is yellowish brown      with dark brown mottling and has two bright red spots on its      back. The pincer legs are about the same size as the walking      legs and the pincers themselves are fairly robust and a dark      reddish brown. These very speedy crabs are strictly      intertidal and are seen on pilings and rocks. The sea wall in      front of the Sun Breeze is a good location to observe them      early in the morning.
Crab larvae
Red Hermit Crab: "soya" locally, Soldier crab: Petrochirus           diogenes
A snorkeler or diver turning over a Queen Conch shell      may find one of these large crabs staring back instead of the      conch. They inhabit shells vacated by their former owners and      change to larger shells as they grow. They are usually a      striking rusty red with large bumpy claws, the right claw      being a little larger than the left one. This crab, as do all      hermit crabs, have a large somewhat coiled abdomen that they      insert in an abandoned shell, leaving only the head and legs      visible.
There are other hermit crabs here and throughout the      Caribbean, not all of which are marine. At Marco Gonzalas and throughout the island, there are numerous crabs      (Coenibita species) that inhabit the shells of gastropods      once discarded by the Maya and now unearthed by      archaeologists.
Large Land Crab: Cardisoma guanhumi
BEACHCOMBERS TIP:
During spawning, visitors may see thousands      of these going into the water at night.
These hole dwelling sand coloured crabs may be 6 to 7"      across, and the males (Creole "bo crab") have an unusually      large claw. They are omnivorous, eating about anything, There      are significant populations at Marco Gonzalas . During the      breeding season, July and August, large groups (in the old      days hundreds of thousands) can be seen in less populated      areas moving into the ocean to spawn. This is a phenomena      that occurs when the moon is full (lunar periodicity). Mating      takes place in the burrows on land, so all of the migrating      crabs are "berried" females. The larvae hatch in the sea and      go through a complicated series of shape changes (molts), see      diagram of zooea larval stages. They spend      about 25 days in the sea and eventually the young crabs      return to land.
Ghost Crab: Ocypode species
BEACHCOMBERS TIP:
Watch for this tiny, brownish to yellowish,      1/2" to 2" diameter crab with pale yellow claws that live  in      the small holes in the beach area. They are very active at      night.
BARNACLES
Encrusting barnacles attach themselves to any substrate      available. Some whales, turtle shells (carapace) are heavily      encrusted with large barnacles. The pilings and rocks in the      intertidal are also usually heavily colonized by barnacles.      Once attached, they make a hard living chamber that may      resemble a small volcano. The barnacle lives in its shell and      extends its modified legs out into the water to draw in food.      (the adult spends its lite sitting on its head with its legs      on top). Probably because of the shortage of a food supply,      the barnacle population is not as abundant in Belize as it      is in the Gulf of Mexico.
Large barnacles
Goose Barnacle: Lepas anatifera:
The Goose Barnacle looks rather like a clam or resting      butterfly. The larvae attaches itself to floating bits of      material, wood, styrofoam and even tar. The external shell      is a light grey with a red stripe along one edge. It feeds by      using its legs to sweep food into its mouth. Once it floats      to shore it is doomed as it cannot move to another object to      get away from shore.
Phylum Echinodermata
ECHINODERMS
Starfish, Urchins, Sea Cucumbers                  Brittle Stars
This group of animals is characterized by generally      having a body divided into 5 told symmetry. In the starfish,      brittle stars and urchins this symmetry is clearly visible,      while in the sea cucumbers it is barely visible.
STARFISH
The five fold symmetry (pentamerous) is seen easiest in      the starfish as they usually have five identical arms. Very      common in the Turtle Grass beds and on sandy bottoms, they      also live on the reef. Although apparently rigid when dead,      living starfish are pliable and move about the sea floor on      numerous small tube feet located in the grooves on their      underside (they also breathe through these feet). The mouth      is also on the underside in the center. Starfish feed on      molluscs (snails and clams) either by swallowing small prey      whole or by everting their stomach over the food animal and      digesting it while the prey is in it's own shell. Like many      other marine animals, the young go through several larval      stages. Two starfish are most common off San      Pedro.
