Fish hand signals

Does anybody know of a source or site showing the different hand signals for one diver to alert another diver as to a specific fish or critter while on a dive?
Thanks, zoso.

I usually just work it out with my buddy beforehand or just "hey, look at that (point to fish in question)."

I don't think there is a site for hand signs for fishes et al., I actually doubt they are standardised....

I remember a few of what we used a lot in Indonesia, let's see if I am able to describe them in (english) words...
* turtle - both hands flat one on top of the other and circle the thumbs.
* shark - hand to your front, as if you wan to cut your brain into two pieces.
* nudibranch - extended forefinger and middlefinger (like the V-sign), extending, flexing, repeat.
* moray/ribbon eel - forming a mouth with thumb and the other fingers (like playing with a sock puppet)
* pygmy seahorse - extended, slightly bent index finger moving left and right.
* humphead parrotfish - fist to the front
* Manta ray - left and right arm extended, like flying
* Mola Mola - little finger pointing downwards and thumb pointing upwards, the other fingers bent.
Does that make any sense? It's not easy to put it into words, pix would be much easier..

Sorry, I don't know of any sites showing the most common fish ID hand signals. One reason is that they vary location to location. The most common ones may be similar in most locations, such as one hand on top of the head as a fin for a shark, (I've seen this followed by holding arms as if rocking a baby for a nurse shark), a halo sign for anglefish, the two hands over each other to look like a turtle, etc.

Get with your buddy, other divers, or the divemaster to discuss other signs based on what you expect to see. Also feel free to make up signs with your buddy. There aren't any rules, whatever communicates the message is OK.

Deb does reef surveys on our dives, and she and I have evolved a fairly comprehensive system of fish ID signs over the years. Some are fairly standard, based on names, others are our own private signs created over time. For example, on a sailing trip in the BVI we happened to catch a few cero and had wonderful sashimi. Since then our sign for cero is two-finger chopsticks brought to the mouth (sushi). No one else would get it, but it works for us.

Have a look at the seasigns website FAQ page and read the section "Note regarding the shark sign:". Always best to discuss this with your buddy beforehand.

adding to kilo fox's a bit.......1) nurse shark--both hands under the boob area pushing 'them' up with the hand-head shark sign..(2) tapping on the top of the forearm with your 4 fingers(representing 'spots') and flapping your arms is a spotted eagle ray & (3) tapping on the top of your forearm(again spots) and pretend like you're drumming is a spotted drum....

Pipe fish and coronet fish are just miming playing the instruments, like a drum fish.. cow fish index fingers pointed up from the temples .. heck it's pretty much just charades.. it depends on how well you know your partner how fast you get the answers.. it didn't tak my wife more than a second to figure out that my hands at 10 and 2 pretending to steer ment Barracuda..

In addition to some of the things mentioned, my husband and I touch all of our fingertips to our thumbs and fling them out and back to mimic a jelly fish, we salute to indicate sargent majors, stick a finger jutting out of our forehead for unicorn fish, and have been known to pretend to be holding/rocking a baby to signal cuttlefish (cuddlefish). Two fingers mimic antennae off the sides of our foreheads for lobsters. Two fingers off our chin to indicate goatfish. It's fun to point to a fish and make up signals. If you dive with the same person, you'll come up with a bunch of your own signals.

I think that the charades of fish ID hand signals are half the fun of spotting the fish. My wife started rubbing her belly recently to identify a big grouper on one dive and that one stuck. We will point to puffed up cheeks for porcupine fish and puffers. Another favorite of my wifes is taking her regulator out of her mouth and opening and closing her mouth while turing it from side to side to identify a blenny. Just discuss the signals with your buddy prior to the dive. My father-in-law started waving his hand by his butt in an attempt to identify a stingray but it just looked like he had gas.