Marine Biota of the region occurred from the representatives of the Indian and Pacific oceans, caught in the Caribbean Sea before the emergence of the Isthmus of Panama about 4 million years ago. In the Caribbean, home to some 450 species of fish, including sharks (bull shark, tiger shark, silky shark and Caribbean reef shark), flying fish, sea serpents, oranzhevoplavnichny surgeon (Acanthurus bahianus), angel fish (Pomacanthus), Ocellated butterfly fish (Chaetodon ocellatus), Fish-parrots-Goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara), tarpon and moray eels. Throughout the Caribbean region is the industrial catch lobster, sardines (off the coast of Yucatan), and some types of tuna. Albulevye, barracuda, wahoo and marlin are popular with amateur fishermen.
Mammals of the Caribbean represented 90 species, found sperm whales, humpback whales and Dolphin. In the island of Jamaica, home to seals and American manatees. Dwelt formerly in the Caribbean monk seal is extinct, endangered are the representatives of the native to the region of the family Solenodon.
Reptiles Caribbean region represented 500 species (94% endemics). On islands inhabited by several endemic species tsiklur, widely ostroryly crocodile. The region presents several species of sea turtles: Trichechea spp., Loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green turtle, Hawksbill, leatherback turtle, Atlantic Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) and olive turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). Some species are endangered, their population, researchers estimate that greatly decreased since the XVII century - the number of green turtles has declined from 91 million to 300 thousand individuals, and Biss - from 11 million to less than 30 thousand by 2006.
All 170 species of amphibians, inhabiting the region, is endemic. Areas of almost all representatives of families of frogs, drevolazov, tree frogs and whistlers limited to any one island.
In the Caribbean region recorded 600 species of birds, 163 of which are endemic to the region, such as Todi, Cuban shiloklyuvy woodpecker and palm check. Of the 48 species of endemic species are threatened with extinction: Amazon Puerto Rican, Cuban Crake, the Cuban Wren et al Antilles, along with Central America are in the path of migratory birds from North America, so the size of bird populations exposed to strong seasonal fluctuations. The forests are parrots, toucans and birds of sugar, over the open sea can be found frigates and carriages.