600+ Fish Species Found in Mexican Caribbean Reefs

Cancún, Mexico — The Mexican Caribbean is home to more than 600 species of fish, which have been genetically identified through research and monitoring conducted in 12 marine protected areas in Quintana Roo.

Lourdes Vásquez Yeomans, a senior research scientist at El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (Ecosur), detailed that for years she has undertaken the task of registering the fish species in the state, asserting that conservation is impossible without first knowing which species are present.

Cancún, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Holbox, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, and the Gran Costa Maya (which includes Bacalar and Chetumal) possess an enormous wealth of fish, making this zone one of the highest for fish recruitment. Recruitment is the name given to the process by which the youngest fish survive to a size adequate for scientific research. In this way, scientists can better understand their evolution and development within the ecosystem.

The researcher is currently focused on a project called the Mesoamerican Reef Connectivity Exercise (Ecome), which includes Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras.

“Over the years I have worked with fish eggs, larvae, and early juveniles, and currently on Ecome, which receives funding from Mar Fund and the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp). In its initial stages, it received funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),” she stated.

She detailed that the work involves monitoring larvae that are ready to settle on the reefs across 10 to 12 natural protected areas in Quintana Roo. This monitoring is conducted continuously and simultaneously for seven days, with a record of the adult biodiversity in the region to enable the identification of the recruiting larvae.

“We use DNA barcoding, a genetic technique that allows us to know the scientific name of the species that is arriving to recruit on the reefs. Through this monitoring, we gather information on how the arrival of these fish varies throughout the entire Mesoamerican Reef System,” she indicated.

She explained that alternative research methodologies are required to understand what arrives on the coasts and reefs, such as light traps and channel nets. These tools have been used in the Bahamas and have now been implemented in the Mexican Caribbean, within areas like Contoy and Xcalak, as well as the Zaragoza Canal.

“A year and a half ago, we were able to report the recruitment of tarpon or sábalo larvae (Megalops atlanticus) because it was unexpected after so much time spent monitoring.”

She said that the bonefish (Albula vulpes) and tarpon are species important for sport fishing, hence the interest fishermen have in this type of discovery. “Ten years ago, the largest recruitment event in the entire Caribbean was reported, including the Bahamas, which was the most documented site for bonefish larvae. However, the Mexican Caribbean has maintained the highest recruitment indices of any other region.”

The interviewee stated that the last report from 20 years ago listed more than 577 registered species of marine fish, but based on recent studies and recorded findings, there are now more than 600 species of adult fish in the region.

“In Chetumal Bay, we registered a species that fisheries and those who conduct visual censuses have not seen, but the larvae and eggs are found there. There is no doubt about it; this species does not have significant economic importance, but it is important for the ecosystem and it is a new record for the Caribbean,” she concluded.