I don’t see Spotted Eagle Rays as often as I used to, but that’s true of many creatures that live in the ocean around here. This one went skimming by a small school of Yellow Tangs and out into deeper water. Happily, it looked in excellent condition with a beautiful array of white spots on its wings.
Chubs might be the most cheerful-looking fish in our local waters, and with their touches of brassy yellow, these chubs are amongst the most colorful.
I came across this relatively small Giant Porcupinefish on a recent swim and it headed directly towards me for a short while, before deciding I wasn’t that interesting and swimming off.
I used to see Scrawled Filefishes all the time at the place where I usually go snorkeling. For the past few years they’ve become occasional visitors, so I’m pleased when I run into them these days. This one had the good graces to not only stick around, but to do so in a spot where the light illuminated its wonderful markings.
I rarely see Paletail Unicornfishes in my usual swimming spot, though it might be that they’re around and I just haven’t noticed them before. I managed to snap a few quick photos before they disappeared and this was the best of them. Ironically, the pale tail was at exactly the wrong angle! No prizes for guessing the reason for the name ‘unicornfish.’
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Everything Water.’ See more responses here.
I’m going with some abstract images from my archives. No text with these except for some brief captions.
Yes, there is a fish in each of these photos! The endemic Strasburg’s Blenny is less than two inches long and is easily overlooked. It tends to move about in short, sharp bursts, blends in well when it settles, and is almost undetectable when it backs into its hole. That’s where the blenny is in the top photo.
In the second photo, it’s lying out in the open, but blending in rather well. Can you spot it?
This is a scene I like to refer to as ‘gang activity.’ Blue Goatfishes are predators and hunt in packs, often in the company of other fish, such as Bluefin Trevallies and Pacific Trumpetfishes, as well as eels and octopuses.
The fish on the left is showing its barbels, which are used to ‘sense’ prey and also can be poked into tight spots to flush out prey.
Graham's Island 