Sargassum fish are present; the gills open as pores near the base of the pectoral fins. The anal fin has no spines and seven to 13 soft rays. The pelvic fins are large and the pectoral fins have 9-11 rays and are stalked and able to grip objects. The outer rays of the tail fin are simple, but the central rays are forked. The sargassum fish has a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical and subtropical seas down to a depth around . It is found in parts of the Atlantic Ocean and the Indo-Pacific Ocean, where drifting seaweed accumulates. In the western Atlantic,
Sargassum on wave height and current. On the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, backhoes are also used in the process of clean up once the "Sargassum" weed reaches the shorelines. Researchers say that the "Sargassum" outbreak started in 2011, but it has become worse over the years. As it is cleaned up on the shorelines, in a matter of a week, the shorelines are once again filled in masses. It is still a recurring problem to this date. Several factors could explain the proliferation of "Sargassum" in the area in recent years. These include the rise of sea temperature and the