The 50 Best Small Marine Animals in the Ocean

Eric Riesch

Cherubfish (Centropyge argi)

At a max of 2 ½ inches, the Caribbean’s smallest angelfish is not to be missed. Unlike larger angels that roam a territory singly or in pairs, Cherubfish inhabit small territories in groups that can number from a few to over 50 fish. They can be a challenge to observe because of their wary nature.

Yeah, in a world with thousands of cool small marine animals, it was pretty dang tough choosing only 50! To help, we enlisted the services of Ned and Anna DeLoach, Eric Riesch and Paul Humann, a dynamic team that has spent years photographing and identifying animals on the world’s reefs. (Go to your bookshelf; you'll probably recognize their names from all your favorite marine ID books.) Without further ado, here's the top 50 small marine animaIs, as Sport Diver sees it. Is your favorite little sea creature on the list?