Larval Stages of the Starfish
Reticulated Sea Star: Oreaster reticulatus:
BEACHCOMBERS TIP:
This is the most common large starfish seen      in the outer reef lagoon.
Up to 20" across, but usually smaller, it lives in the      Thalassia beds. The body is thick and inflated in the center      and not very flexible except at the ends of the arms where it      often curls up slightly. In colour the adults are tan to      yellowish brown to rust with red or dark brown bumps and a      network of raised lines. Juvenile individuals are usually a      light green. They are popular with souvenir hunters and may  be rare in places.
Beaded Sea Star: Astropecten articulates:
Less commonly seen than the Reticulated Sea Star, the      Beaded Sea Star prefers a soft bottom. It can get up to 6 inches across, but smaller ones are more common. It is      usually a light brown or a light yellowish brown with raised      thick beads on the outer edges of its 5 arms. There are small      spines fringing the under margins of the arms. Members of      this genus tend to swallow their prey whole and discard the      shell debris.
BRITTLE STARS
(ophiuroids)
Retiring animals that prefer dark areas, these are      similar to the starfish in appearance, usually with 5 thin      arms, but sometimes 6 or 7. The starfish however has its five      arms linked inseparably with the main body and in fact its      arms contain body organs. The brittle stars on the other      hand, have arms that are somewhat separate from the central      disk-iike main body. These arms may break off when one is      caught by a human or other predator. Shunning the light, they      more commonly feed at night on algae, newly hatched fish or      minute animals that float by in the currents.
BEACHCOMBERS TIP:
Brittle stars are the most common "starfish" on the reef. They inhabit holes and cracks in the      reef, can live inside the central body cavity of large      sponges or tuck themselves away inside an abandoned snail      shell. Turning over a rock or shell may result in many of      these animals quickly swimming away. The loss of an arm does      little harm to the animal, as it, like the starfish can      regenerate a new one. It is a little startling however, to      end up with one wriggling arm in your hand while the now 4      armed brittle star swims off! Its long, rather snake-like      arms can move rapidly to give it a swimming motion or let it      writhe quickly across a surface.
One larval Stage of a Brittle Star
SEA URCHINS
These include both sea floor dwellers (regular) and some that      burrow under the sea Koor (irregular). When viewing an      echinoid from the top, a regular echinoid has radial symmetry      about its centre and looks rather like a squashed ball to      some degree or other. An irregular echinoid has a modified      bilateral symmetry (like the Heart Urchin, the left halt      being an mirror image of the right half), and look oval      shaped when viewed from the top. The most noticeable feature      of urchins is the large number of spines that cover the      outside of the shell. These spines serve both as protection      and as a means of movement. With close observation of a      living specimen, you can see the spines move, especially when      disturbed. If one pokes the large black spiny Diademia on the      reet, one will be amazed at how fast they can move.
It is often the vacant shell of an urchin that is most      visible (it bleaches white after death), rather than the      living animal.
Four of the urchins that are found in the lagoon off      Ambergris Caye are described in the following section. There      are of course others to be found in different areas,      especially on the reef and on rocky areas.
BEACHCOMBERS TIP:
When snorkeling in front of the town, be      sure to look for the following two urchins in the Thalassia.
Sea Egg: Tripneustes ventricosus:
A large urchin, it can get up to at least 4" across and      is very spherical. While alive is has 1/2 " long white spines      and a dark brownish black test (shell). It lives in the      Thalassia. areas and hides by covering itself with fallen      grass blades or other loose material and can be very hard to      see. The urchin moves slowly through the Thalassia by moving      its spines to let it "walk". It feeds on algae and the blades      of Thalassia. When dead, the spines tall off and the test      bleaches out to leave a pretty white subrounded "shell",      ornamented with radial rows of bumps. These bumps were the      attachment plates where the spines fastened to the test.
Green Sea Urchin: Lytechinus variegatus
Smaller than the Sea Egg, the green urchin seldom gets      more that 3" across. It has a greenish coloured test and      greenish white to white spines about 1/2" long. Like the      larger Sea Egg, it lives in the Turtle Grass beds and covers      itself with fallen material for camouflage. During the mating      season they form large groups and are easier to find. When      dead, the bare "shell" is a little flatter than the sea egg,      but also has the pretty radial patterns out from its center.
