divepix - Eric H. Biass

Monday, 10 December 2012 20:54

Queen Triggerfish

Aspect:	Oval narrow body with spectacular, but highly variable, colour schemes. Both dorsal and anal fins are set far back and feature long tip extensions.
Population:	Common.
Notable feature:	Blue or purple lines extend downwards from mouth crack and from nasal opening area, thin black lines radiate from eye. Why Triggerfish? The name is owed to its peculiar mechanical defense system by which the dart it erects in lieu of forward dorsal fin is vertically locked in place by the second spine.
Environment:	Near coral mounds, over sandy seabed from where it feeds on small crustaceans .
Behaviour:	Difficult to approach and photograph.

Published in Triggerfishes

Tagged under

Monday, 10 December 2012 20:11

Porcupinefish (not Longspine Porcupinefish q.v.)

Aspect:	The longest and most elongated of the "balloonfishes" found in this area, it features a light brown body with a dense array of small black dots covering the whole body and all fins, including tail. Spines are usually swept back against body. Lighter coloured belly.
Population:	Common.
Notable feature:	Wide, white-lipped prominent mouth. The older the specimen, the more elongate the body and snout (noticeably flatter on juveniles)
Environment:	Particularly affectionates open waters around wrecks at depths of as much as 40 metres.
Behaviour:	Easily approched, can actually become friendly (appear to be able to recognize frequent and friendly visiting divers).

Published in Porcupinefishes

Tagged under

Monday, 10 December 2012 20:04

Orangespotted Filefish

Aspect:	Overal brown with off white horizontal lines. Orange spots are actually faint and cover the entire body. Typical filefish profile with heavy "keel", overhead spine, and fast back-positioned translucent dorsal fin mirroring anal fin.
Population:	Occasional.
Notable feature:	White dot on upper side of tail fin root.
Environment:	Near bottom, around coral mounds.
Behaviour:	Easily approched to about two metres.

Published in Filefishes

Tagged under

Monday, 10 December 2012 19:49

Honeycomb Cowfish

Aspect:	Box shaped, disproportionately small body fins, particularly the pectoral ones that are often seen turning like turbines. As the photos herewith show, colours can vary greatly with mixes of blue, green, yellow and brown.
Population:	Common.
Notable feature:	Honeycomb pattern on body aft of head and "horns" above the eyes.
Environment:	Swims around rock and coral boulders.
Behaviour:	Must be approached quietly, or will swim away.

Published in Boxfishes

Tagged under

Monday, 10 December 2012 19:26

Longspine Porcupinefish (a.k.a. Balloonfish)

Aspect:	Compact light brown dotted body with larger dark patches on upper part and sides of body. Spines neatly swept backwards along body when not aggressed. As the pictures below show, very rare samples may be totally white, but still with black dots.
Population:	Common.
Notable feature:	Blue iridescent pupil and plain iris unequivocally distinguishes it from the similar Brideled Burrfish (q.v.). Body dots are also larger and sparser than Bridled Burrfish.
Environment:	Close to bottom, around rock or coral boulders in not too deep waters (about 10-15 metres). Usually seen at night.
Behaviour:	Easily approached, but quietly. Feeds on small crustaceans.

Published in Porcupinefishes

Tagged under

Monday, 10 December 2012 18:27

Bridled Burrfish

Aspect:	Compact light brown or light green body with matching darker dots and larger patches on upper part and sides of body. Unlike other Porcupinefishes its spines seem to remain permanently erect.
Population:	Common.
Notable feature:	Darker dots in the eye iris absolutely distinguishes it from the similar Balloonfish (q.v.)
Environment:	Near bottom, around rock or coral boulders in not too deep waters (about 10-15 metres). Usually seen at night.
Behaviour:	Easily approached, but quietly.

Published in Porcupinefishes

Tagged under

Sunday, 09 December 2012 19:36

Bandtail Puffer

Aspect:	Relatively elongated with a stub snout (twice as long as the Sharpnose Puffer, q.v.). Squarish body section. Brownish upper body down to mid-side, then white below below this, followed by a long horizontal brown band studded with black blotches running from chin to tail, white underbody.
Population:	Very occasional, solitary.
Notable feature:	Dark vertical band on tail root, and trailing edge of tail. Prominent frog-like eyes. Like all pufferfishes, is devoid of pelvic fin.
Environment:	Stays close to coral sand bottom down to 10 metres, alongside rocks, feeds on tiny invertebrates.
Behaviour:	Fearful.

Published in Pufferfishes

Tagged under

Sunday, 09 December 2012 15:31

Spotted Scorpionfish

Aspect:	When spotted, ususally appears as a compact mass resembling a stone. The older the specimen, the more camouflaging parasites (including cnidarians!) it will carry. Younger "cleaner" specimens still reveal a mottled white/red or withe/brown appearence. Owes more its name to its venomous dorsal fins rather than to its stout physiognomy. As a matter of fact, another Scorpenidae, the Lionfish, displays a quite different physical appearance.
Population:	Common.
Notable feature:	Distiguishes itself from other scorpionfish with the three dark vertical bars across tail fin.
Environment:	Rests quitely on a rock or substrate (rock or wreck deck) whith which it will blend.
Behaviour:	So confident in its camouflage it will not budge when approached. Actually needs to be provoked to take a short swim to display unexpectedly colourful pectoral fins.

Published in Scorpionfishes

Tagged under

Sunday, 09 December 2012 13:55

Sand Diver Lizardfish

Aspect:	Complex dorsal pattern reminiscent of a pale green-based Persian silk carpet with a series of five darker patterns (the first just before the pectoral fins, the last on the tail root) alternating with four similar, but lighter bars that all descend to the side of the body which, upon crossing a thin longitudinal blue-green line, turn into diamond shapes of the same colour. Uninterrupted blue side line runs from upper gill area to tail. Belly has lighter colours.
Population:	Common.
Notable feature:	Features golden reflections. Likes to have its teeth cleaned by Pederson Cleaning Shrimps (q.v.) as seen on one of our photographs.
Environment:	Usually affectionates sandy bottom in which it buries itself, awaiting for a prey to pass by, but often seen lying like a lizard, its semi-open mouth displaying an amazing array of teeth. From semi-shallow waters down to 30 metres near wrecks
Behaviour:	Can easily be approached quite closely, but very slowly.

Published in Lizardfishes

Tagged under

Sunday, 09 December 2012 13:00

Redspotted Hawkfish

Aspect:	Red-orange spotted head and dorsal fin, red-orange-rimmed eyes, brown/beige/light green body
Population:	Not abundant.
Notable feature:	Body vertically crossed by three sets of double white bars.
Environment:	Spotting it (it is a small fish!) requires a trained eye.
Behaviour:	Can be approached, with usual precautions.

Published in Hawkfishes

Tagged under