Something Completely Different

A couple of months ago, Betty & I were diving together when she pointed out a roundish mass of gunk to me. I didn't think much of it as it appeared to be some kind of encrustation like a sponge or something. However, it was very slowly moving which prompted me to get out the camera and take some photos.

Photo Copyright 2012 by Barry Fackler

Anyway, I went home and downloaded the photos and looked at all the colorful and interesting stuff I had captured. Weeks later, while checking my book on marine invertebrates to identify something else, I saw a familiar image. It was the "mystery creature" which turned out to be an umbrella slug (Umbraculum umbraculum). Hoover's book, Hawai'i's Sea Creatures, says "this large, sponge-eating, side-gilled slug carries a calcareous disc too small to cover itself completely". The entry goes on to say that the species has a wide Indo-Pacific and tropical Atlantic distribution but is uncommon in Hawai'i. So, Betty came up with an unusual and remarkable find!

Photo Copyright 2012 by Barry Fackler

Pacific Trumpetfish

Last weekend I was able to get some pretty good close-ups of a co-operative Pacific trumpetfish (Aulostomus chinensis). Trumpet fish are found on coral reefs all over the world and are successful hunters on the reef. They have a rigid stick-like body and swim by fluttering their dorsal and anal fins. The mouth of a trumpetfish is a complex affair designed to quickly create a vacuum and suck in small prey fish. In doing so, the mouth flares like the bell of a trumpet and hence the name.

Photo Copyright 2012 by Barry Fackler

On its chin, the trumpetfish sports a small barbel which may serve as a lure to unsuspecting fish. While the trumpetfish presents a large side profile, it is extremely thin and very hard for prey to see head-on

Photo Copyright 2012 by Barry Fackler

I like this last photo as the sun is backlighting the fish and glowing through the almost-transparent parts of the mouth. On the left upper corner, in the far background, another trumpetfish can be seen hanging vertically in the water, stalking its prey.

White Leaf Scorpionfish

Another interesting find this weekend was this large, pale leaf scorpionfish (Taenianotus triacanthus) sitting out in the open in the shallows. These are often tucked into crevices during the daylight hours, so to find one out in the open was a nice surprise.

Photo Copyright 2012 by Barry Fackler

These fish will sway back and forth in the surge, mimicking the movement of a fallen leaf in the water.

Photo Copyright 2012 by Barry Fackler

Ornate Butterflies at cleaning station

First off, my apologies to anyone who might have been following this blog only to have me let it go for a couple months. Betty & I spent a good deal of the summer visiting with our kids & grandkids on the mainland. Once back, we got ready for company as my brother Chuck & his lovely bride Jeanette paid us a visit. Come early December, my Mom will be here to visit for a month. So it has been, and will continue to be, a little busy around here.

Photo Copyright 2012 by Barry Fackler

Yesterday was a beautiful and sunny day at Honaunau. I've been trying out different settings on my SeaLife DC-1400 and think I may have hit upon a good combination. Early in the dive I saw this cleaner wrasse working on an ornate butterflyfish pair. This was early in the morning and with previous settings my background would be stark almost totally black. But this gave me a more natural and softer blue background which I like better.

Photo Copyright 2012 by Barry Fackler

I hope you enjoy these photos and I'll try to post more shortly. Aloha!