Long Spined Black Urchin: Diadema antillarum
In colour a striking black, the test of this urchin is      small, only up to 3" in large ones, but as its name implies,      the slender black spines are quite long, usually 3 times as      long as the diameter of the test. It feeds on algae and      Thalassia in the lagoon primarily at night. During the day it      prefers to hide in cracks or holes in coral or on rock      bottoms. Sometimes when spawning they cluster in the open      lagoon floor during the day and make an unusual triangular      shaped grouping. Sometimes these urchins have an uncommon      white colour phase. Several years ago, a protozoan parasite      swept through the Diadema population and severely reduced      their numbers throughout the Caribbean, but they are staging      a slow comeback.
While other urchins can be handled with relative safety,      this one should be lett strictly alone unless heavy gloves      are worn. The spines are slender and break off easily and can      lodge securely under the skin. Being very difficult or      impossible to remove, days of discomfort can be the result of      careless contact with these urchins. The body will slowly      dissolve these spines. The spines are best left embedded in      the afflicted area.
Sea Pussy, Heart Urchin, Pincushion Urchin: Meoma ventricosa:
A large irregular urchin that can attain a length of 5",      but lives buried in the soft sandy sediment. It is elongate      and flattened and has short spines up to 1/2" long that are      usually a reddish brown in colour. It has 5 pronounced      grooves on its upper surface with one groove (parallel to its      longest dimension) less distinct than the other 4. Its mouth      is on the underside and is designed to always be open. As it      bulldozes through the sand, it scoops in sediment which      passes through the digestive system from which nutrients are      extracted.
During the day they can sometimes be spotted by looking      for small sand mounds in the open lagoon floor (some shrimps      also make mounds but they make a clearly visible entrance      Which the urchin mounds lack). At night they come up out of      the sand to take advantage of the higher oxygen levels in the      water.
SEA CUCUMBERS
At first glance these really don,t look like they are      related to the urchins, starfish or brittle stars at all.      Their five told symmetry is apparent mainly in the      arrangement of some internal organs. Instead they have      developed a modified bilateral symmetry with distinct front   and rear ends. Sometimes they have a top and bottom side as      well. They lack true eyes, but are able to sense light      levels and have tentacles on their front end associated with      their mouth. Like their cousins the brittle stars, the sea      cucumbers have a well developed defensive mechanism, but      having no arms to break oft, the sea cucumbers instead eject      internal organs onto the sea floor when threatened. The      predator may be distracted while eating the internal organs      and the sea cucumber can crawl away to hide and re-grow a new      set of "innards".
In appearance, they look like tubes with a tough skin      that is rough to the touch. Many are rather dull shades of      brown or grey. They can move both over the seafloor or burrow      along underneath the soft sediment. They usually feed by      ingesting large amounts of sand and running it through their      digestive system to extract the nutrients. They have no      external gills, but pump water in and out of their body      cavity to extract oxygen.
BEACHCOMBERS TIP:
Three sea cucumbers are described in the      following section. The large Donkey Dung is the more common      in the outer reef lagoon.
The Beaded Sea Cucumber can be found in the immediate      reef crest.
Donkey Dung Sea Cucumber, Beche de Mere (spade of the sea): Holothuria mexicana:
A large animal, it ranges for 10" to 16" in length and      prefers to live in waters closer to the back side of the      reef, associated with Turtle Grass. It is dull in colour,      browns to greys to sometimes a muddy yellow brown, with      splotches of mauve on the sides. It has a distinct top and      bottom, with the top looking coarsely wrinkled and at times a      little warty. The bottom side is smoother, lighter in colour      and has small "feet" for propulsion across the lagoon floor.      It is primarily nocturnal.
Burrowing Sea Cucumber: Holothuria arenicola
Smaller than the Donkey Dung, it is usually about 4"      long, but can get larger. Mostly a non-descript brown, it can      also be tan to pale grey to a dull yellow with blotches on      the top. As its name implies, it lives in deep burrows in      soft sediment and can make large sand mounds around the      entrance. It is the most common sea cucumber oft the beaches      of Ambergris Caye.
