Phylum of coelomate animals having a notochord and gill clefts in the pharynx at some points in their life history, and a hollow nerve cord running dorsally with the anterior end usually dilated to form a brain.
The following taxa of this phylum occur in the region:
Subphylum Tunicata (Tunicates)
Class Ascidiacea (Sea squirts)
Aetobatus narinari (Spotted eagle ray)
Dasyatis americana (Southern stingray)
Urolophus jamaicensis (Yellow stingray)
Manta birostris (Manta)
Sphyrna lewini (Scalloped hammerhead)
Ginglymostoma cirratum (Nurse shark)
Negaprion brevirostris (Lemon shark)
Carcharhinus perezi (Reef shark)
Bothus lunatus (Peacock flounder)
Echidna catenata (Chain moray)
Gymnothorax funebris (Green moray)
Gymnothorax miliaris (Goldentail moray)
Gymnothorax moringa (Spotted moray)
Heteroconger halis (Brown garden eel)
Myrichthys breviceps (Sharptail eel)
Ophichthus ophis (Spotted snake eel)
Hippocampus reidi (Longsnout seahorse)
Tylosurus crocodilus (Hound needlefish)
Aulostomus maculatus (Trumpetfish)
Fistularia tabacaria (Bluespotted cornetfish)
Dactylopterus volitans (Flying gurnard)
Hirundichthys speculiger (Mirrorwing flyingfish)
Scorpaena plumieri (Spotted scorpionfish)
Holacanthus ciliaris (Queen angelfish)
Pomacanthus paru (French angelfish)
Holacanthus tricolor (Rock beauty)
Caranx latus (Horse-eye jack)
Caranx lugubris (Black jack)
Antennarius multiocellatus (Longlure frogfish)
Diodon holocanthus (Balloonfish)
Diodon hystrix (Porcupinefish)
Pseudupeneus maculatus (Spotted goatfish)
Mulloidichthys martinicus (Yellow goatfish)
Lactophrys polygonius (Honeycomb cowfish)
Lactophrys triqueter (Smooth trunkfish)
Lactophrys bicaudalis (Spotted trunkfish)
Balistes vetula (Queen triggerfish)
Melichthys niger (Black durgon)
Aluterus scriptus (Scrawled filefish)
Cantherhines pullus (Orangespotted filefish)
Cantherhines macrocerus (Whitespotted filefish)
Monacanthus tuckeri (Slender filefish)
Equetus punctatus (Spotted drum)
Elagatis bipinnulata (Rainbow runner)
Caranx ruber (Bar jack)
Selar crumenophtalmus (Bigeye scad)
Acanthocybium solandri (Wahoo)
Sphyraena barracuda (Great barracuda)
Albula vulpes (Bonefish)
Centropomus undecimalis (Common snook)
Kyphosus sectatrix (Bermuda sea chub)
Gerres cinereus (Yellow fin mojarra)
Megalops atlanticus (Atlantic tarpon)
Rypticus saponaceus (Greater soapfish)
Hemipteronotus splendens (Green razorfish)
Gobiosoma horsti (Yellowline goby)
Gobiosoma evelynae (Sharknose goby)
Ophioblennius atlanticus (Redlip blenny)
Opistognathus aurifrons (Yellowhead jawfish)
Malacanthus plumieri (Sand tilefish)
Synodus intermedius (Sand diver)
Synodus synodus (Red lizardfish)
Chaetodon striatus (Banded butterflyfish)
Chaetodon capistratus (Foureye butterflyfish)
Chaetodon ocellatus (Spotfin butterflyfish )
Centropyge argi (Cherubfish)
Acanthurus bahianus (Ocean surgeonfish)
Acanthurus coeruleus (Blue tang)
Acanthurus chirurgus (Doctorfish)
Haemulon flavolineatum (French grunt)
Haemulon chrysargyreum (Smallmouth grunt)
Haemulon sciurus (Bluestriped grunt)
Haemulon parra (Sailors choice)
Anisotremus surinamensis (Black margate)
Lutjanus analis (Mutton snapper)
Lutjanus griseus (Gray snapper)
Lutjanus cyanopterus (Cubera snapper)
Lutjanus mahogani (Mahogany snapper)
Lutjanus apodus (Schoolmaster)
Lutjanus synagris (Lane snapper)
Ocyurus chrysurus (Yellowtail snapper)
Stegastes fuscus (Dusky damselfish)
Stegastes planifrons (Threespot damselfish)
Microspathodon chrysurus (Yellowtail damselfish)
Abudefduf saxatilis (Sergeant major)
Chromis cyanea (Blue chromis)
Chromis multilineata (Brown chromis)
Hypoplectrus unicolor (Butter hamlet)
Hypoplectrus puella (Barred hamlet)
Epinephelus itajara (Jewfish)
Mycteroperca tigris (Tiger grouper)
Epinephelus cruentatus (Graysby)
Epinephelus guttatus (Red hind)
Epinephelus adscensionis (Rock hind)
Epinephelus fulvus (Coney)
Mycteroperca rubra (Comb grouper)
Serranus tigrinus (Harlequin bass)
Coryphopterus lipernes (Peppermint goby)
Serranus tabacarius (Tobaccofish)
Serranus annularis (Orangeback bass)
Serranus baldwini (Lantern bass)
Liopropoma carmabi (Candy basslet)
Paranthias furcifer (Creole-fish)
Gramma loreto (Fairy basslet)
Scarus coeruleus (Blue parrotfish)
Scarus coelestinus (Midnight parrotfish)
Scarus guacamaia (Rainbow parrotfish)
Scarus vetula (Queen parrotfish)
Sparisoma viride (Stoplight parrotfish)
Scarus taeniopterus (Princess parrotfish)
Scarus iserti (Striped parrotfish)
Sparisoma aurofrenatum (Redband parrotfish)
Bodianus rufus (Spanish hogfish)
Clepticus parrae (Creole wrasse)
Halichoeres radiatus (Puddingwife)
Halichoeres garnoti (Yellowhead wrasse)
Thalassoma bifasciatum (Bluehead)
Halichoeres bivittatus (Slippery dick)
Holocentrus ascensionis (Longjaw squirrelfish)
Neoniphon marianus (Longspine squirrelfish)
Myripristis jacobus (Blackbar soldierfish)
Priacanthus cruentatus (Glasseye snapper)
Apogon townsendi (Belted cardinalfish)
Apogon binotatus (Barred cardinalfish)
Apogon lachneri (Whitestar cardinalfish)
Canthigaster rostrata (Sharpnose puffer)
Pempheris schomburgki (Glassy sweeper)
Chelonia mydas (Green turtle)
Eretmochelys imbriocota (Hawksbill turtle)
Botrylloides spp. (Row encrusting tunicates)
Botryllus spp. (Geometric encrusting tunicates)
Didemnum conchyliatum (White speck tunicate)
Trididemnum solidum (Overgrowing mat tunicate)
Clavelina picta (Painted tunicate)
Rhopalaea abdominalis (Reef tunicate)