Reef Fish

Among the valued natural treasures in the waters of the US Virgin Islands, are the great and beautiful variety of reef fish. There are over 300 fish living the reefs alone, and many of them are species that are currently protected by law due. Many of them are endangered, which makes the overall importance of the preservation of this amplitude of marine echo system achieve the highest level.

Coral Reefs in the Caribbean, important for many ecological, economical, and cultural uses, have been affected by a number of natural and anthropogenic events, all of which have led to the decline in species diversity and abundance in the area. In 2005, coral reefs throughout the US Virgin Islands were severely compromised by a mass coral bleaching event triggered by prolonged exposure to above normal water temperatures. The bleaching observed in 2005 caused direct mortality for some corals.

The most recognizable fishes that can be found on the reefs in the USVI national parks are the Barracuda, the Blacktip shark, the Leopard Shark, Bluetang fish, Butterflyfish, Chain Moray, French Angel fish, Beaugregory fish, Goatfish, Honeycomb cowfish, Porkfish, and hundreds more.

In the USVI both tourism and the preservation of wildlife are both priorities, that's why even though sport and recreational fishing is permitted in some areas, there are many protected areas where fishing is strictly prohibited.