Beaded Sea Cucumber: Euapta lappa
A long, thin cucumber, it can get up to 3 feet long, but      14" is more common. For all of its length, it is only about      1" wide. It is distinctly segmented and transparent with      yellow, brown and black stripes. It is strictly nocturnal and      lives under flat rocks or coral fragments in shallow water.      Because of its nocturnal habit, it is not commonly seen.      It's body is very limp and tends to stick to one's hands.      The mouth tentacles are very frilly and pretty.
Phylum ANNELIDA (with rings)
BEACHCOMBERS TIP:
If one turns over the dead seaweed on the      beach, and digs 3 to 4" in the sand, one may find a thin,      bright red earthworm. These are harmless and are much like      the larger earthworms. They feed on the rich decaying      detritus. These are not used for fishing, but make excellent      food for aquarium fish.
WORMS
Worms exist in marvelous varieties in the marine      environment, but are often hard to identify without close      study. Because of the complexities, this section mentions'      only a few species.
Sedentary Tube Dwelling Worms
Many of the marine worms construct a tube either in soft      sediment, or on hard surfaces including coral heads. Those      living in the sediment of the lagoon floor are often hard to      see due to their non descript colours and the presence of      other organisms, especially Thalassia.
BEACHCOMBERS TIP:
Snorkelers look for these. One sedentary      worm (Cirratulidae) lives in the reef and the Turtle Grass      flats. It builds a fragile tube about 6"      deep in the sand. It feeds by extending long, thin white      harmless tentacles along the bottom to catch passing food      particles. The tentacles can be up to 41 long and very thin,      looking more like thread than anything else. then disturbed      it can withdraw its tentacles very fast.
The most magnificent of the tube worms are the feather      and tan worms that inhabit the coral heads and hard surfaces      throughout the barrier reef, patch reef environment. They      construct a calcareous tube on a hard surface for protection,      and then feed and breath by extending brightly coloured      feathery tentacles into the water. then disturbed, they      quickly zip their tentacles back into the tube, only to      hesitantly poke them out again.
One of the prettiest is the Feathered Christmas Tree      Worm, Spirobranchus giganteus, whose tentacles come out      spiraled to make a conical tree like shape. Colours of   yellow, red and blue are most common. The fan worms, members                of the genus Sabella and others, send out an open circle of                tentacles and look more like an open flower than anything                else. Colours of red, orange and yellow are most common.                These are very common in the shallow intertidal and snorklers                around the piers will quite often see these.                Close examination of the blades of Thalassia will reveal                small spiraled shells growing upon them. Looking like very                tiny snails, these are actually worm tubes belonging to the                serpulid worms. Hundreds of thousands of these worms make  the                Thalassia beds their homes.
Free Living Worms
There is one of these types of worms that roams the      sand, grass flats,and reefs that is of note, the Fireworm,      Bristieworm, Stingingworm or Glassworm, Hermodice      carunculata. It looks rather like a 2" to 3" orange and red      furry caterpillar. Beware of handling, as its bristles are      very delicate, easily broken glass spines that can lodge      firmly in and under the skin. Not even gloves offer      protection from these spines --leave these strictly alone! A      nightime carnivore, the results of its feeding are more often      seen than the worm itself. It digests the coral polyps on the      tips of the coral branches which die and turn white.
Another group of free swimming worms is notable for its      bioluminescence (ability to produce light like a firetly).      There is one very small one, the Luminescent Threadworm,      Odontosyllis enopla, that is seen best during spawning season      when they are very actively bioluminescing. The Atlantic      Palolo Worm, Eunice schemacephala , is a larger form that      spawns at times related to the lunar cycles. The animals swim      to the surface where they break in halt, with the front half      falling back to the sea floor. The back half breaks open to      release the reproductive material and at this point they      become bioluminescent. These spectacular bursts of blue-green      light may be seen off the piers in January and August.
