Character profiles

Hello, adventurers! My name is Pepe, a fiddler crab. My scientific name is Uca rapax. I live in the mangrove forests of Puerto Rico; you can easily find me there. I have two pincers (claws) and the males of my species have one claw that is much bigger than the other. That’s why our common name is fiddler crabs. This claw could be up to 65% of my body weight. Wow! We are very good indicators about the mangrove forest’s health, since we are sensitive to contaminants and insecticides. The less polluted a place is, the more fiddler crabs you’ll find living there. Finally, we recycle nutrients from our ecosystem. We’re small, but very important!

Greetings! Mommyyyy! My name is Lulo, and I’m also a fiddler crab. However, my scientific name is different from my friend Pepe’s: Uca burgersi. I’m very scared of new things, but I’m always willing to try. I’m reddish colored, and less commonly found than Pepe. But similarly to Pepe, the males of my species have claw that is much larger than the other. With the tunnels my species digs to make our homes, we help air get to the mangrove tree roots. This helps the trees grow happier and healthier.

Hi! I’m Megalo, an Atlantic tarpon scientifically named Megalops atlanticus. I am a fish that can grow up to 8 feet long. I live in many places, such as coastlines, bays, estuaries and mangroves. I must remain underwater to breathe properly, but I can occasionally rise to the surface and breathe air just like you do. Although I have a very big mouth, my teeth are very small. My favorite foods include smaller fish, although I can eat small shrimp and crabs, too. If you want to take a closer look at me, come find me in the docks in Ponce, Puerto Rico. I’ll be waiting for you!

Hey, everyone! My name is Lola and I’m a green turtle. My scientific name is Chelonia mydas. I can be found in nearly all the world’s oceans, and I can swim at up to 24 kmph and travel up to 4,828 km in a single journey. I can weigh up to 360 pounds and lay between 70 to 130 eggs. Although I don’t have teeth, my mouth is very hard, and I can eat seagrasses and seaweeds, along with other organisms such as jellyfish, langoustines and crabs. Since I’m a reptile, I need to breathe air to survive. If I become trapped underwater, I could drown. However, I can sleep for several hours underwater without having to come up for air. Imagine being able to sleep underwater for hours! I love it.

Greetings! My name is Chelo, and I’m a trunkfish, scientifically named Lactophrys trigonus. I only live in seawater, and I prefer coral reefs. I can grow up to 30 cm long. I feed on many small animals such as small mollusks, crustaceans and worms. Although I spend most of my time on the coral reef, I like visiting seagrass beds to see my friends.

Hey! I’m Luja, and I’m a schoolmaster snapper fish! My scientific name is Lutjanus apodus. I can grow up to 67 cm long and I live in clear, shallow waters, preferably near corals. When young, I live in seagrass beds, seeking protection from other animals that want to eat me. As I grow, I move to deeper waters. I feed on little fish, shrimps, worms and other animals.

Hello, I’m Dorotea. I’m a porkfish and my scientific name is Anisotremus virginicus. I live in shallow waters near corals. I can grow up to 15 inches long and weigh up to 2 pounds, since I feed on different invertebrates (little crabs and worms). However, when I’m young, I’m known as a cleaner fish, since I eat little animals pestering bigger fish. My common name comes from the grunting noises I make.

Hey, how are you? We’re green sea urchins, also known as Lytechinus variegatus. We can grow up to 4 inches in diameter. We live in seagrass beds, far from places with strong surf conditions. There’s lots of us living in the seagrass beds, and we don’t like it when the water’s dirty or murky. If it gets like that, we have to leave. If there’s too much sun, we protect ourselves from it by placing items on top of ourselves, such as leaves, algae, seashells or little stones. You should also protect yourself from the Sun, but try to use ocean-safe products.

Greeting to you all. I’m the barracuda, and my scientific name is, aptly enough, Sphyraena barracuda. I live in warm (tropical) waters all around the world. I can also thrive in many ecosystems, such as mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs. I can grow to more than 6 feet long (possibly taller than your mom or dad) and weigh over 100 pounds. I can also live for up to 14 years. I usually eat a lot of fish (snappers, groupers, etc.) and to catch these fish, I have to be a very fast swimmer - I can reach speeds of up to 36 mph! Although people are often scared of me, attacks from us barracudas to humans are very rare.