Fish in cleaning stations

Many species of fish and shrimp act as cleaners, and observing them in action at their cleaning stations is always interesting.

Today we were rather amazed to find a green moray (about 6 feet long), being cleaned by a couple of very small sharknose gobies (less than an inch long). In fact, I couldn't see the cleaners until I looked at my photograph on the computer. The bottom photo is the green moray, and the middle one is a close-up of the goby on it.

For comparison, the top photo is of a bluestriped grunt (about 12 inches long) also being cleaned by a sharknose goby (which was about an inch long).

Redlip blenny

This blenny, rarely reaching 5 inches, is frequently encountered resting atop reef structures, above 35 feet deep. They have charming little faces, with large red-tipped lips. They come in three basic color phases: reddish brown, gray, and bicolor (brown/gray).

Although territorial, redlip blennies are not aggressive towards divers.

Threespot damselfish

Many damselfish, including this species, are quite territorial. They dart around and chase away intruders. I saw one nipping at a turtle the other day. They nip at divers and swimmers, who might enter their territories.

Threespot damselfish don't grow larger than 5 inches, but their presence on the reef is quite noticeable. Because they dart around so much, it's hard to take a good photo of them, especially using a camera with a delay between the shutter button and the actual capturing of the image. As a result, I often get photos of them looking at me.

They are yellow with black spots as juveniles, and sort of brownish as adults.

Stages of smooth trunkfish

The smooth trunkfish is an interesting fish that we encounter frequently. It belongs to the boxfish family and has a wide, flat, bottom side. They don't appear to mind divers much, and we often get quite close to them. Adults get up to 10 or 12 inches in length.

When we peer into the recesses of reef structures, we occasionally find their early juvenile stages, which are about the size of a pea. They look like a brown pea, with white spots, and tiny little fins (bottom photo).

When we are lucky, we sometimes encounter the later juvenile stages. They are about the size of a golf ball (middle photo).

Most often, we see adults, ranging from about 6 to 10 inches in length (top photo).

Animals versus plants

Coral reef communities are rather confusing to people who are more familiar with terrestrial ecosystems. On land, plants such as trees and bushes provide complex structures and microhabitats for a variety of animals to live in. Underwater, the complex structures providing microhabitats are built by animals such as coral and sponges.

And it is perplexing when coral reef animals are given vegetable names, such as the lettuce sea slug (today's photos). Yesteday, I was lucky enough to find one, about 2 inches long. Sea slugs are mollusks, something like nudibranchs. This one seems to blend in with the algae that it eats.

The color red

When diving deeper than 15 feet, red light is seriously diminished. In order to capture the true color of objects deep on the reef, either light must be added, or a red filter must be used.

I use a flash to illuminate most of the photos that I take. Sometimes, when I see the colors that result from a flash photo, I am quite surprised at how the photo looks relative to how my eyes perceive the colors.

Today, I took 2 sets of photos, with and without a flash (at 40 to 50 feet deep), to demonstrate the loss of red at depth. The more vivid photos were taken with the flash. The drab photos were taken without. Various sponges were my target subjects.

That's a moray (eel)

About a year and a half ago, the eel population on Bonaire's reefs was decimated by disease. Last year, we didn't see eels as often as we expected, and when we did, they were pretty small.

This year, I am happy to report that the eel population seems to have rebounded.

Today, I saw my first green moray of the season (bottom photo). It was 5 or 6 feet long, and resting under a reef structure at about 65 feet. This is the biggest moray that occurs here.

The purplemouth moray (one photo up from the bottom) is an individual that we see resting in the same place regularly. The eel is about 3 feet long, and we see it in about 8 feet of water.

The spotted moray (one photo down from top) was resting in the same patch reef as the purplemouth moray. Both species take advantage of cleaning fish and cleaning shrimp while in this reef. The eel was about 3 feet long.

And finally, the top photo is a goldentail moray. At 1.5 feet long, this is the smallest of this batch of eels. Goldentail eels forage during the day, while the others forage primarily at night.

Flatfish

On our dives, we frequently encounter flounders. Some are big, some are small. Most are trying to blend in with the sand. Some are chasing other flounders away. They are capable of rapidly changing color to match the bottom. These guys were all about 10 to 12 inches in length.

They are really quite interesting too look at up close. Their heads look other-worldly. Their eye stalks pivot independent of each other.

The peacock flounder is the species that we see most often here in Bonaire. They have numerous blue rosettes over the entire body.

Fishing on the reef

Although Bonaire's reefs are supposed to be a refuge from fishing, we frequently see locals fishing over the reef, especially early in the morning, from their small wooden boats.