MISCELLANEOUS
Made of chicken wire and small bush sticks:
about 100 yds long
Fish Traps
The heart shaped structures one sees extending from parts of the beaches  at Ambergris Caye and on other cayes are beach fish traps. These traps dot  the coast of Ambergris Caye ail the way to the Mexican border on both the  reef side and Chetumal Bay side. They are usually family owned and are responsible  for most of the commercial scale fish production on Ambergris. Each trap  is usually removed for several months each year when the fish are not running,  this extends the lite of the galvanized chicken wire used in their construction.  The fish are removed from the heart of the trap with a small draw seine.  Almost every type of fish found inside the reef will at one time or another  be caught in these traps. If one wants to go inside a fish trap, snorkel  around the outside first and check, large rays and sharks are sometimes  caught inside.
Major Fish Types Caught
In the months of northers, (Nov, Dec) large "swims" of the  black or mangrove snapper (Lutjanus griseus) average 1 to 3 lb) move from  Chetumal Bay southward towards the reef. These fish, as they swim along  the beach, are taken by the traps in commercial quantities. In 1982, Caribena  exported 2,500 kg of fish fillets with a U.S. value of $10,321 and whole  fish was 7,477 kg at a value of $12, 337 U.S. The following are the most  common fish caught in these traps: mutton snapper (Lutjanus analis), jacks  (Family Caringideae), barracuda (especially the young ones, Family Sphyraenidae)  which are salted and dried, grunts (Family Pomadasyidae), and the "Mojarras" (local name) or slipmouth (Family Gerreideae).
The "mojarra" are a small, 6 to 12" silver fish that are  very common in Chetumal Bay and are caught in large numbers in the beach  traps. These are salted and dried for the local market. Sometimes large  rays and sharks enter these traps. Porpoises do at times jump in and out  of the traps.  When lobster were more plentiful in the area, their migratory "walks" would at times intersect the entrance to a fish trap. Due to the nature  of the lobster walk, hundreds of lobster would be caught in these heart  traps.
OTHER MARINE ANIMALS
Fish
There are a marvelous variety of fishes that inhabit the waters oft Ambergris  Caye in both shallow and deeper waters. Many of these are illustrated in  other publications readily available in hotels and shops, and this section  will deal with only a few aspects of the fish life of the area.
Click here for photos of underwater life in the waters around the island.
BEACHCOMBERS TIP:
The hog snapper (Lachnolainus maximus),  local name "buckinete", is one of the most prized food fishes  on Ambergris Caye. They are a type of wrasse (Family  Labridae) and can weigh as much as 20 pounds. These fish teed  on molluscs and crustaceans and are very rarely taken on hook  and line. They are usually  speared.
The grouper spawn at Rocky Point in the winter (Dec. to Jan.). Their  spawning is related to the lunar cycles and during the full moons, they  will bite voraciously on a hook and line.
Sharks
BEACHCOMBERS TIP:
The most common stark the snorkeler will see on the  reef proper is the nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cerratum), local name "gato". I  know of sightings of the following:
gray reef sharks
dusky
whale shark
There are no "good" spots to see them. You just get lucky, or you don't.  This  ain't SeaWorld.
Most sharks are not territorial, so they tend to move around, making  sightings  irregular.
When snorkeling one will usually see the back one-third of the animal sticking  out of a little cave in the reef. The teeth of the nurse shark are designed  primarily for crushing molluscs. The sudden appearance of a nurse shark  on the reef can be very startling and like all sharks, should be left alone.  It provoked, it has been known to attack man.
Sharks do not have a boney skeleton, but have instead a cartilaginous  skeleton, as do the rays, skates and sawfish. The only true bone structure  is found in the scales and the teeth. The first sharks appeared in the Devonian  age some 280 million years ago. The modern sharks developed in the Jurassic  some 180 million years ago and present day sharks resemble their Jurassic  ancestors.
BEACHCOMBERS TIP:
Due to their kidney arrangement, they excrete urine  back into their own blood system. This contributes to the strong taste of  shark meat. If the shark is bled properly, and the meat boiled, the strong  flavour will be removed. A common food on the island is "empenadas",  which is shark meat fried in a tortilla. The smaller sharks are preferred  and are called "cazon" locally.
