Squirrelfish

Squirrelfish

Holocentrus adscensionis

Size: to 12"

Habitat: inlets and rivers, late in the season

Notes: Squirrelfishes are nocturnal - the enormous eye is a dead giveaway. Look for small ones at night in the late summer and early fall in the rivers and inlets. Unfortunately, they are rare visitors to our area.

Squirrelfish
Cozumel, Mexico

Gammarus

Amphipod crustaceans typically range in size from 2 to 50 mm, although a few may be larger. Amphipods are common in aquatic ecosystems throughout many parts of the world, inhabiting marine, brackish, and freshwater environments. A few species are also terrestrial. Amphipod means "different foot", a reference to the varied legs that are evident in the illustrations, as opposed to isopods.

The order Amphipoda, which contains nearly 7,000 described species, is divided into three suborders: Gammaridea, Caprellidea, and Hyperiidea. Gammaridea, with more than 5500 described species, is not only the largest amphipod suborder but also contains all of the freshwater and subterranean taxa. Approximately 21 superfamily groups, 95 families and more than 1000 genera are recognized within this suborder.

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