Fish ID

I went snorkeling in the Florida Keys about 2 weeks ago with a few friends to catch some snails and some fish for our tank.

We caught a couple of nice fish for my friends tank and all I was interested in was snails.

When we get to my house, and I look in the bucket I see this one extra fish that I was not aware that my friend caught.

Any ID would be greatly appreciated.

He/she/it seems to only like eating algea off the wall and rocks, not too interested in anything I have fed the tank.

I have searched around the net and the only thing I can come up with is, I think he is some type of wrasse.

He is not shy at all and swims ameleslly around the tank.

 

Some type of rabbitfish is my guess.

 

trumpet fish !! well thats what we call em anyways !!!

 

Could also be some sort of squirrelfish

I though collection of any sort was banned in Florida?

 

Its a dwarf sand perch.

They get up to 5"s.

Family: Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets),
subfamily: Serraninae
Order: Perciformes (perch-likes)
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
FishBase name: Dwarf sand perch

 

Hmmm,

Going to reasearch/google all your ideas now. Thanks for the help.

I always take with me the florida guidelines and only take with me what is allowed.
Honestly this time i wasnt aware he was in the bucket.

I am still trying to really pin point the exact ID of this fish and if he he is not legal or not meant to be in a fish tank I will be taking him back in two weeks when we go back out, weather permitting.
Chubbs

 

They are legal, similar to the harlequin bass. Not very common in the aquarium trade, but they are available from the right sources, especially divers in FL. I can find them in FL for sale a lot.

 

The only other possiblility I can think of is a slip(slippery) dick wrasse, and yes that is the real common name for it. Halichoeres bivittatus

 

I must say that after researching the Sllipery Dick Wrasse, It really looks like its related.
Good Call.
Chubbs

Ps. Btw I appreciate everyone help with the this

 

I saw pics of both that looked just like what you have and then I saw pics of both that look nothing like what you have.