Other sharks commonly seen will be the bull sharks (outer reef and estuarine  environments), the lemon, hammerhead, tiger and silky sharks. The Family  Carcharhinidae (requiem sharks) is the largest family inhabiting tropical  waters. Sharks are often identified by tooth shape. Although the great white  sharks are circum polar, they are very unlikely to be seen and have not  been reported in the waters off Ambergris Caye.
Uses of Sharks
The skin makes a durable leather and in the old days, it made a good  sandpaper. The fins are skinned and bleached and then boiled to make a thick  gelatinous soup. Shark oil made from the livers is rich in vitamin A and  other vitamins. Before vitamins were widely synthesized around WW II, there  was a shark factory on the leeward side of Caye Caulker. On Ambergris Caye,  people still use shark oil to partially alleviate respiratory ailments.
BEACHCOMBERS TIP:
The Whale  Shark (Rhincodon typus) is the largest shark,  and may grow to a length of 50 ft. This animal may periodically be seen  off Ambergris in the Rocky Point area. It is strictly a deep water shark  and is a plankton feeder. Its diet consists of small fish, crustaceans and  squid. When seen, the animal is usually associated with schools of bonito  and blue water pelagic fish. Its grey back is noticeable spotted. The local  Creole name is "sapodilla  tom", and they are totally harmless.
Rays
Small stingrays are often observed off the docks and piers, either lying  on the sea floor, or gliding along the shallow bottom. Like most other marine  life, they will quickly move away at the presence of humans. Stingrays do  carry a spine on their tail that may carry a painful venom, but there is  little danger from this animal unless one steps on it or foolishly antagonizes  it. Flight is its preferred defensive mechanism.
The spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) is a common inhabitant of the  outer reef lagoon. It is large, up to 8 feet, has a very long tail and moves  through the water with a graceful flying motion. When in the lagoon they  feed on conchs and other large snails, crushing the shells in their mouth  to get to the animal and spitting the shell fragments out. They are not  aggressive toward humans, but their large size can be startling.
When flying in from Belize City, one may sometimes see some of the large  (5 ft. in diameter) grey skates (Dasytis americana) in the waters between  Ambergris and Caye Caulker. The small ray commonly seen off the piers at  Ambergris is the yellow stingray (Urolophus Jamaicensis, x-tun-"sh-tun" in Maya). The large manta rays (Manta birostris) will only be found in the  blue water off the reef and are plankton feeders like the whale shark. Only  rarely will one come inside the reef.
Included in the skate and ray family (Ragjiformes) are the peculiar looking  sawfish (Pristis species, page These shark-like rays are found from the  brackish waters to the deep drop oft, but they are not common. The teeth  are modified to crush small crustaceans and molluscs.
Others
There are of course other fishes. Snapper and bonefish provide a recreation  to sport fishermen, and the deeper waters oft the reef, especially to the  south, provide a challenge to those seeking billed fish like marlin. In  the lagoon between the reef and the island, small barracuda, jacks, grunts,  flounder, wrasse, puffer type fishes and eels live amidst schools of small  minnows.
Eels, are indeed fish in spite of their snake like appearance. They tend  to inhabit holes and crevasses in rocky areas like the reef proper and rocks  around piers and docks. They tend to have their head protruding from their  lair while watching for passing prey, usually small fishes. When a snorkeler,  or diver approaches, or even someone peering over the side of a pier, the  eel will withdraw into his lair until the threat passes. They will defend  their chosen home and attack if one gets too close or foolishly puts a hand  into his hole. Eels range in size from small to very large and a bite, from  even a small one is cause for concern. Their sharp needle like teeth penetrate  quite deeply, and can contaminate the puncture with bacteria laden slime  that coats the eels mouth. OBSERVE THESE ANIMALS FROM A SAFE DISTANCE.
Needlefish can be seen lazing close to the surface, their long slim bodies  looking rather like fat arrows. One interesting fellow is the sand tile  fish. They actually make a burrow in the sand of the lagoon floor and pave  the entrance with small stones excavated from the burrow. One fish, the  razor fish , will actually dive into the soft sand of the lagoon floor when  disturbed.