This damages the reef in two ways: their anchors are destructive to coral reef structures, and their fishing removes large predatory fish. The removal of top predators can destabilize the whole ecosystem.

A couple of days ago, we encountered this cheap, homemade anchor beneath a fishing boat (bottom photo). It consisted of a small chunk of concrete and some very lightweight twine. If the fisherman lost this anchor, he probably has another in the boat.

Today, we found the carcass of a reef fish (top photo). This ocean triggerfish had been caught and filleted, then the carcass was tossed in shallow water. In past years, we have always enjoyed our brief encounters with this species. Perhaps not surprisingly, we have not yet seen any ocean triggerfish on the reef this year.

Lionfish

Over the last 15 or 20 years, lionfish, native to the Indo-Pacific region, have invaded much of the Caribbean. Two years ago, they showed up in Bonaire for the first time. Last year, we saw them on virtually every dive. However, this year, their population seems to be reduced.

One of the reasons is that a lionfish fishery takes them off the reef and puts them on dinner plates at several local restaurants. Removing this invasive species benefits the reef ecosystem.

At any rate, after 6 days of diving without seeing any lionfish, we saw 3 within a foot of each other, yesterday.

Queen conch

Historically, conch have been an important seafood throughout the Caribbean. However, the shell middens that have formed over hundreds of years, near fishing villages reflect heavy harvests that have depleted the once abundant populations. Bonaire has shell middens like so many other islands, but not much of a viable conch population.

Over the years of diving here, I have occasionally seen small conchs, but this week I found a live adult queen conch, about 9 inches in length, on a sandy flat, at about 70 feet deep.

I could see its eye stalk protruding beyond the shell. Then I turned it over, to see it retract its mantle. After I took the photo, I returned the conch to its upright position.

Manta ray

Yesterday's stingray seems pretty small in comparison to the giant manta ray that soared over us today. From wing-tip to wing-tip, the manta was about 8 feet across. Quite a spectacular fish, and the first that I have seen while diving. The manta feeds on plankton, as it curls and uncurls the outer edges of its large mouth.

We encountered the manta in less than 15 feet of water, over a sandy bottom. It had one remora and two whitefin sharksuckers (also in the remora family) associated with it.

As it flew by us, I was struck by how much it resembled a stealth fighter jet.

Stingray

Today we encountered a southern stingray, foraging in a small patch of sand in the reef, at about 40 feet deep. Unfortunately, it didn't stay long. This ray, about 3 feet across, swam away shortly after I took its picture.

Over the years, we have frequently seen spotted eagle rays while diving here in Bonaire, but southern stingrays have been much more elusive.

Octopi

Yes, octopi is the plural of octopus. Some years we see them often, and so far we have seen 2 in 2 days. While the easiest way to see them is when they are out and about, on the bottom or swimming, most octopi hide in their dens during much of the day.

Sometimes, following an octopus will lead you to its den. The den can usually be identified by the presence of broken shells of prey items, like crabs and mollusks. We followed this octopus back to its den (top photo).

Flying Gurnards!

Their name sounds like an exclamation (or perhaps a team of aerial performers), so I added the exclamation point.

This morning, we had the pleasure of encountering a pair of flying gurnards (odd-shaped, bottom-dwelling fish) on a sandy bottom, in shallow water. Over the ten plus years we have visited Bonaire, this is only the second time that we have seen this species.

This fish, about 12 inches in length, has extra-large, fan-shaped pectoral fins, that look something like wings. But they are not flying fish.

Instead, they forage on the bottom, using modified fins and spines like fingers, turning over rubble.

Seeing one is a treat, seeing two is amazing.

Back underwater

Greetings from Bonaire!

Yesterday, I dove with an empty, new, underwater housing for my camera ... just to make sure that it didn't leak. Today, I dove with the new camera in it. I'm using a Canon G12, and trust me, it is much more talented than I am, but hopefully, I will master it soon.

At any rate, today's post features a French Angelfish that is being shadowed by a trumpetfish. Each of them is pretty abundant on the Bonairean reefs, and not too shy. The angelfish is about 12 inches long.

Off to a good start for the new year

This morning, I joined about 75 people and 10 dogs in the 2012 Yachats New Year's Day Peace Hike. From the Yachats Commons, we followed the 804 trail about 3 miles to the Amanda Trail, and had a peace ceremony next to the statue of Amanda.

As my closing comment for 2011 was a wish for world peace, it is only fitting that my first post of 2012 be dedicated to peace as well.

Wishing you peace, and a happy new year.