Friday, April 25, 2014

Christmas Tree Worm

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


Christmas tree worm                         Spirobranchus giganteus

Tiny Toby

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


Hawaiian whitespotted toby                        Canthigaster jactator

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Night Oval

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


oval butterflyfish                    Chaetodon lunulatus

Puhi Paka

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler




yellow margin moray                    Gymnothorax flavimargiatus

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Sleeping Parrotfish

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler



bullethead parrotfish                    Chlorurus spilurus

Marbled Shrimp - night dive

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler




marbled shrimp                    Saron marmoratus

camel shrimp

Fuller brush shrimp

Ghost Shrimp

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


ghost shrimp                    Stenopus pyrsonotus

fountain shrimp

flameback coral shrimp

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Bright Butterfly

Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler



raccoon butterflyfish                    Chaetodon lunula



The raccoon butterflyfish is one of the more common species found on Hawaiian reefs.

G. meleagris


Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


whitemouth moray        Gymnothorax meleagris


Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Peeping Crab

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler



red swimming crab                     Charybdis paucidentata

Toothy Wrasse


Photos Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


ringtail wrasse                    Oxycheilinus unifasciatus

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

The Octopus Companion

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


manybar goatfish                 Parupeneus multifasciatus


Sometimes a manybar will follow an octopus around, hoping to catch any small creatures the octopus may alarm as it slides through the coral.

Keauhou Octopus






All Photos Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


Day Octopus                     Octopus cyanea

Friday, April 4, 2014

Schooling Scad


Photos Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


bigeye scad               (Selar crumenopthalmus)

Hitchers

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


A few years ago, I encountered a large male green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) swimming through Honaunau Bay with white masses on his shell. Initially, I thought these might have been fibropapillomas that sometimes afflict sea turtles. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the masses were gooseneck barnacles (Pollicipes polymers) a type of sessile crustacean that can often be seen attached to pilings, docks and boat hulls.



Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


George Balazs, NOAA's sea turtle biologist in Hawai'i, explained that barnacles tend to grow on green sea turtles that remain out in the open sea for prolonged periods of time. Most greens spend their time near shore except when traveling to and from their mating grounds.


Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler




After the turtle came to rest, I found another creature hitching a ride - this slender remora (Echineis naucrates).

Over the years I've seen a lot of turtles but this was the first I've ever seen with barnacles and  one of only a handful I've seen with a remora. I guess this turtle continued his seafaring ways because I never saw him again.