At patch reefs like Mexico Rocks, or at shallow cuts in the reef, angel  fish and trigger fishes can be seen along with many small fish associated  with corals.
The Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley are the most popular diving/snorkeling sites in all of Belize. This is due to the close proximity of San Pedro, the large amount of fish life found with the Hol Chan "cut" accessible by snorkelers and beginning divers, the diversity of marine life encountered throughout the 4 zones of the park and the exitement and novelty of swimming with large numbers of nurse sharks and sting rays.
Over 160 species of fish have been identified in the reserve, along with nearly 40 species of corals, 5 sponges, 8 algaes, 2 seagrasses, 3 marine mammals and 3 species of sea turtle.
Below is the most current census of the marine life found within the Hol Chan Marine Reserves boundaries:
Thalassia testudinum
Marine Mammals
The marine mammal most often seen around Ambergris Caye is the Atlantic  Bottle-nosed Dolphin, (local name "bufeo") Tursiops truncatus,  the same species as Flipper of television fame.--It can appear singly or  gather in pods of 6 to 8 animals. At times these animals jump into the fish  pens that dot the coastline, feed, then jump back out again. They also sometimes  move the lobster traps and turn them over, much to the consternation of  the fishermen. At times they seem to play, by tossing conch shells about.  There are other dolphins, Stenella species, that are offshore dolphins,  and are smaller than Tursiops and are spotted. They live in large pods of  100 to 400 animals, and stay mostly in the open ocean, but divers may see  these in the drop off at Ambergris Caye, especially if diving off Rocky  Point. In southern Belize, due to the deeper breaks in the reef, divers  may see Stenella in the channels in the reef .
Monk Seal (Extinct in Caribbean)
At one time the Monk seal (Monarchus tropicalis) reportedly lived in Belizean  waters. At Chinchorro, the atoll immediately north of Ambergris Caye in Mexico,  there is an island called Cayo Lobos. Lobos in Spanish means wolf, and unsubstantiated  rumours indicate that Cayo Lobos (Wolf Caye) was a seal rookery. In southern  Belize, in the outer reef lagoon, there are several islands called the Seal  Cayes. Verbal communication with old-timers, 70 years old, has indicated  no evidence of Monk seal sightings in the area.  Once in a while in the past, beach strandings of "blackfish" (assumed  to be pilot whales) were evidenced. After hurricane "Fifi", which  hit northern Honduras and southern Belize, fishermen from Ambergris Caye  diving in the Glover's reef area, reported "hundreds of whales, twenty  to thirty ft long" moving between Glover's Atoll and the southern main  barrier reef. As identification was not possible, it may be assumed that  these were pilot whales. The last pilot whale stranding was on the eastern  side of Turneffe in about the mid 701s. In 1986, a large "Sei" whale entered the outer reef lagoon near Placencia and was stranded there  in the outer reef lagoon. This whale lived for several months, but finally  died despite many rescue efforts.
Mermaids (Trichechus manatus) Order Sirenia
Other Names: Sea cow, dugongs,  manatee, sirens
These are primarily brackish water animals. They are large, up to 8 ft.  long and teed on aquatic plants (herbivorous). These harmless mammals have  been seen in the Siete Canales off San Pedro. In the recent past, sightings  of manatees in the Hol Chan reef environment have been reported, and RLW  has seen one manatee in the 50 to 60 ft. deep St. Georges Caye channel.  Manatee bones have been reported from the Mayan settlement at Rope Walk,  Turneffe.
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(Manatees are on the endangered species list). Manatees  are related to elephants (pachyderms - "thick skin"). The ribs  of an adult are 2 to 2 1/2" in thick and about 15 to 20" long.  The bones are so dense that these ribs almost resemble ivory. It one leaves  the municipal airstrip in Belize City, the island immediately off shore  (where Sail Belize is located) is called Moho Caye. Twenty to thirty years  ago, beachcombing in the intertidal, one would find dozens of manatee ribs.  Since Moho Caye was an important Mayan trading site one can assume that  the Mayas harvested the manatee. The gestation period of the manatee is  13 months and one, sometimes two young are born. Manatees have been seen  mating in the shallow river mouths. They must drink fresh water. Two good  areas to see them are in Corozol Bay, the New River lagoon area and in the  southern lagoon about 20 miles south of Belize City near Gales Point. The  river leading from the southern lagoon to the sea is called the Manatee  River.
LAND ANIMALS
Birds
The most noticeable bird is the Frigate bird that soars high over the  beach, catching the onshore winds. The Frigate bird, Frigata magnificens,  is about 40" long and has a wingspan of 6 to 7 1/2'. The female is  brownish black with white or pale colourings on her underside. The male is  black and is marked with an orange to red throat pouch that is inflated  in courtship displays. They lay one egg that takes 55 days to hatch. The  young remain in the nest for 5 months, and the young birds have a white  head. They eat seafood snatched from the ocean surface, or steal food from  other birds.
Sea gulls are one bird that the visitor may or may not see in any number.  There are no year round populations of gulls on Ambergris Caye, but some  gull species do winter here. There are other, smaller birds that can be  seen, including terns and plovers, usually in small numbers at any one time.
One of the larger birds that appear is the Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, "alcatraz" in Spanish, that is very common along the coastlines  of the New World. This bird feeds by scooping small fish out of the water  and swallowing them whole. As with all young birds, the adults are responsible  for feeding them until the young can fly. A Brown Pelican baby will require  about 150 pounds of fish in its first nine weeks of life until it can fly  for itself.
The Roseate Spoonbill, Ajaia ajaia, lives and nests  on a small island , Cayo Pajaros (Bird Caye) in Chetumal Bay.  noted for its gorgeous pink plumage, it was at one time  sought out for feather decorations on ladies clothing. The  shade of pink depends on not only the age of the bird, but it  will intensity during the breeding season. They have large  flattened bills that are quite effective in finding and  capturing small animals along the bottom in shallow water.
There is a large heron, the Great Blue Heron, Ardea  herodias, that resides on Ambergris Caye. It is a large bird  with a wingspan of 72" and a body length of 42". It is slate  blue with a white head bearing a black stripe on its  forehead. These birds wade in the shallow intertidal catching  fish. There is also a night heron (Nycticorax species) that  is more common in the winters. It teeds on the crabs and is  easy to approach. It is common on the beach at night and when  startled it makes a unconventional barking sound.
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Cormorants (Phalacrocorax species), commonly seen oft  the piers, fish the waters off the island diving for small fish. This black  bird, the double crested cormorant is an efficient diver and feeds on small  fish in the shallow Thalassia. Frequently they can be seen feeding on a small  struggling moray eel.
The Jabiru Stork, Jabiru mycteria, is huge with a wingspan of 90",  and is native to Central and South America. It has A white body, black legs,  head and bill, and a red throat patch. Its bill is heavy and slightly upturned.  Its habitat is wetlands and coastal shallows, and can be very rarely seen  in isolated places like Cayo Francas lagoon on Ambergris.
There is a sanctuary for boobies at Lighthouse Reef about 40 to 50 miles  from Ambergris Caye and at times a few find their way to the caye. They  are unafraid of humans and can easily be approached. The local name for  the booby on Ambergris is "bo-bo".
In the wooded areas north of San Pedro, there is Ortalis vetula, known as  Cha-cha-la-ca. These game birds flock together and make a tremendous amount  of noise. Deep in the bush, there is a parrot type bird locally called the "chen" that makes a huge racket when disturbed. Caribbean doves are  hunted in the wooded areas.
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The osprey, Pandion halaetus, the Sea Eagle, nests  on Ambergris Caye sometimes.
The Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus or Cassidix mexicalis)  is a common sight and easily recognized by its dark colour (black in the  male and brown in the female), and large full tail.
In addition to these large birds that are associated with the beach and  marshy areas, there are woodpeckers, owls and others. Native humming birds  drink the nectar of the :lowers and Belize lies on the migratory path of  the Ruby Throated Humming Bird, the Chimney Swift, swallows (locally called "golondrina" and most often seen in August) and other North American  birds. In the winter months, especially in November, small yellow warblers  ("animas" locally) come through Ambergris.